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2. What's in a name? Survey explores consumers' comprehension of milk and non-dairy alternatives
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Meyer, Megan (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018-10-11
- Published:
- USA
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 199 Document Number: D09960
- Journal Title:
- Food Insight
3. Communicating sound science
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Mermelstein, H. Neil (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018-11-01
- Published:
- USA: Institute of Food Technologists, Chicago, Illinois.
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 199 Document Number: D09967
- Journal Title:
- Food Technology
- Journal Title Details:
- 72(11)
- Notes:
- Online issue. 7 pages.
4. Where I come from: exploring regional differences in California consumers’ attitudes and beliefs about fluid milk
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Specht, Annie R. (author), Wickstrom, Ashlan E. (author), Buck, Emily B. (author), and Association for Communication Excellence
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2017
- Published:
- USA: New Prairie Press
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 151 Document Number: D10133
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Applied Communications
- Journal Title Details:
- 101(4)
- Notes:
- 14 pages., Via online journal., Guided by the theory of reasoned action and social cognitive theory, this study was conducted to better understand how decisions to purchase organic or conventional milk are influenced by norms and attitudes established via human interactions and how those norms and attitudes vary by geographic region. An online Qualtrics survey was used to gain insight into behaviors, attitudes, and interactions of 308 milk consumers in various geographical regions of [State]. The findings indicate that urban, suburban, and rural consumers differ in some ways in their interactions related to milk information, as well as their perceptions of organic versus conventional milk. Based on the findings of the study, differences in personal networks and exposure to certain messaging in varying regions might perpetuate a more positive, confident, and informed view of organic or conventional milk products in some areas more so than others. The researchers recommend using the results of the study to tailor messages to the specific information needs of consumers in urban, suburban, and rural regions of [State].
5. Blue Bell's Facebook Posts and Responses During the 2015 Listeria Crisis: A Case Study
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Opat, Kelsi (author), Magness, Haley (author), Irlbeck, Erica (author), and Texas Tech University
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018
- Published:
- United States: New Prairie Press
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 152 Document Number: D10154
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Applied Communications
- Journal Title Details:
- 102(4)
- Notes:
- 18 pages, via online journal article, Blue Bell Creameries faced an unprecedented situation when it pulled all of its products during a Listeria outbreak in 2015. Despite a very public crisis that resulted in three deaths, Blue Bell survived the disaster and maintained a large and loyal customer base. A content analysis of the Blue Bell Ice Cream Facebook page was conducted to evaluate Blue Bell’s public communications, and its followers’ public reactions to the Facebook communication during the crisis. Results indicated that Blue Bell primarily posted messages that included recall and restocking information, thankfulness to stakeholders, and details about improvements to food safety during the crisis. These messages created a sense of transparency, which can increase customers’ trust and brand loyalty. Their consumers largely responded with comments containing overwhelming loyalty themes as well as questions and messages of thanks. Recommendations for agri-food companies include operating transparently before, during, and after a crisis. Organizations should follow Blue Bell’s example and avoid publishing messages that include attacks, denial, scapegoating, or excuses during a crisis.
6. Analyzing media coverage of agricultural health and safety issues
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Lundy, Lisa K. (author), Rogers-Randolph, Tiffany M. (author), Lindsey, Angela B. (author), Hurdle, Clay (author), Ryan, Heather (author), Telg, Ricky W. (author), Irani, Tracy (author), and University of Florida
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018
- Published:
- United States: New Prairie Press
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 152 Document Number: D10155
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Applied Communications
- Journal Title Details:
- 102(4)
- Notes:
- 16 pages, via online journal article, Farming, by the very nature of the occupation, is riddled with uncertainty. The risks associated with the agriculture industry are just as diverse as the industry itself. For all risks, one challenge is the development and dissemination of safety communication materials tailored for diverse audiences. Valkenburg, Semetko, and Vreese (1999) examined common frames used in news media. Their analysis pointed to four commonly used news frames: conflict, human interest, responsibility and economic consequences. The purpose of this study was to describe the agricultural and health safety issues discussed in Florida news media during the year 2016, discussing the prominence of the frames outlined by Valkenburg et al. (1999). In this study, the most prominent frame was the human interest frame, followed by responsibility, economic consequences, and conflict. Frames carry a great deal of weight in shaping individuals’ opinions, attitudes, and actions towards agriculturally based messages; therefore it is essential for agricultural communicators to understand the framing of agricultural health and safety issues. Acknowledging the frames used in the reporting of agricultural issues allows agricultural communicators to enter into informed interactions with media outlets and better prepare the resources they provide to them. These framing analyses also provide agricultural communicators with a solid foundation on which to best position and frame their messaging on behalf of the industry. Further research is recommended to examine frames from an audience perspective and to investigate the impact of human interest frames in the presentation of agricultural news articles.
