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2. Advisory services and farm-level sustainability profiles: an exploration in nine European countries
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Herrera, Beatriz (author), Gerster-Bentaya, Maria (author), Tzouramani, Irene (author), Knierim, Andrea (author), and University of Hohenheim Agricultural Economics Research Institute Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019
- Published:
- Germany: Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 7 Document Number: D10258
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 25(2) : 117-137
- Notes:
- 22 pages., Via online journal., Purpose: This study explores the use of advisory services by farm managers and its linkages with the economic, environmental and social performance of farms. Design/methodology/approach: Using cluster analysis we determined groups of farms according to their sustainability performance and explored the correlations between contacts with advisory services and a set of farm-level sustainability indicators. Findings: There exist significant differences in the number of farmers’ contacts with advisory services across countries, type of farms, farmers’ degree of agricultural education, utilized agricultural area, legal type of farm ownership and economic size of the farms. We identified three groups of farms that have different sustainability performance, are different in farm characteristics and relate differently to advisory services. The number of contacts with advisory services is positively related to the adoption of innovations, the number of information sources utilized and the adoption of farm risk management measures. We find no clear linear relationship between advisory services and environmental sustainability. Theoretical implications: This study derives hypotheses to analyze causalities between indicators of farm-level sustainability and advisory services. Practical implications: Results suggest the importance of taking into account the heterogeneity of farming systems for the design, targeting and evaluation of advisory services. In addition, results confirm the importance of selection of indicators that can be used in multiple sites. Originality/value: We used a harmonized indicator of advisory services and a harmonized set of farm-level sustainability indicators in nine different EU countries that could be used to evaluate the role of advisory services in the achievement of multiple objectives in different groups of farms in multiple sites.
3. How will we eat and produce in the cities of the future? From edible insects to vertical farming - a study on the perception and acceptability of new approaches
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Specht, Kathrin (author), Zoll, Felix (author), Schumann, Henrike (author), Bela, Julia (author), Kachel, Julia (author), and Robischon, Marcel (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019
- Published:
- International
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 99 Document Number: D10870
- Journal Title:
- Sustainability
- Journal Title Details:
- 11(16)
- Notes:
- Via online. 27 pages., Global challenges such as climate change, increasing urbanization and a lack of transparency of food chains, have led to the development of innovative urban food production approaches, such as rooftop greenhouses, vertical farms, indoor farms, aquaponics as well as production sites for edible insects or micro-algae. Those approaches are still at an early stage of development and partly unknown among the public. The aim of our study was to identify the perception of sustainability, social acceptability and ethical aspects of these new approaches and products in urban food production. We conducted 19 qualitative expert interviews and applied qualitative content analysis. Our results revealed that major perceived benefits are educational effects, revaluation of city districts, efficient resource use, exploitation of new protein sources or strengthening of local economies. Major perceived conflicts concern negative side-effects, legal constraints or high investment costs. The extracted acceptance factors deal significantly with the “unknown”. A lack of understanding of the new approaches, uncertainty about their benefits, concerns about health risks, a lack of familiarity with the food products, and ethical doubts about animal welfare represent possible barriers. We conclude that adaptation of the unsuitable regulatory framework, which discourages investors, is an important first step to foster dissemination of the urban food production approaches.
4. The next economy will be a cooperative economy
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Reetz, Allan (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-11
- Published:
- USA: Cooperative Communicators Association
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 121 Document Number: D11072
- Journal Title:
- CCA Connect
- Notes:
- Summary of the 2019 Co-op IMPACT Conference in Washington, D.C. Participants included co-op developers, financiers, community and city leaders, innovators, economists, and policy makers.
5. Assessing the Potentials of Digitalization as a Tool for Climate Change Adaptation and Sustainable Development in Urban Centres
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Balogun, Abdul-Lateef (author), Marks, Danny (author), Sharma, Richa (author), Shekhar, Himanshu (author), Balmes, Chiden (author), Maheng, Dikman (author), Arshad, Adnan (author), and Salehi, Pourya (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2020-02
- Published:
- Science Direct
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 121 Document Number: D11094
- Journal Title:
- Sustainable Cities and Society
- Journal Title Details:
- 53
- Notes:
- 12 pages., Digitalization is a key enabler of sustainable development of cities’ socio-economic dynamics with the potential to foster climate-friendly urban environments and societies. The advent of the 4th industrial revolution has seen the increased application of digitalization in several fields and at different levels. High-tech digital devices, platforms and environments are increasingly being deployed to enhance productivity, efficiency and sustainability, and improve overall well-being of urban dwellers. Digitalization is projected to further impact cities in future, transform jobs and trigger life-style changes with far-reaching impacts that will ultimately affect cities’ resilience and adaptation capacities. While a growing body of research has highlighted the significance of digitalization to climate change mitigation such as reducing GHG and CO2 emissions, comprehensive evaluations of the potentials of digitalization as an enabler of climate change adaptation remain scarce. This paper addresses this gap by analysing the current trend in digital revolution in relation to climate change adaptation and examines the likely challenges of digitalization. A desk research method was adopted, focusing on core digitalization concepts driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0). Nine case studies in cities across various continents were selected to assess the potentials of digitalization in addressing climatic hazards and to highlight benefits from implementing digitalization, while considering the social-ecological-technological challenges and tensions around IR 4.0. Our findings reveal the capabilities of digitalization in supporting more effective early warning and emergency response systems, enhancing food and water security, improving power infrastructure performance, enabling citizen engagement and participatory adaptation measures and minimizing the impacts of climatic hazards. Finally, we recommend feasible pathways to overcome present risks and challenges in order to optimize the numerous opportunities offered by digitalization in support of climate change adaptation initiatives.
6. Determinants of soil conservation technologies among small-scale farmers in Tanzania: evidence from national panel survey
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Lasway, Jovin Aveline (author), Temba, George Raphael (author), and Ruhinduka, Remidius Denis (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2020
- Published:
- International
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 131 Document Number: D11323
- Journal Title:
- African Journal of Economic Review
- Journal Title Details:
- 8(1) : 89-105
- Notes:
- An analysis of secondary data from the National Panel Survey in Tanzania revealed physical, socioeconomic, and institutional factors influencing the adoption of soil conservation technologies among small-scale maize farmers. Findings revealed, for example, only 13.9 percent of those had adopted soil conservation technology. This was cited as small, compared with other countries.
7. Climate and environmental polotics needs to be supported by accurate information and communication. What is the role of the scientific community?
