The year for trust is the worst ever. People are losing faith in some of society’s most basic institutions, from the news media to education to the Supreme Court and politics in general. Recent concerns surrounding food recalls may shed light on the cost of this loss of trust.

Reports of a salmonella outbreak caused by cucumbers in 31 states put Americans on high alert. Naturally, these findings raised questions about food safety, especially in light of the listeria outbreak a week earlier that resulted in three deaths. In response to the outbreak, Florida-based deli and cheese maker Boar’s Head voluntarily recalled 71 products, equivalent to 7 million pounds of meat. Naturally, consumers stopped buying cucumbers and the Boar’s Head brand for fear of potential illness.

According to the FDA, there were 506 food recalls in 2023. As in the case of cucumbers and Boar’s Head, people stopped buying these products in the short term, but the impact on trust was long-lasting. The results of the International Food Information Council’s 2024 Annual Food and Healthy Survey showed an 8% decline in consumer confidence compared to the previous food safety survey in the United States. Given what we know about consumption habits, this trend could pose an existential threat to the food industry.

What the food industry reveals is a simple truth: when people don’t trust, they don’t buy. And if that’s the case, what happens when people don’t trust at all? The conflict-ridden relationship between food and the public is a compelling reflection of our relationship with other ubiquitous institutions that are integral to everyday life and social coexistence.

Take the Supreme Court, for example. The court was once considered a pillar of the American conscience. In a polarized political divide, the Supreme Court was the last bastion of neutrality. But today’s reality paints a different picture. Whether it’s the improprieties surrounding Justice Clarence Thomas’s unethical acceptance of luxury trips from billionaire businessmen or Justice Samuel Alito’s political comments, trust in the Supreme Court has taken a hit, and public opinion is reflecting that. According to a recent Pew study, the Supreme Court’s popularity is at an all-time low. People don’t trust it, so they don’t buy from it.

Despite the court’s perceived political leanings, institutional distrust is felt on both sides of the aisle. In a research study with Suzy, a leading consumer insights platform, we surveyed 449 people – 234 self-identified as Democrats and 215 as Republicans – and found that both parties – 81% and 65%, respectively – would welcome reform steps to restore trust in the courts. People want to engage with the institution, but the lack of trust has created hurdles that make that difficult.

Likewise, confidence in higher education is declining. There was once a time when a four-year college degree guaranteed a life of promise—a job, social mobility, higher earning potential, and overall greater life satisfaction. And each year, a new class of high school graduates invested a small fortune in a college degree to secure those assurances. However, rising costs, a tough job market, and changing notions of success have led many to question the ROI of a degree. Growing skepticism about higher education has led to a decline in student enrollment. People don’t have confidence, so they don’t buy.

This decline in consumer confidence is also felt in our political system. Over the years, public trust in government has eroded. Considering that fact-checkers are virtually always on hand when a political candidate speaks, that should be an indication that trust is lacking. During the Republican National Convention, CNN reported more than 20 false claims during Trump’s acceptance speech at the RNC. That number will no doubt be compared to Vice President Kamala Harris’ speech during this week’s Democratic National Convention to see who is more honest. Regardless of the outcome, the fact that we need a fact-checker speaks volumes about the state of our relationship with politics.

Imagine having a fact-checker on call in your romantic relationship to evaluate the legitimacy of your discourse. The very idea seems absurd, because the need for a fact-checker would undermine the foundation of any meaningful relationship: trust. Trust is the mechanism that absorbs uncertainty. It reduces fear of the unknown, which is especially useful in a world full of randomness and unpredictability. Trust helps mitigate fear of what might be, allowing us to focus on what is. Without trust, we get stuck.

Society depends on trust to function. When people lose trust in basic institutions, it undermines social cohesion and weakens our ability to work together. And that’s critical because we as a species evolved on our ability to socialize and work together. It’s probably no surprise that this Congress is one of the least productive in American history because one side doesn’t trust the other. If we don’t trust, we don’t build anything.

Even today’s technological advances are hampered by their misuse by malicious actors. From AI-based fake videos of Vice President Kamala Harris reposted by Elon Musk to Trump’s false accusations that crowd sizes were manipulated by AI technology and doctored videos of Gaza war victims, all of this challenges our ability to know what is real and who we can trust. Even the attempted assassination of Trump sparked skepticism. We don’t know what to believe.

This is the price of declining trust. When we distrust, we retreat – we don’t buy and we don’t engage. The effects of this erosion are significant and far-reaching, with reverberating effects on society, our economy and our health.

And I’m sure none of us would want to live such an existence. Trust me.