7. Attitudes of meat retailers to animal welfare in Spain
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Miranda-de la Lama, Genaro C. (author), Sepulveda, Wilmer S. (author), Villarroel, Morris (author), and Maria, Gustavo A. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2013-05-13
- Published:
- Spain: Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 4 Document Number: D10177
- Journal Title:
- Meat Science
- Journal Title Details:
- 95(2013) : 569-575
- Notes:
- 7 pages., Via online journal, This study analyzes retailer attitude towards animal welfare in Spain, and how this attitude has changed over recent years (2006–2011). Retailers were concerned about animal welfare issues but a declining trend is observed recently, probably due to the financial crisis. The concern about animal welfare was affected by sex, with women retailers expressing a more positive attitude towards animal welfare issues than men. Retailers, based on their experience, perceive a low level of willingness to pay more for welfare friendly products (WFP) on behalf of their customers. This fact is reflected in the sales of the WFP, which declined from 2006 to 2011. The main reason for consumers to buy WFP, according to retailer perception, is organoleptic quality, with improved welfare being second. The results obtained provide a pessimistic picture in relation to the current market positioning of WFP, which is probably a consequence of market contraction.
8. Mexican consumers' perceptions and attitudes towards farm animal welfare and willingness to pay for welfare friendly meat products
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Miranda-de la Lama, G.C. (author), Estévez-Moreno, L.X. (author), Sepúlveda, W.S. (author), Estrada-Chavero, M.C. (author), Rayas-Amor, A.A. (author), Villarroel, M. (author), and María, G.A. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2017-03
- Published:
- USA: Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 4 Document Number: D10180
- Journal Title:
- Meat Science
- Journal Title Details:
- 125 : 106–113
- Notes:
- 8 pages., Via online journal., Increasing concerns about farm animal welfare have led to an increase in the availability of welfare-friendly-products (WFP), but little is known about how much more consumers are willing-to-pay (WTP) for WFP or about their buying trends in Latin America. In this study, a survey was given to 843 meat consumers in the city of Toluca, Mexico. The results show that consumers were interested in farm animal welfare issues and their ethical, sociological and economic implications, as in Europe. The people surveyed also conveyed a high level of empathy with animal feelings and emotions, however they clearly demanded more information and regulations related to farm animal welfare. The majority of respondents expressed that they were WTP more for properly certified WFP, but mostly based on the benefits in terms of product quality and human health. If the demand for WFP begins to increase in Mexico, the supply chain should consider a certification system to guarantee product origin based on current conditions.
9. Consumer value conflicts surrounding ethical food purchase decisions: a focus on animal welfare
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Monika J.A. Schröder (author) and Morven G. McEachern (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2004-02-17
- Published:
- Untied Kingdom: Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 4 Document Number: D10181
- Journal Title:
- International Journal of Consumer Studies
- Journal Title Details:
- 28(2) : 168-177
- Notes:
- 10 pages., Via online journal, Ethical attitudes in relation to meat purchases were studied among urban and rural consumers in Scotland. All subjects perceived at least some ethical issues in relation to animal production systems, in particular, systems keeping animals in close confinement. Welfare‐friendly production systems were viewed as adding value to a food, but this value was not necessarily realizable to producers if purchases occurred only when foods were on special offer. Statements made by individuals were often contradictory, revealing ambivalence, unresolved value conflicts and a general lack of involvement in the nature of meat production. A number of barriers to the establishment of stable attitudes and behaviours in relation to the ethical treatment of food animals were also identified. A key finding of the study is that individuals can hold two views on animal welfare. On the one hand, they may think as citizens influencing societal standards, and on the other, as consumers at the point of purchase. As citizens, they support the notion of animals being entitled to a good life; as meat consumers, they avoid the cognitive connection with the live animal. This paper explores both the citizen–consumer relationship and purchase strategies used by consumers to resolve value conflicts. Lessons for public and commercial policy are highlighted in the context of the Curry Report (2002) which advocates more effective market segmentation where markets are finely attuned to their customers, with the development of a number of assurance schemes discussed in the article.