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Motta, Renzo (author), Marchetti, Marco (author), and Vacchiano, Giorgio (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Language:
- Italian
- Publication Date:
- 2020
- Published:
- Italy
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 131 Document Number: D11334
- Journal Title:
- Forest@
- Journal Title Details:
- 17 : 17-22
8. Information and communication infrastructures and new business models in rural areas: the case of Molise Region in Italy
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Levoli, Corrado (author), Belliggiano, Angelo (author), Marandola, Danilo (author), Milone, Pierluigi (author), and Ventura, Flaminia (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019
- Published:
- Italy
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 132 Document Number: D11336
- Journal Title:
- European Countryside
- Journal Title Details:
- 11(4) : 475-496
- Notes:
- Online via https://doaj.org, Article deals with the role of information and communication technologies and the related infrastructure to induce innovations for sustainable rural development." Authors examined the role of social innovation to create a new demand for products, services, and organizational models for farm and rural enterprises.
9. Characterizing and evaluating integrated landscape initiatives
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Carmenta, Rachel (author), Coomes, David A. (author), DeClerck, Fabrice A.J. (author), Hart, Abigail K. (author), Harvey, Celia A. (author), Milder, Jeff (author), Reed, James (author), Vira, Bhaskar (author), and Estrada-Carmona, Natalia (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2020
- Published:
- International
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 132 Document Number: D11357
- Journal Title:
- One Earth
- Journal Title Details:
- 2 : 174-187
- Notes:
- Online via open access., Researchers gathered survey data on 104 integrated landscape initiatives (ILIs) within Latin America and the Caribbean jurisdictions of Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. Findings suggested four distinct strategies existed, two of which were only weakly integrated and another two of which were more ambitiously attempting integration, engaging more sectors and scales of governance, and targeting the structural barriers to sustainability.
10. The role of information and interaction processes in the adoption of agriculture inputs in Uganda
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Freeman, Kathlee (author) and Qin, Hua (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2020
- Published:
- Uganda
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 133 Document Number: D11373
- Journal Title:
- Agronomy
- Journal Title Details:
- 10, 202
- Notes:
- 16 pages., Online via Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ.org)., Interviews with 203 smallholder farmers in Uganda indicated that households with higher level of information access through cell phone use and weak-tie information sources were more likely to use inputs.
11. Gendered constraints for adopting climate-smart agriculture amongst smallholder Ethiopian women farmers
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Tsige, Meseret (author), Synnevag, Gry (author), and Aune, Jens B. (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2020
- Published:
- Ethiopia
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 133 Document Number: D11375
- Journal Title:
- Scientific African
- Journal Title Details:
- 7, e00250
- Notes:
- 12 pages., Online via Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)., Findings showed that women smallholders' uptake was affected by limited access to credit, extension, restricted membership in cooperatives and water user associations, lack of access or user rights to land, skill training, information, and restricted mobility. Authors suggested that expanding off-farm diversification and rural employment opportunities through changing the land tenure system, which is currently state-owned, are essential to enhance women smallholders' access to land and other agricultural inputs.
12. Climate change brings challenges and opportunities, panel says
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Karst, Tom (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2020-08-20
- Published:
- USA
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 201 Document Number: D11714
- Journal Title:
- Packer
- Notes:
- Via online issue. 3 pages., Summary of panel discussion at a Virtual Town Hall meeting of the Produce Marketing Association. Panelists noted how greenhouse technologies can soften the blow of climate change.
13. Embedding food in place and rural development: Insights from the Bluefin Tuna Cultural Festival in Donggang, Taiwan
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Lin, Yi-Chieh Jessica (author) and Bestor, Theodore C. (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2020-09-07
- Published:
- International: Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 201 Document Number: D11880
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Rural Studies
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol. 79
- Notes:
- 9 pages, via online journal, This paper examines the role of the “Bluefin Tuna Cultural Festival” in developing and sustaining regional identities within the context of rural regeneration, sustainability, and the creation of closer relationships between production and consumption in the countryside. It focuses on Donggang, Southern Taiwan, an area with rural development issues, increasing tourism impacts, and contested issues of local identity, sustainability, and an aging society. This paper draws on public discourse and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders in Donggang to understand the conditions required for substantiating authenticity of the gastronomic products and experiences and the promotion of an appealing gastronomic image. This study traces the process of embedding bluefin tuna in Donggang through marketing,branding and provides a preliminary conceptualization of interrelations between gastronomic tourism and community development in East Asia. The paper draws attention to these particular issues issues: the commodification of local heritage and countryside capital, strategies and challenges of hosting culinary festivals and resolving the issue of return migration.
14. Sustainability valued but definition elusive: The Packer's sustainability insights
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Karst, Tom (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2020-11-10
- Published:
- USA
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 201 Document Number: D11902
- Journal Title:
- Packer
- Notes:
- Online from publication. 3 pages., "Retailers care about sustainability because consumers care, but for many the pursuit of sustainability tends to be more of an afterthought than top priority. Sustainability is valued highly by growers, retailers and consumers, but there is not always common understanding of what it means."
15. Sustainability, ecology, and agriculture in women farmers' voices: culture-centering gender and development
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Dutta, Mohan J. (author) and Thaker, Jagadish (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2020
- Published:
- International
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 201 Document Number: D11906
- Journal Title:
- Communication Theory
- Journal Title Details:
- 30 : 126-148
- Notes:
- 23 pages, Via UI Library online subscription., Authors described issues and potentials addressed by poor women farmers in India through sanghams (cooperatives). Findings pointed toward the desire and need for communication sovereignty in resistance to patriarchal, expert-led concepts of privatization that discount their knowledge and their role in making decisions.
16. Sustainable development through participatory communication: an assessment of selected community projects in Cross River State, Nigeria
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- John, Godswill (author) and Etika, David Nandi (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019
- Published:
- Nigeria: Asian Institute for Development Communication (AIDCOM)
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 201 Document Number: D11914
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Development Communication
- Journal Title Details:
- 30(2) : 60-71
- Notes:
- Online from UI Library subscription., Report of research about use of participatory communication in development projects involving agriculture, natural resources, and other topics at community levels. Findings emphasized need to give priority to it when carrying out community projects.
17. Participatory environmental communication for sustainable natural resource management in Ethiopia
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Atinafu, Behailu (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019
- Published:
- Ethiopia: Asian Institute for Development Communication (AIDCOM)
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 201 Document Number: D11915
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Development Communication
- Journal Title Details:
- 30(2) : 72-81
- Notes:
- Online from UI Library subscription., Reports a case study of efforts to control an infestation of water hyacinth in Lake Tana, largest lake in Ethiopia. Findings revealed that participatory communication was equated to a public relations activity of organizing campaigns with the local people urged to participate by providing labour contribution of harvesting and collecting the weed from the lake. The communication approach was found to be a one-way, top-down approach which does not facilitate a horizontal dialogue among stakeholders.
18. Farming for today and tomorrow
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Karst, Tom (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2020-12-29
- Published:
- USA
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 202 Document Number: D11998
- Journal Title:
- Packer
- Notes:
- Online via subscription. 2 pages., Introduction to the Farm Journal Foundation's America's Conservation Ag Movement, "a diverse conservation - and sustainability-focused public-private partnership."
