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2. Rural perspectives of climate change: a study from Saurastra and Kutch of Western India
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Moghariya, Dineshkumar P. (author), Smardon, Richard C. (author), and State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2014-08-01
- Published:
- [place of publication not identified]: SAGE Publishing
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 151 Document Number: D10123
- Journal Title:
- Public Understanding of Science
- Journal Title Details:
- 23(6) : 660–677
- Notes:
- 18 pages., Via online journal., This research reports on rural people’s beliefs and understandings of climate change in the Saurastra/ Kutch region of Western India. Results suggest that although most rural respondents have not heard about the scientific concept of climate change, they have detected changes in the climate. They appear to hold divergent understandings about climate change and have different priorities for causes and solutions. Many respondents appear to base their understandings of climate change upon a mix of ideas drawn from various sources and rely on different kinds of reasoning in relation to both causes of and solutions to climate change to those used by scientists. Environmental conditions were found to influence individuals’ understanding of climate change, while demographic factors were not. The results suggest a need to learn more about people’s conceptual models and understandings of climate change and a need to include local climate research in communication efforts.
3. Viewpoint: effective stakeholder communication in agriculture: together we stand, divided we fall!
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Aaarts, H. F. M. (author), Humphreys, J. (author), and Le Gall, A. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2014-05-01
- Published:
- Interational: Cambridge University Press
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 151 Document Number: D10127
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agricultural Science
- Journal Title Details:
- 152(S1) : 65-70
- Notes:
- 6 pages., (Special Issue from the 17th International Nitrogen Workshop), Via online Journal, Substantial improvements of agricultural systems are necessary to meet the future requirements of humanity. However, current agricultural knowledge and information systems are generally not well suited to meet the necessary improvements in productivity and sustainability. For more effective application of research output, research producers and research consumers should not be considered as separate individuals in the knowledge chain but as collaborating partners creating synergy. The current paper investigates the relationships between scientists and stakeholders and identifies approaches to increase the effectiveness of their communication. On-farm research has proven to be an effective means of improving exploitation of research output at farm level because it connects all relevant partners in the process. Furthermore, pilot farms can act as an effective platform for communication and dissemination. Regional networks of pilot farms should be established and connected across regions
4. Environmentally sustainable meat consumption: an analysis of the Norwegian public debate
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Hårvik Austgulen, Marthe (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2014-03
- Published:
- Norway: Springer
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 7 Document Number: D10254
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Consumer Policy
- Journal Title Details:
- 37(1) : 45–66
- Notes:
- 22 pages., Via online journal, Private consumption is increasingly being blamed for resource depletion and environmental degradation, and the discourse of ascribing environmental responsibility to the individual consumer has become a part of mainstream policy-making. Measures aimed at promoting consumers' voluntary engagement through sustainable consumption now constitute an important part of public sustainability strategies. Nevertheless, the actual progress made in changing people's consumption patterns in a more sustainable direction has been modest. Based on a quantitative and a qualitative content analysis of articles on environmentally sustainable consumption of meat published in five national and regional newspapers in Norway between 2000 and 2010, it is argued in this article that an important reason for the lack of both political and consumer engagement in the issue can be attributed to a discursive confusion that arises from a simultaneous existence of mainly two clashing discourses on what is actually environmentally sustainable consumption of meat. One that is focusing on the environmentally malign aspects of consumption and production of (especially) red meat, and another that is focusing on the environmentally benign aspects of production and consumption of red meat. The findings imply that the lack of consensus on the character of the problem constitutes a major barrier for the opportunity to change people's consumption patterns in a more environmentally sustainable direction through the use of voluntary measures.
