In addition to obtaining federal, state, and local permits, developers must secure social license to operate (SLO): the ongoing, often tacit, approval from stakeholders to carry out their intended business. Previous research suggests that various factors, including perceived fairness, risk perception, and trust, can each play a role in establishing a developer’s legitimacy and subsequent public acceptance. Yet, gaps in our understanding of these factors– as well as the relationships between them – remain.
In this webinar, I explore SLO and risk communication theory using the context of aquaculture production – an industry on the rise in the U.S. and globally. Drawing upon recent quantitative and qualitative social science research in three U.S. states, I will show how stakeholder perceptions – as well as strategic messaging – may move communities toward granting or withholding SLO for proposed land-based aquaculture development. I will also suggest how follow-on quantitative research (i.e., in-progress survey and experimental data collection) in these and other communities can further build on these results and suggest best practices for developers.