19. Catastrophe and Environmental Restoration: Analyzing the Frames and Sources of Oyster Restoration News Stories
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Brown, Hannah O. (author), Jacobson, Susan K. (author), and Israel, Glenn (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2020-12
- Published:
- United States: New Prairie Press
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 202 Document Number: D12031
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Applied Communications
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol 104, Issue 4
- Notes:
- 22 Pages, Online Public Access, Restoration of oyster habitats is a critical solution to halt the decline of one of the world’s most threatened resources. News coverage about environmental topics, like oyster restoration, is important to local communities that are directly impacted. However, little research has assessed how restoration topics are framed by journalists, nor how environmental disasters may affect framing of news stories for the public. This study employed a longitudinal framing analysis, using the quantity of coverage and social responsibility theories, to examine how coverage of the restoration of oyster ecosystems shifted before, during, and after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The frames and sources of 763 newspaper articles were assessed, including 18 local newspapers from five U.S. Gulf Coast states and three high-circulation national newspapers. Logistic regression analyses revealed that the occurrence of an environmental catastrophe shifted media focus from environmental frames before the spill to community and economic frames during and after the spill. Stories were dominated by environmental frames (49%) and primarily relied on quotes from resource managers (50%) over all other groups. Local resource users were quoted less than 5% of the time in local articles. Findings provide a foundation for natural resource managers and communication specialists to understand how information about natural resources changes during disasters and reveals the perspectives that are most and least commonly used to frame and define stories about coastal resources and important gaps in coverage.
20. Analyst: Amazon's grocery stores should be taken seriously
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Nickle, Ashley (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2020-11-11
- Published:
- USA
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 202 Document Number: D12036
- Journal Title:
- Packer
- Notes:
- Online from periodical. 2 pages., Report of a presentation at the West Coast Produce Expo about Amazon's new Fresh banner, with establishment of small and medium-sized grocery stores.
21. Regenerative ag: the No. 1 food trend of 2020: America's conservation ag movement
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Karst, Tom (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2021-01-06
- Published:
- International
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 202 Document Number: D12081
- Journal Title:
- Packer
- Notes:
- Online from publisher. 4 pages., "Building trust in food begins with empowering farmers through one of the largest and most diverse conservation- and sustainability-focused pulic-private partnerships in our nation's history."
22. Geosystems' pathways to the future of sustainability
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Voda, Mihai (author), Kithiia, Shadrack (author), Jackiewicz, Edward (author), Du, Qingyun (author), and Sarpe, Constantin Adrian (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019
- Published:
- International
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 202 Document Number: D12087
- Journal Title:
- Scientific Reports
- Journal Title Details:
- 9 : 14446
- Notes:
- Online from journal by open access. 11 pages., Researchers attempted to show the effectiveness of Geomedia techniques in the Geosystems identification, evaluation, and valorization processes for the benefit of local inhabitants. The Geomedia techniques were developed with local community members in Romania, Kenya, Bolivia, India, and Indonesia. "The results demonstrate that self-sustainable Geosystems will always be capable to regulate, control and assess progress towards their dynamic equilibrium state, continuously adapting to environmental and society changes."
23. Social responsibility programs can pay dividends in better labor relations
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Karst, Tom (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2021-03
- Published:
- USA
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 202 Document Number: D12127
- Journal Title:
- Packer
- Notes:
- Online via the publication. 3 pages., Findings of a poll by The Packer indicated that "properly administered social responsibility programs do exactly that, or at least can be a significant factor in helping accomplish that goal." They can help ensure that workers are treated well according to health and safety standards and compensated fairly. Such programs also provide to the wider company a greater sense of purpose that workers' jobs contribute to something greater than profits.
24. Community engagement and the promotion of sustainable diets
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Ramsing, Rebecca (author), Chang, Kenjing Bryan (author), Hendrickson, Zoe Mistrale (author), Xu, Zhe (author), Friel, Madison (author), and Calves, Ellen (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2021-01-01
- Published:
- United States
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D12168
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems and Community Development
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol 10 No 2 (2021)
- Notes:
- 25 pages, Decreasing the consumption of meat and dairy has been identified as an effective strategy for protecting the health of humans and the planet. More specifically, transitioning to diets that are lower in animal-source foods and higher in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains offers a promising opportunity to better align consumer behaviors with contemporary nutritional and ecological goals. However, given the limited understanding of how these changes in dietary behaviors can be best promoted, there is a need to explore the merits of community-based approaches to meat reduction and their capacity to advance more sustainable practices of eating at the individual, household, and community levels. To address this gap in the literature, we surveyed more than 100 American households participating in a communitywide, 12-week-long Meatless Monday challenge and tracked the changes in their knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and food choices over a nine-month period. The case study provided herein highlights a number of key findings from our evaluation. Most notably, our results demonstrate the value of community-based efforts in initiating and maintaining dietary behavior change and provide preliminary insights into the unique roles of multilevel interventions and diverse stakeholder engagement in promoting healthier, more sustainable diets.
25. Seafood stories: the effect of video message type on U.S. support for sustainable aquaculture
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2021-06-17
- Published:
- United States: Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 203 Document Number: D12203
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Applied Communication Research
- Journal Title Details:
- Volume 49, 2021
- Notes:
- Using two samples of U.S. adults (Study 1: N = 336; Study 2: N = 2329), this study features a messaging experiment utilizing a between-subjects design, with a no-message control group, to explore the impact of a narrative video, in comparison to an infographic video, on support for sustainable aquaculture. Results indicate that the infographic video type is more transporting than the narrative video, and that transportation influences support for aquaculture indirectly through emotional response, as well as risk and benefit perceptions; however, importantly, we also note that video content may have contributed to the observed differences. For an emerging issue like aquaculture with environmental and human health implications, strategic messaging, especially when accompanied by vivid images, may allow audiences to better engage with a complex and contentious topic.
26. Perception of agricultural drought resilience in South Africa: A case of smallholder livestock farmers
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Bahta, Yonas (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2021-06-22
- Published:
- South Africa: AOSIS
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 203 Document Number: D12209
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Disaster Risk Studies
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol 13, No 1
- Notes:
- 11 pages., Worldwide drought has significance and continues to pose long-lasting effects on the agricultural sector, including South Africa. The recurring drought is a major challenge to smallholder livestock farmers in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. This study assesses the perception of smallholder livestock farmers towards agricultural drought resilience. The study utilised a perception index score using primary data collected from 207 smallholder livestock farmers following a structured questionnaire survey and multistage sampling procedures. The study found that the average perception index of the role of social networks and government to enhance agricultural drought resilience was negative, which implied that their role in enhancing resilience towards agricultural drought was insufficient. However, the perception of smallholder livestock farmers on the role of social networks was lower than the role of government. This study recommends coordination and cooperation amongst all role players to reinforce strategies to enhance smallholder livestock farmers’ resilience. This includes coordinator amongst the local, provincial government, African Farmers’ Association of South Africa, extension officers, private sectors, monitoring agencies in terms of reliable early warning information and communication amongst decision-makers. Collaboration amongst government departments at the national and provincial levels should be strengthening to enhance farmer’s resilience. The collaboration includes the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries at the national level, Provincial Departments of Agriculture, National and Provincial Disaster Management Centres, South African Weather Service and Department of Water Affairs. Smallholder livestock farmers’ awareness of the significance of social networking and government participation should be promoted.