5. Factors influencing use of traditional communication methods in information dissemination among farmers in Osun State, Nigeria
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Olanrewaju, K. O. (author) and Farinde, A. J. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2014
- Published:
- Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 18 Document Number: D10481
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agricultural & Food Information
- Journal Title Details:
- 15(1): 54-68
- Notes:
- 16 pages., via online journal., Critical factors influencing farmers’ use of traditional communication methods (TCMs) in information dissemination were isolated with a factor analytical technique. The results show that most of the farmers were between 31 and 60 years and the majority (63%) employ use of TCMs such as proverbs, hooting, putting leaves on path, and use of palm fronds to deliver information at a moderate level. The features of TCMs, farmers’ personal characteristics, economic proficiency, and influence of social contact were factors influencing use of TCMs. It was concluded that use of TCMs is influenced by their peculiarities in discerning information and the user's personal and socioeconomic characteristics.
6. Transforming African agriculture
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- McIntire, John Murray (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2014-01
- Published:
- SAGE Journals
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 18 Document Number: D10518
- Journal Title:
- Global Journal of Emerging Market Economies
- Journal Title Details:
- 6(2) 145–179
- Notes:
- 36 pages., via online journal., This article examines the challenges facing agriculture in Africa. First the article outlines agriculture’s connection with overall economic growth; then, the author evaluates agricultural productivity and food security in Africa in 2010. From this point, the author evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of seven paths that African agriculture is likely to evolve along between now and 2050: five for Sub-Saharan African and two for North Africa. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the types of farming proposed are: extensive, mechanized; intensive export; intensive peri-urban; subsistence; and reserves, game ranching, and tourism. In North Africa, the author proposes: irrigated and rainfed. In order to realize the most positive benefits of these paths in 2050, Africa has to tackle six challenges, outlined by the author: reducing population growth, promoting irrigation, adapting the role of the state, promoting the acceleration of technical change (including fertilizer and biotechnology), and preparing for climate change. Increasing the competitiveness of Africa’s commercial farming will improve income, inequality, and nutrition across the continent.
7. Understanding corn belt farmer perspectives on climate change to inform engagement strategies for adaptation and mitigation
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Arbuckle, J.G. Jr. (author), Hobbs, J. (author), Loy, A. (author), Morton, L.W. (author), Prokopy, L.S. (author), and Tyndall, J. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2014
- Published:
- Soil and Water Conservation Society
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 18 Document Number: D10526
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
- Journal Title Details:
- 69(6): 505-516
- Notes:
- 12 pages., via online journal., Development of extension and outreach that effectively engage farmers in climate change adaptation and/or mitigation activities can be informed by an improved understanding of farmers’ perspectives on climate change and related impacts. This research employed latent class analysis (LCA) to analyze data from a survey of 4,778 farmers from 11 US Corn Belt states. The research focused on two related research questions: (1) to what degree do farmers differ on key measures of beliefs about climate change, experience with extreme weather, perceived risks to agriculture, efficacy, and level of support for public and private adaptive and mitigative action; and (2) are there potential areas of common ground among farmers? Results indicate that farmers have highly heterogeneous perspectives, and six distinct classes of farmers are identified. We label these as the following: the concerned (14%), the uneasy (25%), the uncertain (25%), the unconcerned (13%), the confident (18%), and the detached (5%). These groups of farmers differ primarily in terms of beliefs about climate change, the degree to which they had experienced extreme weather, and risk perceptions. Despite substantial differences on these variables, areas of similarity were discerned on variables measuring farmers’ (1) confidence that they will be able to deal with increases in weather variability and (2) support for public and private efforts to help farmers adapt to increased weather variability. These results can inform segmented approaches to outreach that target subpopulations of farmers as well as broader engagement strategies that would reach wider populations. Further, findings suggest that strategies with specific reference to climate change might be most effective in engaging the subpopulations of farmers who believe that climate change is occurring and a threat, but that use of less charged terms such as weather variability would likely be more effective with a broader range of farmers. Outreach efforts that (1) appeal to farmers’ problem solving capacity and (2) employ terms such as “weather variability” instead of more charged terms such as “climate change” are more likely to be effective with a wider farmer audience.
