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232. How Programme Teams Progress Agricultural Innovation in the Australian Dairy Industry
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Nettle, Ruth (author), Brightling, Pauline (author), Hope, Anne (author), and The University of Melbourne Harris Park Group, Ltd.
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2013-06-04
- Published:
- Australia: Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 109 Document Number: D10956
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 19(3) : 271-290
- Notes:
- 21 pages, via online journal, Purpose: This article outlines the emergence of programme teams in the Australian dairy farm sector as a response to counter weaknesses in the institutional environment for agricultural innovation which favours technology adoption/diffusion approaches. Design/methodology/approach: The strengths, weaknesses and risks of different approaches to innovation in the Australian dairy sector RD&E system are analysed and key features of an emerging programme team approach defined. The programme team approach is compared and contrasted with the features of innovation capacity from international literature. An analysis of the relative investment in this innovation capacity in different topics or domains of dairy innovation is provided. Findings: The programme team approach to innovation involves groups of researchers, extension people, public and private organisations, farmers, community groups, and policy and service groups brought together to progress innovation and change in a topic area or domain. Leadership of the process is provided by an area expert or champion. The team takes responsibility for: (a) understanding the businesses of key players who have an influence in the innovation or domain; (b) deciding the nature of the desired change that all stakeholders can align to; (c) identifying features of the enabling environment to establish what capacity is needed; (d) designing a ‘route to change’ strategy (in contrast to traditional route-to-market thinking); and (e) piloting and refining the approach within the target populations. The group manages emerging risks and keeps on top of issues, as well as identifies any knowledge gaps for research that are preventing innovation and change. Conclusions/practical implications: The programme team approach provides a semi-formal governance mechanism for innovation to develop, despite an institutional environment that favours technology adoption. Further, the activities of programme teams consist of practices which integrate research-led and demand-pull approaches. Currently, investment in such innovation capacity is relatively low and highly variable across different topic domains. Added value: The article provides tangible activities that managers of agricultural RD&E programmes can invest in to progress systemic approaches to innovation and is a guide for agricultural education and extension practitioners to proceed in their innovation work.
233. How do human values influence the beef preferences of consumer segments regarding animal welfare and environmentally friendly production?
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Sonoda, Yuta (author), Oishi, Kazato (author), Chomei, Yosuke (author), and Hirooka, Hiroyuki (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018-12
- Published:
- USA: Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 4 Document Number: D10179
- Journal Title:
- Meat Science
- Journal Title Details:
- 146: 75-86
- Notes:
- 12 pages., via online journal, Animal welfare and environmental impacts have been emphasized in the sustainable production of livestock. Labels are useful tools for clearly providing such attribute information to consumers. The aim of this study was to evaluate how human values influence consumer segments for beef with information on animal welfare and environmentally friendly production. Using a choice experiment, we examined whether animal welfare and environmentally friendly labels, country of origin and price impact consumer choice. As results, five heterogeneous consumer classes were identified using a latent class model: label conscious, domestic beef preferring, price conscious, animal welfare preferring and not interested in production method. Almost 90% of consumers were interested in and willing to pay for beef with animal welfare or environmentally friendly label. The classes with significant preferences for such labeled beef were affected by “openness to change”, “self-enhancement” and “security”. Improving consumer attitudes and strengthening consumer perception towards labeled beef by marketers and policy makers will be required.
234. How forming a cooperative network improved services and outcomes for farmers
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Mallory, E.B. (author), Jackson, Tori Lee (author), and Forstadt, Leslie A. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-08
- Published:
- Extension Journal, Inc.
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 78 Document Number: D10810
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 57(4)
- Notes:
- 5 pages., Article #: 4IAW3, via online journal., The Beginning Farmer Resource Network of Maine (BFRN) is a model for maximizing resources and improving farmer services through increased statewide communication and collaboration among a diverse group of agricultural service providers. Formed in 2012, BFRN is a cooperative network with shared leadership and no financial overhead. In a 2018 survey regarding BFRN's impacts, 92% of members (22 of 24 responding members) said they were more effective and efficient. The survey results also indicated that over 800 farmers had made positive changes as a result of members' participation in BFRN. BFRN's continuing high level of activity is a testament to the value this network model offers to participating organizations, agencies, and institutions.
235. How social media can foster social innovation in disadvantaged rural communities
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Onitsuka, Kenichiro (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-05
- Published:
- MDPI
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 114 Document Number: D11040
- Journal Title:
- Sustainability
- Journal Title Details:
- 11(9)
- Notes:
- 24 pages., via online journal., Social innovation has received widespread attention in the rural development field, especially its contribution to future rural sustainability. Social innovation revolves around social networks. Rural areas, however, can be relatively disadvantaged by their geographical peripherality. Social media, therefore, has strong potential to foster social innovation by enabling remote communication, but in rural areas, social media use may be low because of an aging and decreasing population. This study examined community-level adoption and use of social media in rural areas in Japan, with a focus on Facebook, for the purpose of sharing community information and facilitating networking with a variety of actors to promote rural social innovation. The study involved a comprehensive search and case studies targeting 139,063 rural communities and 10,922 rural joint-communities, all of which are legally designated agricultural communities throughout Japan. The search found that disadvantaged rural communities’ adoption of Facebook was scarce, and most of the communities that had adopted Facebook did not expand their social networks. Furthermore, investigation into the communities that had adopted social networking to a larger extent revealed that external supporters or migrants had essential roles in successful networking. Based on the obtained findings, this study has provided insights for future policy design.