27. Ten steps for establishing a succession plan addressing volunteer disengagement
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Brumbaugh Robertson, Laura (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2020-12-01
- Published:
- United States: Extension Journal Inc.
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 203 Document Number: D12280
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- vol. 58, num. 6
- Notes:
- 6 pages, What happens when volunteers disengage from an Extension program? What steps should Extension professionals take to fill a vacated role? There is a robust amount of research regarding best retention practices once volunteers are plugged into a program. However, there is a gap in current volunteer literature regarding practical applications to prepare existing volunteers to take on new roles. Incorporating proven strategies through practical applications would allow Extension professionals to address volunteer disengagement before it happens. Extension professionals can consider 10 steps to develop a succession plan to address volunteer disengagement.
28. Factors influencing smallholder farmers to participate in farmer-led research of agro-ecological practices in selected areas, Tanzania
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Kihoma, Luambano (author), Churi, Ayubu J. (author), Sanga, Camilius A. (author), and Tisselli, Eugenio (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2021-10-22
- Published:
- International: Academic Journals
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 203 Document Number: D12336
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol.13(4)
- Notes:
- 11 pages., Declining crop productivity is a great challenge facing smallholder farmers in Tanzania. Agro-ecological practices can improve crop productivity in a sustainable way and produce healthy food among smallholder farmers. Initiation of “Farmer-Led Research of Agro-Ecological Practices” (FLRAG) may enhance farmers’ capacities for innovation and co-develop suitable agro-ecological practices. This study aimed at identifying factors influencing smallholder farmers to participate in FLRAG. A cross-sectional survey was used to collect qualitative and quantitative data from 90 smallholder farmers in Mvomero, Bagamoyo and Masasi districts in Tanzania. Data were also collected from key informants who were extension officers. The study identified that experience in farming, easiness in accessing agro-ecological inputs, interest in doing experiments and farm size ownership are the factors that substantially influence smallholder farmers to participate in FLRAG. Therefore, researchers are advised to select participants of FLRAG by considering the mentioned factors. Furthermore, farmers selected to participate in FLRAG are advised to the use of ugunduzi app” that was developed purposefully to enhance agro-ecological research in order to test and understand its potential on smoothing agro-ecological research activities.
29. Historical transition of a farming system towards industrialization: a danish agricultural case study comparing sustainability in the 1840s and 2019
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Lohrum, Nele (author), Graversgaard, Morten (author), and Kjeldsen, Chris (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2021-11-22
- Published:
- Switzerland: MDPI
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D12397
- Journal Title:
- Sustainability
- Journal Title Details:
- V. 13, N. 22
- Notes:
- 16 pages, A Danish pre-industrial farming system is reconstructed and compared to its modern industrialized farming system equivalent to evaluate agricultural performance in a sustainability perspective. The investigated Danish farm system and its contributing elements have undergone significant transformations. The intensity of contemporary agriculture shows that high productivity levels have been achieved by increasing the input of energy using modern machinery. At the same time, the energy efficiency (calculations based on energetic indicators) diminishes over time as the degree of dependence on fossil fuels increases. The results from this study show significant changes in the farming system, specifically inputs from agricultural land use, livestock, and energy systems. From being highly circular, the system changed to being a clear linear farming system with highly increased productivity but less efficient at the same time, questioning the relationship between productivity and efficiency and resource utilization in modern farming systems. Through utilizing an agroecological historical approach by comparing system performance over time, the results offer opportunities to explore how agricultural farming systems evolve over time and help to describe the complexity of the system level in a sustainability perspective.
30. Farmers markets and single-use plastic: why environmentally conscious consumers don’t bring reusable bags
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Hardy, Scott (author) and Bartolotta, Jill (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2021-12-10
- Published:
- United States: Clemson University Press
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D12407
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol. 59, Iss. 4
- Notes:
- 10 pages, This study looks at the role of Extension in helping local officials reduce plastic bag use at farmers markets in three Lake County, OH communities. We distributed free reusable bags to shoppers and conducted an education and outreach program. We then took observations to determine if the free reusable bags were being used. We also invited shoppers to take a voluntary survey about their environmental attitudes, why or why not they use the reusable bags, and how best to reduce plastic bag use moving forward. Results from the study suggest that supplying free reusable bags at farmer markets is not an effective strategy for Extension professionals attempting to reduce plastic bag use. Instead, we recommend working with local officials to develop financial incentives and disincentives tied to the type of bag option shoppers use, implement plastic bag bans at markets, and conduct locally-focused education and outreach. Although shoppers’ environmental literacy and desire for sustainability is high, it is shown that behavior change is unlikely to occur without financial or policy incentives.
31. Normative coherence through social entrepreneurship: Fostering women’s empowerment in Myanmar
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Perekrestova, Vlada (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- unknown
- Published:
- United States: Wiley Online
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12450
- Journal Title:
- Development Policy Review
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol. 40 (2)
- Notes:
- 24 pages., Motivation Women’s empowerment has been an integral part of the discussion on normative coherence for development, but its implementation is not very effective in Myanmar. Gender must be kept at the forefront of policy analysis in order to avoid unintended consequences for women. Purpose The article argues that the Government of Myanmar lacks initiatives on women’s economic empowerment, but that social enterprises could prove to be a more appropriate way to implement international norms in gender equality. Methods and approach This case study uses descriptive research to verify how social entrepreneurship can contribute to women's empowerment by increasing women’s participation in the labour market. The empirical part of this study is based on field research undertaken in February 2019. Findings In Myanmar, there is still a gap between normative policies and social practices. Women’s legal and actual equality cannot be realized by law and philosophy alone, but also depends on a shift in political, economic, and social actions to ensure that women can participate in the public sphere on an equal basis as men, and enjoy equal economic opportunities. The article explores the role that social enterprises are already playing as an example of how international development norms are implemented at the local level. Policy implications The article highlights the appropriateness of social enterprises as catalysts of gender equality and as agents of normative gender coherence for development. Social enterprises take an inclusive and sustainable approach to addressing issues, making women’s livelihoods central.