8. Assessing participatory practices in community-based natural resource management: Experiences in community engagement from southern Africa
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Dyer, J. (author), Stringer, L.C. (author), Dougill, A.J. (author), Leventon, J. (author), Nshimbi, M. (author), Chama, F. (author), Kafwifwi, A. (author), Muledi, J.I. (author), Kaumbu, J.-M.K. (author), Falcao, M. (author), Muhorro, S. (author), Munyemba, F. (author), Kalaba, G.M. (author), and Syampungani, S. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2014-05-01
- Published:
- Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 32 Document Number: D10619
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Environmental Management
- Journal Title Details:
- 137: 137-145
- Notes:
- 9 pages., via online journal., The emphasis on participatory environmental management within international development has started to overcome critiques of traditional exclusionary environmental policy, aligning with shifts towards decentralisation and community empowerment. However, questions are raised regarding the extent to which participation in project design and implementation is meaningful and really engages communities in the process. Calls have been made for further local-level (project and community-scale) research to identify practices that can increase the likelihood of meaningful community engagement within externally initiated projects. This paper presents data from three community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) project case studies from southern Africa, which promote Joint Forest Management (JFM), tree planting for carbon and conservation agriculture. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, community-level meetings, focus groups and interviews. We find that an important first step for a meaningful community engagement process is to define ‘community’ in an open and participatory manner. Two-way communication at all stages of the community engagement process is shown to be critical, and charismatic leadership based on mutual respect and clarity of roles and responsibilities is vital to improve the likelihood of participants developing understanding of project aims and philosophy. This can lead to successful project outcomes through community ownership of the project goals and empowerment in project implementation. Specific engagement methods are found to be less important than the contextual and environmental factors associated with each project, but consideration should be given to identifying appropriate methods to ensure community representation. Our findings extend current thinking on the evaluation of participation by making explicit links between the community engagement process and project outcomes, and by identifying further criteria that can be considered in process and outcome-based evaluations. We highlight good practices for future CBNRM projects which can be used by project designers and initiators to further the likelihood of successful project outcomes.
9. Agritourism farms and the web: an exploratory evaluation of their websites
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Platania, M. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2014
- Published:
- Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 34 Document Number: D10683
- Journal Title:
- Agris On-line Papers in Economics and Informatics
- Journal Title Details:
- 6 (3): 51–58
- Notes:
- 9 pages., via online journal., In the last few years, the contribution of the agricultural sector to tourism has been increasingly evident. Agritourism provides the possibility to have a green holiday experience and allows farmers to diversify their income. In the tourist sector, communication is decisive in determining consumption choices, and the Web plays an important role. Considering that the Internet can bring potential benefits and reach new customers, it is important that websites are complete and attractive. This paper evaluates agritourism websites in an Italian region (Sicily) to analyse the strategic choices made by farmers. This study uses the eMICA methodological approach to analyse the quality of the websites and a cluster analysis to find homogeneous groups of farms. The results indicate that there is a large group of Sicilian agritourism providers that have been slow in taking advantage of the new opportunities offered by the Web, whereas another group, which is less numerous, makes use of social networking tools, demonstrating web 2.0 communication.
10. Mobile based information communication interactions among major agriculture stakeholders: Sri Lankan experience
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Dissanayeke, Uvasara (author) and Wanigasundera, W.A.D.P. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2014-01
- Published:
- Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 78 Document Number: D10817
- Journal Title:
- The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries
- Journal Title Details:
- 60(1): 1-12
- Notes:
- 12 pages., via online journal., This study explores the status of mobile usage among the agriculture community in the North‐Central province of Sri Lanka in relation to interactions with major agriculture stakeholders. The objectives of the study were to study the factors affecting the mobile use by farmers, farmers' willingness to receive agricultural information through mobile communication technology, and awareness on mobile based agriculture information systems. Primary data were collected at two stages using two structured interview schedules (N=390, n=65). According to the findings the access to mobile phone was considerable higher among the study group while age and education had an effect on using a mobile phone. Only a few farmers have yet started using them efficiently for agriculture and other commercial purposes. A considerable number of farmers used the mobile phones to contact input suppliers, buyers, agriculture extension officers and other farmers in the area, mostly those who represent community based organizations.