236. How to be a good rural extensionist. Reflections and contributions of Argentine practitioners
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Landini, Fernando (author) and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnicas (National Council of Scientific and Technological Research), Argentina University of La Cuenca del Plata, Argentina University of Moron, Argentina
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2015-04-15
- Published:
- Argentina: Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D10882
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Rural Studies
- Journal Title Details:
- 43 : 193-202
- Notes:
- 9 pages, online journal article, Quality rural extension is of utmost importance for generating food security and sustainable rural development. In this paper, Argentine rural extensionists' point of view on how to be a good practitioner is described, as well as compared to good practices proposed by scholars and international development organizations. Forty rural extensionists from the Northeastern Argentine provinces were interviewed (29men, 11 women). Interviews were recorded and transcribed, texts were categorized and contents analyzed. Scholars and extensionists, despite agreeing to most of the same principles, frame their recommendations for good extension practices in different ways. The former's recommendations tend to be supported by multiple case studies and focused on best practices on the level of extension projects or policies, while the latter's tend to draw upon their own experience and develop proposals more concerned with interpersonal interactions and with overcoming practical problems in real (and not ideal)settings. Best extension practices depend on environmental, institutional, political and cultural contexts, this implying there is no best extension practice in general. Training extensionists in interpersonal skills and in social sciences is key for reaching good extension results. Horizontal communication between farmers and extensionists, negotiation over best technologies, and helping farmers reflect on their production practices are extension strategies with great potential.
237. How to communicate with farmers about climate change: Farmers’ perceptions and adaptations to increasingly variable weather patterns in Maine (USA)
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Jemison, John M. Jr. (author), Hall, Damon (author), Welcomer, Stephanie (author), and Haskell, Jane (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2014-07-23
- Published:
- New Leaf Associates, Inc
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 109 Document Number: D10991
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development
- Journal Title Details:
- 4(4):57-70
- Notes:
- 14 pages., via online journal., While dealing with weather variability has always been a source of stress for farmers, a generally warmer, wetter climate with the potential for increasingly intensive precipitation poses a threat to long-term farm viability. Knowing how farmers think about increasingly variable weather patterns (IVWP) is important for educators, agency staff, and others to learn how to work with producers on adaptation strategies to protect natural resources and prevent crop failure. In 2011, the University of Maine Cooperative Extension conducted focus group sessions with farmers from seven different commodity groups, five mixed farmer sessions, and two sessions with consultants, educators, and agency staff who work with growers to learn about grower perceptions of environmental changes, and to learn about changes they may be making to their farming operations to protect their operations from IVWP. Farmers discussed over 40 practices that could be construed as adaptation measures to buffer against IVWP. Fruit (apple and blueberry) growers spent the most time on the subject and expressed the most concern about the effects of IVWP, while dairy and potato growers spent the least. Given the divergence of opinion on the subject of climate change that Maine growers expressed, successful outreach education through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Cooperative Extension should likely emphasize short-term risk management, resilience, and stability of farm operations as opposed to communicating the need to adopt strategies based on climate change.
238. How to involve rural NEET youths in agriculture? highlights of an untold story
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Simões, Francisco (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018-01-01
- Published:
- Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 32 Document Number: D10640
- Journal Title:
- Community Development
- Journal Title Details:
- 49(5): 556-573
- Notes:
- 19 pages., via online journal., This article discusses how to involve rural youths not in employment, education, or training (or NEETs) in agriculture. A Portuguese network-based project called Terra Nostra, carried out from 2013 to 2015 to engage and train NEETs in ecoagriculture activities, was examined to address this issue. The study focused on three aspects: a reanalysis of Terra Nostra’s final report, based on the bioecological model, targeting typical problems with NEETs’ involvement and how the project aimed to overcome them; the lessons learned from the project according to the literature; and the state of the art regarding identical social interventions with NEETs in Portugal and the rest of Europe. A major conclusion stemming from the analysis is that similar projects will need to address the limitations of employment public services in reaching out to rural NEETs and the state’s excessive protectionism of the sector.
239. How to use crowdfunding in extension: a relationship education example
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Monk, J. Kale (author), Vennum, Amber V. (author), and Kanter, Jeremy B. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-08-01
- Published:
- Extension Journal, Inc.
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 78 Document Number: D10811
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 57(4)
- Notes:
- 15 pages., Article #: 4TOT3, via online journal., Crowdfunding is a resource that allows individuals or groups to raise funds while simultaneously engaging relevant communities and, thus, is an important tool for Extension specialists. We provide recommended steps for successful crowdfunding, including tips for identifying a website, developing or refining a proposal, and crafting a marketing and campaign strategy. We use the successful crowdfunding of a relationship education program as an example.
240. How to use databases to untangle local food webs
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Miller, Jenna (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2016-10-31
- Published:
- USA: Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 199 Document Number: D09962
- Notes:
- 3 pages.