32. Adapting yet not adopting? Conservation agriculture in Central Malawi
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Bouwman, T.I. (author), Andersson, J.A. (author), and Giller, K.E. (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2021-02-28
- Published:
- United States: Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12487
- Journal Title:
- Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol. 307
- Notes:
- 12 pages, Conservation Agriculture (CA) has been widely promoted as a pathway to sustainably intensify agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Yet despite decades of promotion, CA uptake in SSA remains sparse with only few analyses of its impacts on farming and rural livelihoods. This study, which focuses on areas in Central Malawi considered to have a relatively high uptake of CA, uses analyses of satellite images, field observations, interviews with farmers, extension workers and other people involved in CA promotion, as well as a household survey, to investigate how CA has been adapted. We find that the three CA principles – (1) continuous minimum tillage, e.g. no-ridging, (2) permanent ground cover, and (3) crop rotation/intercropping – were not practiced as intended. First, one-third of non-ridged land was tilled during the growing season, and half was again ridged in the following season. Second, unless crop residues were added, the soil’s surface of non-ridged plots was usually bare at planting, causing weed control problems, and an increased risk of erosion. Most farmers added large volumes of crop residues to their non-ridged plots. They collected these from the surrounding fields, but this practice severely restricted the size of these plots. Third, crop rotation/intercropping was practiced less when farmers stopped ridging. Thus overall, very few farmers practised all of the three CA principles simultaneously. CA promotion appeared to only increase yields on plots where mulch was added, but this practice is not scalable. CA promotiondoes not seem to have provided substantial benefits for overall farm productivity, labour-savings or soil cons
33. Quality of climate-smart agricultural advice offered by private and public sectors extensionists in Mbeere North Sub-County, Kenya
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Glkunda, Raphael (author), Jepkurul, Mary (author), Kiptoo, Simion (author), and Baker, Matthew (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2022-01-19
- Published:
- United States: OJS / PKP
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12500
- Journal Title:
- Advancements in Agricultural Development
- Journal Title Details:
- 3 (1)
- Notes:
- 18 pages, This research adds to the knowledge of extension education by revealing the quality of climate-smart agricultural (CSA) advice offered by private and public extension sectors. The study was aimed at addressing the paucity of empirical data that exists relating to the quality of CSA advice. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, the descriptive and correlational study gathered data from a systematic sample of 115 farmers. There was a moderate positive correlation between extension effectiveness and adoption of CSA. There were significant differences between public, private, and both sectors in relation to the quality of information disseminated. The quality of private sector’s advice was significantly lower than that of public sector and both sectors. There was no significant difference in quality of advice between public sector and both sectors. The quality of CSA advice was generally fair, however, heightened dissemination of CSA practices by both sectors of extension would yield better quality advice thus improve the adoption of the practices among farmers.
34. Going digital in agriculture: how radio and SMS can scale-up smallholder participation in legume-based sustainable agricultural intensification practices and technologies in Tanzania
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Silvestri, Silvia (author), Richard, Musebe (author), Edward, Baars (author), Dharmesh, Ganatra (author), and Dannie, Romney (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2020-04-14
- Published:
- International: Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D12505
- Journal Title:
- International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability
- Journal Title Details:
- 19
- Notes:
- 11 pages., In 2016, a study was conducted in Tanzania to assess the impact of radio and SMS in scaling-up smallholder participation in legume-based sustainable agricultural intensification (SAI) practices and technologies. The study aimed to answer the following research questions: (i) does participation in the campaign enhance farmers’ knowledge of legume-based sustainable agricultural intensification practices and technologies? (ii) what is the impact of the campaign on the adoption of legume-based sustainable agricultural intensification practices and technologies?; (iii) does exposure to multiple ICT-enabled channels result in larger gains (in terms of knowledge and adoption) than exposure to only one channel? (iv) is it more cost-effective to use radio or SMS alone or use them in combination? The results show that both awareness and adoption are boosted if SMS supports radio campaigns. However, radio alone is the most cost-effective approach. Each dollar spent on the radio campaign results in 2.1 farmers that have adopted at least one new practice, compared with 0.5 farmers for SMS and 0.4 farmers for radio and SMS combined. Other factors were also important in facilitating uptake of legume-based SAI practices, such as gender, age, education and land size, but were not statistically significant when rated against the communication channels used.
35. UK Consumers’ Preferences for Ethical Attributes of Floating Rice: Implications for Environmentally Friendly Agriculture in Vietnam
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Hong Tu, Vo (author), Kopp, Steven (author), Thuy Trang, Nguyen (author), Kontoleon, Andreas (author), and Yabe, Mitsuyasu (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2021-07-27
- Published:
- Switzerland: MDPI
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12510
- Journal Title:
- Sustainability
- Journal Title Details:
- 13 (15)
- Notes:
- 27 pages, Vietnam plays an important role in bearing global food security. However, Vietnamese rice farmers face several challenges, including pressures to develop sustainable livelihoods while reducing the environmental impacts of their production activities. Various Vietnamese agricultural restructuring policies were promulgated to promote the adoption of environmentally friendly practices to generate high value added for rice farmers, but the farmers are reluctant to adopt them because of perceived lack of demand. Decreasing consumption of rice in Asia and increasing demands in Europe shaped Vietnamese rice exporting policies. New trade agreements, such as the UK–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, offer new target markets for Vietnamese rice farmers. This research provides empirical evidence related to the preferences of UK consumers for ethical attributes for floating rice imported from Vietnam. Floating rice represents a traditional method of rice cultivation that relies on the natural flooding cycle. Its cultivation uses very few agrochemical inputs and provides several other environmental, economic, and social benefits. In an online survey, the study used a choice experiment that asked 306 UK consumers to report their preferences for one kilo of floating rice with three non-market attributes: reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, allocation of profits to the farmers, and restitution of biodiversity. Overall, study participants favored the attributes of floating rice, but reported utility for only the “fair trade” attribute and for a marginal willingness to pay premiums for profit allocations to farmers. Consumers did not find value in either CO2 emission reduction or biodiversity improvement. Results from the study provide recommendations to develop agricultural programs, distribution strategies, and informational methods to encourage floating rice consumption in the UK.
36. Motivations, goals, and benefits associated with organic grain farming by producers in Iowa, U.S
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Han, Guang (author), Arbuckle, J. Gordon (author), and Grudens-Schuck, Nancy (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2020-11-06
- Published:
- United States: Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12517
- Journal Title:
- Agricultural Systems
- Journal Title Details:
- 191
- Notes:
- 14 pages., CONTEXT The U.S. has the world's largest organic food market. However, low domestic production and a low adoption rate of organic grain farming limit the overall development of this sector. Multiple organic stakeholders have called for a better understanding of cognitive and motivational aspects of farmers' decision-making processes to help policymakers, agricultural scientists, and extension practitioners to work more effectively with farmers to explore and adopt organic grain production. OBJECTIVE This paper assesses farmers' adoption motivations, long-term goals, and perceived benefits to examine the congruence between initial motivations, long-term goals, and current perceived benefits. METHODS We employed a sequential mixed-method approach that first interviewed organic farmers in Iowa, U.S. Then developed and administered a statewide survey for the organic farmers. Survey data were analyzed with confirmatory factor analysis, paired-samples t-tests, and heteroskedasticity-robust regression models. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS We identified five highly-rated motivations for farmers to adopt organic grain: 1) profitability, 2) personal safety, 3) natural resources stewardship, 4) consumers and public health, and 5) honor and tradition. We found organic farmers' long-term goals are strongly orientated to both productivism and stewardship but less strongly oriented to civic-mindedness. This research assessed five areas of benefits associated with organic grain farming: 1) economic benefit, 2) addressed health concerns, 3) environmental natural resources, 4) values and beliefs validation, and 5) social benefit. This study found the benefits farmers experienced by adopting organic grain farming aligned with most of their original adoption motivations and long-term goals, except for serving the motivation of consumer and public health concerns.