11. Examining farmers markets’ usage of social media: An investigation of a farmers market Facebook page
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Cui, Yue (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2014
- Published:
- New Leaf Associates, Inc
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 102 Document Number: D10899
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development
- Journal Title Details:
- 5(1):87-103
- Notes:
- 17 pages., via online journal., Social media are transforming communication between organizations and their audiences, and even changing the organizations themselves. Social media's low cost and low requirements for technical skills needed to both use and maintain an online presence allow small businesses with limited marketing budgets to use the same marketing strategies as bigger businesses with large marketing budgets. In addition, social media provides businesses direct and interactive ways to reach out and retain customers. This case study analyzes Cedar Park Farmers Market (CPFM)'s use of its Facebook page. Using Facebook Graph API Explorer, we extracted data regarding posts and fans of CPFM's Facebook page since the page was created. We then examined the data to explore the social networks, including farmers market organizers, vendors, and customers, within CPFM's Facebook page and how the market used its Facebook page, by looking at the Facebook page layout, composition of fans, post intensity, post ownership, media type, and degree of engagement. We found that (1) the market organizers, customers, vendors, and local communities were all engaged with the CPFM Facebook page; (2) the CPFM used Facebook as a marketing platform to publish timely information (e.g., available products or upcoming events) and to reach and retain customers and vendors; and (3) the CPFM's Facebook page functioned as a cyber–social hub to connect and engage the local community.
12. The use of social media technologies to create, preserve, and disseminate indigenous knowledge and skills to communities in East Africa
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Owiny, Sylvia A. (author), Mehta, Khanjan (author), and Maretzki, Audrey N. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2014
- Published:
- International Journal of Communicaitons
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 102 Document Number: D10904
- Journal Title:
- International Journal of Communication
- Journal Title Details:
- 8: 234–247
- Notes:
- 14 pages., via online journal., The preservation, management, and sharing of indigenous knowledge is crucial for social and economic development in rural Africa. The high rate of illiteracy (print-based) in rural Africa and the exclusion of indigenous knowledge from Western education add to the information gap experienced in rural Africa. Other challenges facing oral cultures are the disappearance of traditional knowledge and skills due to memory loss or death of elders and the deliberate or inadvertent destruction of indigenous knowledge. The rapidly increasing use of social media and mobile technologies creates opportunities to form local and international partnerships that can facilitate the process of creating, managing, preserving, and sharing of knowledge and skills that are unique to communities in Africa. This article proposes the use of social media and mobile technologies (cell phones) in the creation, preservation, and dissemination of indigenous knowledge and discusses the role of libraries in the integration of social media technologies with older media that employ audio and audiovisual equipment to reach a wider audience.
13. Using communicative ecology theory to scope the emerging role of social media in the evolution of urban food systems
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Hearn, Greg (author), Collie, Natalie (author), Lyle, Peter (author), Choi, Jaz Hee-Jeong (author), and Foth, Marcus (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2014-10
- Published:
- Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 102 Document Number: D10912
- Journal Title:
- Futures
- Journal Title Details:
- 62(B): 202-212
- Notes:
- 11 pages., via online journal., Urban agriculture plays an increasingly vital role in supplying food to urban populations. Changes in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) are already driving widespread change in diverse food-related industries such as retail, hospitality and marketing. It is reasonable to suspect that the fields of ubiquitous technology, urban informatics and social media equally have a lot to offer the evolution of core urban food systems. We use communicative ecology theory to describe emerging innovations in urban food systems according to their technical, discursive and social components. We conclude that social media in particular accentuate fundamental social interconnections normally effaced by conventional industrialised approaches to food production and consumption.
