MARCH 2018 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC


So where do I get a social license? Work with the public, not against them, if you want acceptance


The term ‘social licence’ is


frequently used in agriculture, but what does it involve and how does a farmer go about acquiring one?


Viewpoint by Tom Walker


Ralph Matthews, a


professor of sociology at UBC in Vancouver, spoke to growers in Comox last fall and described the factors involved in social licence and gave some tips as to how an industry might acquire it. “Whatever social licence is,


it’s about becoming part of the community,” Matthews said by way of introduction. The concept has been


around since the 1930s, he explained. “‘Social licence to operate’


refers to the degree to which a corporation and its activities meet the expectations of the local community, the wider society and various constituent groups,” he said. The term ‘social licence’ tends to be used by companies that have a significant environmental impact. “It started with the coal mining industry,” Matthews said. “It moved into forestry, oil and gas, and is now a part of agriculture.” Matthews says groups


often argue in favour of social licence by assertion, but stating that “agriculture grows food” is simply not


enough to garner widespread support within a community. Acceptance of a particular situation is based on a couple of conditions, Matthews says. “It is not about whether you actually do spread manure or harm an animal,” Matthews explained. “It is about whether


the information given to people can be presented in terms of their fundamental value perspectives and their experience in place.” That value perspective is a


framework through which all information is viewed, Matthews said. “There are no facts,” he


said. “There are only empirical observations, and observations are always at the mercy of the frame of reference we bring to them.” The increasing distrust of science complicates matters, Matthews added. “For there to be social


licence, its key element is trust,” he said. “There is a growing negative response to scientific information. It is a breakdown of trust in science. Science can be seen as the problem, not the solution. While farmers may claim that manure doesn’t enter waterways, there is an increasing mistrust of all industry as polluting – fracking, pipelines, logging and mining, and farming is not exempt. Matthews says industry


and government must work together to establish multiple types of trust as the


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cornerstones of social licence. He explained there are


three levels of trust that need to be developed: Trust in the reliability of organizations (how does the public view your commodity group?);


is based on knowledge and belief. You develop trust through past experience and co-operation.” But trusting involves risk. “If I trust you, I have risked something,” Matthews


“Don’t go and ask people to trust you. Ask them to co-operate with you about something.”


RALPH MATTHEWS


trust in the reliability of specific individuals (how does the public perceive your commodity spokesperson?) and trust in the reliability of knowledge that guides action of industry (what is the science behind your commodity and how is your commodity regulated?). An industry is going to


have to establish trust on at least two of these three levels, Matthews added. “A failure of any one is usually enough to seriously threaten the acceptance of a project,” Matthews said. “It will certainly undermine any chance of achieving social licence.”


He added that trust also has deep roots in the public consciousness. “Trust is built over time and trust is based on experience,” Matthews said. “You don’t choose to trust; it


pointed out. “We live in a very risk-aversive society so building trust is difficult.” A single negative experience can break years of work to achieve trust. “Trust builds out of limited stages of co-operation – small


things, till finally you have built a sense of relationship that involves trust,” Matthews said. “Don’t go and ask people to trust you. Ask them to co-operate with you about something.” Farm tours, industry


displays at fairs, plowing matches, commodity reps who interview well in the media, community sponsorship, environmental farm plans and Ag in the Classroom all help to build the public’s trust in farmers. “You must figure some


path to overcome that sense of risk and give a preference for trust,” Matthews said. “The more you are engaged in the life of a community, the more you are likely to have trust.” And trust is the coin that buys a farmer social licence.


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