37. Liberation extension: building capacities for civilizational transition
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Copeland, Nicholas (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2022-01-27
- Published:
- International: Springer Link
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D12541
- Journal Title:
- Agriculture and Human Values
- Journal Title Details:
- 2022
- Notes:
- 12pgs, COVID 19 has exacerbated and underscored structural inequalities and endemic vulnerabilities in food, economic, and social systems, compounding concerns about environmental sustainability and racial and economic justice. Convergent crises have amplified a growing chorus of voices and movements calling for new thinking and new practices to adapt to these shifts, mitigate their impact, and address their root causes through far reaching changes in social and economic life and values, including breaking with the free market paradigm. In the face of a historic choice between transition or multiple systems collapse that deepen injustice and threaten planetary survival, I make the case for expanding on liberatory tendencies in Extension programs to build capacities for response-ability to transition toward more just and sustainable futures.
38. Investigating citizens’ perceptions of the bioeconomy in Germany – High support but little understanding
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Dallendörf, M. (author), Diekena, M. (author), Siekmanna, F. (author), and Venghaus, S. (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2022-04-10
- Published:
- International: Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 205 Document Number: D12560
- Journal Title:
- Sustainable Production and Consumption
- Journal Title Details:
- 30
- Notes:
- 15 pages, Bioeconomy is deemed to be an ambiguous term with multiple facets: new products from biomass, circular and cascading resource systems, developments of new and more resilient plants, or synthetic biology for molecular biotechnology, to name a few. Accordingly, the term is interpreted just as diversely by involved stakeholders and the broader public. Enabling a clear and constructive dialog on bioeconomy strategies with and among society requires a profound understanding of these perceptions. To address this issue, a representative survey was conducted among the German population in order to scrutinize the general public's understanding of the term bioeconomy, citizens’ knowledge, fears, and expectations, as well as factors explaining their attitudes toward the bioeconomy. Our results indicate that, so far, German citizens are not very familiar with the concept. Its underlying ideas, however, are vastly appreciated. Support for a sustainable bioeconomy is thus strong and connected to high expectations in terms of environmental and economic benefits, which needs to be taken into account both in the implementation and communication of bioeconomy strategies. Support for the bioeconomy is furthermore connected to beliefs that reflect environmental concern and to pro-environmental behavior. While most measures and principles related to the bioeconomy (e.g., the use of biogas, biofuels, renewable materials for everyday products or buildings, or the cascading and circular use of resources) are strongly appreciated, the use of genetic engineering, for example, is opposed, mainly with regard to its applications in agriculture and industry, to a lesser extent in medicine.
39. Good farm practices and improved processing technology of enset for sustainable hunger solution in Ethiopia
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Kudama, G. (author), Tolera, T. (author), and Gebeyehu, L. (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2022-02-01
- Published:
- International: Springer Link
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 205 Document Number: D12574
- Journal Title:
- Innovation and Entrepeneurship
- Journal Title Details:
- 11
- Notes:
- 20 pages., Given the multi-benefits, enset cultivation has been continuously underutilized in Ethiopia. We assess best practices, processing technologies, environmental maintenance, multi-benefits of enset and its potency in hunger reduction in Ethiopia by reviewing evidence on good farm practices, improved technologies, sustainability, hunger reduction, inputs cost, and yields advantage of enset. The review results identify those best practices that optimize enset yield, technologies that facilitate extension services, processing and food qualities of enset. Moreover, we find that enset is a first-rated climate-smart crop, superior hunger solution because of its apparent capability to endure long periods (more than 5 years) of drought, highest yield, energy food supply, and costs advantages. In contrast, its long-period maturity, cultural perceptions, and little development policy attention given to enset limit its expansion. Therefore, exploring and creating universal access mechanism of early maturing and high-yielding varieties, processing technologies and mobile-based advices, involving best practices of enset in regular agricultural extension services, changing social perceptions optimize enset yield and production thereby it contributes environmental sustainability and cuts hunger challenges.
40. A comparison of motivational patterns in sustainable food consumption between pakistan and finland: duties or self-reliance?
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- ur Rahman, Saleem (author) and Luomala, Harri (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2020-09-08
- Published:
- United States: Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group)
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 205 Document Number: D12590
- Journal Title:
- Journal of International Food & Agribusiness Marketing
- Journal Title Details:
- Online
- Notes:
- 29pgs, This research explores organic food consumption motivations in Pakistan and Finland. It links the findings to life goals typifying vertically collectivistic and horizontally individualistic cultures in order to produce a fuller understanding of cross-country variation in sustainable consumption. This study employs a means-end chain methodology, using a hard-laddering technique in Pakistan (n = 101) and Finland (n = 193) to collect the data. The key implications are that organic food choice motivations both converge and diverge between these countries and that culturally shaped life goals can be used to enrich their interpretation and advance theory building in further research.
41. Public communication of soil conservation practices: a large-scale content analysis of wisconsin’s agricultural trade publications
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Chen, K. (author) and Shaw, B. (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2022-02-10
- Published:
- USA: Soil and Water Conservation Society
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 205 Document Number: D12612
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
- Journal Title Details:
- V. 77, Iss. 2
- Notes:
- 14pgs, The adoption of soil conservation practices by farmers offers the potential to greatly improve soil health and water quality at large geographic scales. In considering the potential benefits of soil conservation practices to improve ecological outcomes on farms, it is important to ascertain where farmers get their information about soil conservation and what type of information they are exposed to and by whom. One primary way that farmers learn about soil conservation practices is via agricultural trade publications (ATPs). We conducted a content analysis using a computational text analysis method to analyze all the online soil conservation coverage from four influential ATPs in Wisconsin. We focused on 10 different soil conservation practices and found that the most frequently covered soil conservation practices were tillage, manure, and grazing. Additionally, we analyzed the thematic categories for how each soil conservation practice was covered in terms of agricultural, environmental and economic benefits. Generally, articles tended to mention environmental and economic benefits more than agricultural benefits across all soil conservation practices. We also unpacked the subcategories of environmental benefits using cover crops practice as an example to demonstrate how it was covered in terms of subcategories such as biodiversity, sustainability, climate change, water quality, and soil health. Our analysis also looked at how agricultural technology was featured in the stories about soil conservation and found that this category was regularly mentioned for each practice. Finally, we examined the message sources for stories on soil conservation and found that extension and the federal government were the most the frequently cited entities. We also discussed how this form of computational content analysis can provide longitudinal insights about trends in a particular soil conservation practice like cover crops, which showed a clear upward trend in coverage in ATPs for the time period studied. These nuanced content analyses provide insights into what types of thematic categories are featured about soil conservation practices covered in ATPs in Wisconsin. Advocates of soil conservation practices can use our results to determine if some practices could benefit from more attention in ATPs as well as which benefits and themes have received more media coverage. Additionally, stakeholders from entities that serve as different message sources can determine how their organizations are doing as the spokespeople for the soil conservation practices being advocated.