14. Socio-demographic profile of different samples of Latin American rural extensionists
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Landini, Fernando (author), Bianqui, Vanina (author), and Universidade Federal de Santa Maria Brasil
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Language:
- Portuguese and English
- Publication Date:
- 2014-03
- Published:
- Brazil: Redalyc
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 106 Document Number: D10933
- Journal Title:
- Ciência Rural
- Journal Title Details:
- 44(3) : 575-581
- Notes:
- 6 pages, via online journal, In order to design and implement public policies in the context of rural development, information tends to be gathered about family farming in different Latin American countries. In contrast, scarce attention has been given to the description of rural extensionists, who are the ones supporting family farming in the fi eld. A cross-sectional investigation was conducted between 2010 and 2012 including surveys to rural extensions working in 10 different Latin American countries, this allowing for a preliminary description of the socio-demographic profile of the respondents. The samples were incidental ranging from 19 (Bolivia) to 220 (Argentina) subjects, this implying that they were not representative. Significant statistical differences were found with regards to the sex, age, experience, level of education and university degree of the samples pertaining to the different countries. In average, most extensionists are men (70.1%), age 40.3 and have little more than 11 years of experience as extensionists. Brazilian practitioners surveyed are the oldest, most educated and experienced among the different samples. In general, most extensionists have a technical background and are agricultural engineers. The Uruguayan sample showed the highest percentage of extensionists coming from the area of social sciences.
15. Diversity in success: Interaction between external interventions and local actions in three rice farming areas in Benin
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Totin, Edmond (author), Mierlo, Barbara van (author), Mongbo, Roch (author), Leeuwis, Cees (author), and Wageningen University, The Netherlands Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Benin
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2014-11-21
- Published:
- Benin: Science Direct
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 109 Document Number: D10957
- Journal Title:
- Agricultural Systems
- Journal Title Details:
- 133(2015) : 119-130
- Notes:
- 12 pages, via online journal, Since the rice crisis of 2007, the government of Benin has initiated many programmes for rice intensification. Comparison of three rice production areas shows that local rice production has indeed been increased by the facilities provided by the government programmes. Although broadly the same facilities (market outlet, credit, input, etc.) were provided to rice farmers in the three study areas, which are located close to one another, there are not only similar, but also some different outcomes with regard to farmers' practices. There were also some unexpected changes, like the shift from limited collective canal cleaning to individual canal cleaning in Koussin-Lélé and the use of pumps in upland areas in Bamè. The study explores the interplay between these external interventions of government programmes and local actions of farmers to explain the outcomes. Using an actor-oriented perspective, the study concludes that farmers' agency played a critical role in the success of interventions; the changes occurred because of local actions of the farmers and intermediaries interacting with the external interventions at diverse junctures. Differences in strategies for resolving livelihood problems, in production options and biophysical conditions influence farmers' local actions and contribute to the explanation of the diversity of outcomes. The main lesson drawn from this research is that evaluation studies should not consider external interventions as the only or primary source of change. The dynamic interplay between local agency, intermediation and external interventions makes room for change.
16. 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.
17. Challenges and Strategies of E-Commerce in Iran’s Agriculture
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Asadihkoob, Hassan (author), Ebrahimi, Mohammad Sadegh (author), and Isfahan University of Technology, Iran
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2014
- Published:
- Iran: Eram Pars, Scientific Publication LTD
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 114 Document Number: D11050
- Journal Title:
- Agricultural Communications
- Journal Title Details:
- 2(1) : 80-88
- Notes:
- 9 pages, via online journal article, Internet is a key for globalization and a tool for communication around the world. E-commerce has been introduced as a global phenomenon in the twenty-first century by internet development. The main goal of this research is to investigate the challenges and solutions of e-commerce in Iran’s agriculture. The paper is based on a descriptive-analytical type of field research, therefore a questionnaire was prepared as our data collection tool. The population of this research was a panel of agriculture faculty members in Iran. The overall results showed that the use of e-commerce in Iran’s agriculture has many obstacles ahead in infrastructural, cultural, social and educational fields. The research findings showed that e-commerce can provide many advantages like profitability, elimination of intermediaries, agricultural production market development, farmers' awareness of market prices, and access to national and international markets, increasing competition and improving the quality of agricultural products. According to the results it seems that infrastructure development, culture and security and confidence production, and internet training to all classes of people are the most important strategies for e-business development in agriculture. Further research in this area and using other countries’ experiences are some other proposed solutions for e-commerce development in Iranian agriculture.