42. Alternative food networks in Latin America—exploring PGS (participatory guarantee systems) markets and their consumers: a cross-country comparison
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Kaufmann, Sonja (author), Hruschka, Nikolaus (author), Vildozo,Luis (author), and Vogl, Christian R. (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2022-08-25
- Published:
- USA: Springer Nature
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 205 Document Number: D12628
- Journal Title:
- Agriculture and Human Values
- Journal Title Details:
- Online
- Notes:
- 24 pages, Alternative food networks (AFN) are argued to provide platforms to re-socialize and re-spacealize food, establish and contribute to democratic participation in local food chains, and foster producer–consumer relations and trust. As one of the most recent examples of AFN, Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) have gained notable traction in attempting to redefine consumer-producer relations in the organic value chain. The participation of stakeholders, such as consumers, has been a key element theoretically differentiating PGS from other organic verification systems. While research on farmer participation in PGS is attracting interest, consumer participation is still widely overlooked. Using a mixed methods approach, this paper describes five PGS markets in Mexico, Chile and Bolivia. A survey was conducted with consumers in the PGS markets to explore their awareness of the PGS, how consumers participate in the PGS, and their level of trust in the respective PGS and its certified products. Results showed a low level of awareness of PGS among market consumers, few participation possibilities, and minimal consumer participation overall. Nevertheless, trust in organic quality was generally high. Consumers primarily relied on the direct relationship with producers and the PGS market itself as sources of trust. These results provide novel insight into PGS consumer-market interactions, and contribute to discussions concerning social embeddedness, awareness and participation within AFN.
43. The need for seed: News framing of the pandemic gardening boom
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Perks, Lisa Glebatis (author), Gatchet, Amanda Davis (author), and Gatchet, Roger Davis (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2022-08-26
- Published:
- USA: Taylor and Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 205 Document Number: D12633
- Journal Title:
- Environmental Communication
- Journal Title Details:
- V.16, Iss. 4
- Notes:
- 14 pages, Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the U.S. and other countries around the world saw a dramatic increase in the number of people starting pandemic gardens. In this article, the authors use rhetorical framing analysis to explore how news coverage of this gardening boom presented the illusion of control framed around the themes of economics, food sovereignty, physical and mental health, and community and connection. It concludes with a discussion of how these four themes offer an overly-optimistic view of gardening that deemphasizes sustainability, focuses on processes over harvests, and ignores food chain inequities.
44. The adoption problem is a matter of ft: tracing the travel of pruning practices from research to farm in Ghana’s cocoa sector
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Adomaa, Faustina Obeng (author), Vellema, Sietze (author), Slingerland, Maja (author), and Asare, Richard (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2022-01-11
- Published:
- USA: Springer
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 205 Document Number: D12650
- Journal Title:
- Agriculture and Human Values
- Journal Title Details:
- Iss. 39
- Notes:
- 15 pages, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) are central to sustainability standards and certifcation programmes in the global cocoa chain. Pruning is one of the practices promoted in extension services associated with these sustainability efforts. Yet concerns exist about the low adoption rate of these GAPs by smallholder cocoa farmers in Ghana. A common approach to addressing this challenge is based on creating enabling conditions and offering appropriate incentives. We use the concepts of inscription and afordance to trace the vertically coordinated travel of recommended pruning from research to extension and farming sites, and to describe how pruning is carried out diferently at each site. Our analysis suggests that enactments of pruning at the extension site reduce the number of options and space for interactions, and this constrains making the practice meaningful to farmers’ repertoires. The conventions guiding and legitimising actions at this site, reinforced by sustainability standards, certifcation schemes and associated inspections and audits, favour standardised recommendations and consequently narrow room for context-specifc diagnostics and adaptions. Therefore, we reframe the adoption problem as a matter of fitbetween different sites in the ‘agricultural research value chain’ embedded in the operational cocoa chain. Our contribution problematises the dominant framing of low adoption and highlights that the movement of pruning and the sequential enactment at different sites constrain the affordances available for rendering the practice meaningful to farmers’ repertoires. Consequently, addressing the low uptake of GAPs requires institutional work towards conventions that can construct a fit between sites along the agricultural research value chain
45. Adoption of improved agricultural practices: Learning from off-season vegetable production in Nepal
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Ghimire, Raju (author), Suvedi, Marari (author), and Kaplowitz, Michael (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2022-09-01
- Published:
- USA: New Prairie Press
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 205 Document Number: D12682
- Journal Title:
- Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol. 29, Iss. 3
- Notes:
- 18 pages, This study examines factors that appear to contribute to farmers’ adoption and discontinuation of poly house technology for off-season vegetable production. We collected cross-sectional survey data from a sample of 151 households in Kaski district, Nepal during October 2018. The data are analyzed using Heckman’s two stage sample selection model. The study reveals that the family members report being engaged in nonfarm sector that there is an increased probability of discontinuation of poly house technology. Farmers may be diverting their labor towards nonfarm activities that result in higher returns to labor and different risks. At the same time, the results indicate that farmers who did not receive training on vegetable production were more likely to discontinue poly house technology. It was also found that increasing farmers’ engagement with marketing activities increased the likelihood of farmers to continue poly house technology and increase household income. The provision of continued technical support (e.g., training), input supply (e.g., seeds, fertilizers) and market information are essential to sustain the adopted technologies. The study sheds light on the sustainability of technology adoption by underpinning the importance of extension services for longer-term adoption. We believe that the combined effect of various technologies would be associated with sustained adoption of the improved off-season technologies. This provides a new direction to operationalize farmer-oriented policies in agricultural extension and helps in devising programs for sustained adoption of technology.