18. Client focused extension approach for disseminating soil fertility management in central Kenya
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Muchai, Serah W.K. (author), Muna, Monicah W.M. (author), Mugwe, Jane N. (author), Mugendi, Daniel N. (author), and Mairura, Franklin S. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2014
- Published:
- ESci Journals Publishing
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 122 Document Number: D11154
- Journal Title:
- International Journal of Agricultural Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 2(2): 129-136
- Notes:
- 8 pages., via online journal., Land degradation and soil nutrient depletion have become serious threats to agricultural productivity in sub- Saharan Africa. To improve agriculture production, research has led to recommendation of a range of integrated Soil fertility Management (ISFM) options, of proven effectiveness, for soil fertility improvement. Although many factors contribute to the low adoption of ISFM by farmers, communication gaps between extension agents and farmers lie at the heart of the problem. Hence, the study sought to investigate factors considered by agricultural extension agents in selection of communication channels to disseminate soil fertility information in the central highlands of Kenya. Structured questionnaires were used to elicit information from 105 extension agents. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. In choosing the communication method to be used in dissemination of soil fertility management (SFM) practices, target group was scored as the most relevant factor followed by type of SFM, time available then number of staff sequentially. Education was perceived to highly influence the selection of workshop (M= 3.4) while age was perceived to highly influence the selection of video showing (M= 2.8) as extension methods in dissemination of SFM. The implication of the study is that diverse communication channels should be utilized to get to farmers of different socio economic characteristics.
19. The social dynamics of healthy food shopping and store choice in an urban environment
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Cannuscio, Carolyn C. (author), Hillier, Amy (author), Karpyn, Alllison (author), Glanz, Karen (author), and University of Pennsylvania
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2014-09-02
- Published:
- United States: Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 133 Document Number: D11388
- Journal Title:
- Social Science and Medicine
- Journal Title Details:
- 122(2014) : 13-20
- Notes:
- 7 pages., via online journal, To respond to the high prevalence of obesity and its associated health consequences, recent food research and policy have focused on neighborhood food environments, especially the links between health and retail mix, proximity of food outlets, and types of foods available. In addition, the social environment exerts important influences on food-related behaviors, through mechanisms like role-modeling, social support, and social norms. This study examined the social dynamics of residents' health-related food-shopping behaviors in 2010–11 in urban Philadelphia, where we conducted 25 semi-structured resident interviews—the foundation for this paper—in addition to 514 structured interviews and a food environment audit. In interviews, participants demonstrated adaptability and resourcefulness in their food shopping; they chose to shop at stores that met a range of social needs. Those needs ranged from practical financial considerations, to fundamental issues of safety, to mundane concerns about convenience, and juggling multiple work and family responsibilities. The majority of participants were highly motivated to adapt their shopping patterns to accommodate personal financial constraints. In addition, they selectively shopped at stores frequented by people who shared their race/ethnicity, income and education, and they sought stores where they had positive interactions with personnel and proprietors. In deciding where to shop in this urban context, participants adapted their routines to avoid unsafe places and the threat of violence. Participants also discussed the importance of convenient stores that allowed for easy parking, accommodation of physical disabilities or special needs, and integration of food shopping into other daily activities like meeting children at school. Food research and policies should explicitly attend to the social dynamics that influence food-shopping behavior. In our social relationships, interactions, and responsibilities, there are countless opportunities to influence—and also to improve—health.