46. Highlighting a key question for the common agricultural policy: adoption of agriculture system types
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Papadopoulos, Sotirios (author), Markopoulos, Theodoros (author), Chousou, Charoula (author), Natos, Dimitrios (author), and Mattas, Konstadinos (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-06
- Published:
- Germany: CENTMA Research
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 205 Document Number: D12702
- Journal Title:
- International Journal on Food System Dynamics
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol.10, N.3
- Notes:
- 12 pages, One of the key questions that concerns policy makers, related to the long term planning of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), is the form of agriculture that farmers intend to follow in the future. In order to highlight that question, a sample of producers from the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace in Greece were surveyed and analyzed in order to identify and assess the factors that influence farmers’ adoption of organic, conventional or integrated agriculture systems. The paper methodologically applies double-valued logistic regressions, one for each form of agriculture, to the selected sample. Results indicate that producers' training and high awareness of CAP policies are positively correlated with the future adoption of organic farming systems, while the adoption of integrated agriculture depends on producers’ age as well as their positive or negative opinions regarding the conventional agricultural system.
47. Role of information and communication technologies towards sustainability transitions in agriculture and food systems
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Nwafor, S.C. (author), Agba, S.A. (author), Ugbem-Onah, C. (author), and Uwandu, Q.C. (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2022-08-31
- Published:
- Nigeria: Agricultural Society of Nigeria
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 205 Document Number: D12760
- Journal Title:
- Nigerian Agricultural Journal
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol. 53, N.2
- Notes:
- 6 pages, Food sustainability transitions refer to transformation processes necessary to move towards sustainable food systems. Digitization is one of the most important ongoing transformation processes in global agriculture and food chains. The review paper explores the contribution of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to transition towards sustainability along the food chain (production, processing, distribution, consumption). It also reviewed the Challenges to ICT Use in the Food Chain. From the review, it was found that ICT has enormous roles to play in boasting food production and promoting equitable distribution and marketing of food produce. ICTs can contribute to agro-food sustainability transition by increasing resource productivity, reducing inefficiencies, decreasing management costs, and improving food chain coordination. Key challenges to effective utilization of ICT in promoting food security were identified to include lack of access to ICT tools, low literacy level, and inadequate capital among others.
48. The role of conservation agriculture in bridging gender gaps in Tanzania: the case of sustainable agriculture Tanzania
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Msuya, E. (author), Mhanga, M. (author), and Massawe, F.A. (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2022-10-20
- Published:
- Nigeria: Faclty Of Agriculture, Sokoine University of Agriculture
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 205 Document Number: D12762
- Journal Title:
- Tanzania Journal of Agricultural Sciences
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol. 21, N.1
- Notes:
- 9 pages, Despite agriculture’s great potential to Tanzania agricultural development, the sector faces diverse challenges. For example, existence of gender gaps in accessing agricultural production resources and benefits obtained from the same impede the sector’s growth. Therefore, adoption of conservation agriculture (CA) has been seen as one of the measures to address the sector limited productivity. Nonetheless, there is limited knowledge on how CA has managed to reduce gender inequalities in accessing both reproductive resources and benefits accrued from agriculture. This paper examines gender gaps in conservation agriculture programme implemented by Sustainable Agriculture in Tanzania (SAT), by specifically analyzing gender participation and relations in CA in Morogoro municipality and Morogoro district. This study adopted a mixed method approach whereby both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from four sites where SAT implements its activities. Findings show that CA has significantly reduced gander gaps in accessing production resources and services as well as raising women’s participation in decision making with regards to production and use of income obtained from sales of produce. Farmers regardless of the gender can access extension services, and credit, and are involved in various initiatives collectively. Despite the economic benefits, findings show that CA is laborious and takes much of farmers’ time, women being more affected. Therefore, it is recommended that the central and local governments and various stakeholders should promote the spread of conservation agriculture technologies since it reduces the biasness in agriculture and empowering women. Ensuring access to advanced cheap technologies to farmers. Nonetheless, there is need to ensure that female farmers are not overburdened in the process.
49. Securing the future of US agriculture: the case for investing in new entry sustainable farmers
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Carlisle, Liza; (author), de Wit, Maywa Montenegro (author), DeLonge, Marcia S. (author), Calo, Adam (author), Getz, Christy (author), Ory, Joanna (author), Munden-Dixon, Katherine (author), Galt, Ryan (author), Melone, Brett (author), Knox, Reggie (author), Iles, Alastaire (author), and Press, Daniel (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019
- Published:
- United States: University of California Press
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 206 Document Number: D12775
- Journal Title:
- Elementa
- Journal Title Details:
- V. 7, I. 1
- Notes:
- Sustainable agriculture is among the most urgently needed work in the United States, for at least three reasons: we face an environmental crisis, a health crisis, and a rural economic crisis. Addressing these pressing crises through sustainability transition will require growing our agricultural workforce: both because the current farm population is aging, and because sustainable agriculture is knowledge-intensive work that substitutes experiential knowledge of farm ecosystems for harmful industrial inputs. Given its social value, sustainable agriculture ought to be a welcoming profession. But at present, US agriculture is decidedly unwelcoming for nearly all who work in it – and it puts new entry and sustainable farmers at a distinct disadvantage. In this paper, we first examine why it is so hard to enter and succeed in sustainable farming. We find that new entrants struggle to gain critical access, assets, and assistance, encountering substantial barriers that stand between them and the land, capital, markets, equipment, water, labor, and training and technical assistance they need to succeed. Secondly, we review promising policy and civil society interventions targeted at addressing these barriers, nearly all of which have already been piloted at the local and state levels or through modest public funding. These interventions are most effective, we find, when they are linked up through robustly governed networks to provide “wraparound” coverage for new entry sustainable farmers. Such networks can help patch together complementary sources of support (e.g. federal, state, local, NGO, cooperative) and synergistically address multiple barriers at once. Finally, we propose additional interventions that are more aspirational today, but that could offer important pathways to support new sustainable farmers in the longer term.
50. Automatic equipment to increase sustainability in agricultural fertilization
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- García, Mario Martínez (author), Cabral, Silvia Ramos (author), Zúñiga, Ricardo Pérez (author), and Rodríguez, Luis Carlos G. Martínez (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2023-02-19
- Published:
- Switzerland: MDPI
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 206 Document Number: D12830
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agriculture
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol. 13, N. 2
- Notes:
- 17 pages, The purpose of the study was to design a device for the dissolution of fertilizers for agricultural use in an automatic and environmentally sustainable way to facilitate the work of farmers. To achieve this goal, an outdated blade design was used, which generates turbulent and laminar flows thanks to the angle of inclination of its blades. In tests, the combination of these two flows gave a better result compared to laminar and turbulent flows separately. The best results were achieved by varying the spin and speed, the time between spins, and the rest time. The time it would take to dissolve the mixture was drastically reduced if it were conducted in the traditional way (manually) or compared with commercial mixers. In conclusion, the technique used for the dissolution of agricultural minerals is more effective and reduces time, energy, and effort. This was able to reduce the time necessary to dissolve the fertilizer by 93 percent compared to doing it manually and by 66 percent compared to using commercial mixers, in a solution of 100 L of water per 100 kg of ammonium sulfate.