10. Building success of food hubs through understanding of the cooperative experience
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Schmit, Todd M. (author) and Severson, Roberta M. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-02
- Published:
- USA: Extension Journal, Inc.
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 4 Document Number: D10189
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 57(1) : 1-9
- Notes:
- 9 pages., Article # 1RIB4, Via online journal., Food hubs represent a business model through which farmers can collectively market product to access new supply chains and buyers can efficiently access locally sourced foods. Many farmer marketing cooperatives fit within the food hub definition and have existed for decades. Accordingly, much can be learned from them to support food hub business planning efforts. We developed and synthesized case studies of three successful cooperatives in order to match key food hub operational challenges with recommended best management practices. Such information is useful for Extension education efforts supporting the development of economically viable food hub businesses.
11. Edible insect workshop engages public in sustainable food conversation
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Jasinski, James (author), Kulhanek, Ashley (author), and Shumaker, Kate (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-02
- Published:
- USA: Extension Journal, Inc.
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 5 Document Number: D10192
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 57(1) : 1-6
- Notes:
- 6 pages., Article # 1IAW7, Via online journal., A 6-hr train-the-trainer workshop focused on introducing the concept that insects may play a significant role in food security as the world population is projected to exceed 9 billion people by the mid 21st century. Workshop topics including cultural, nutritional, culinary, and commercial aspects surrounding edible insects were presented and packaged into a formal curriculum for later use by the participants. A 12-item sensory evaluation of insect-fortified foods provided participants a tangible experience with product palatability. By the end of the workshop, participants had increased various dimensions of their knowledge about edible insects and reported a generally positive perception toward insect-based foods.
12. Citizens, consumers and farm animal welfare: A meta-analysis of willingness-to-pay studies
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Clark, Beth (author), Stewart, Gavin B. (author), Panzone, Luca A. (author), Kyriazakis, Ilias (author), and Frewer, Lynn J. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2017-04
- Published:
- USA: Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 5 Document Number: D10194
- Journal Title:
- Food Policy
- Journal Title Details:
- 68: 112-127
- Notes:
- 16 pages., via online journal, The sustainable intensification of animal production systems is increasing as a consequence of increased demand for foods originating from animals. Production diseases are particularly endemic in intensive production systems, and can negatively impact upon farm animal welfare. There is an increasing need to develop policies regarding animal production diseases, sustainable intensification, and animal welfare which incorporate consumer priorities as well as technical assessments of farm animal welfare. Consumers and/or citizens may have concerns about intensive production systems, and whether animal production disease represent a barrier to consumer acceptance of their increased use. There is a considerable body of research focused on consumer willingness-to-pay (WTP) for improved animal welfare. It is not clear how this relates specifically to a preference for reduced animal production disease incidence in animal production systems. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to establish the publics’ WTP for farm animal welfare, with a focus on production diseases which arise in intensive systems. Systematic review methodology combined with data synthesis was applied to integrate existing knowledge regarding consumer WTP for animal welfare, and reduced incidence of animal production diseases. Multiple databases were searched to identify relevant studies. A screening process, using a set of pre-determined inclusion criteria, identified 54 studies, with the strength of evidence and uncertainty for each study being assessed. A random effects meta-analysis was used to explore heterogeneity in relation to a number of factors, with a cumulative meta-analysis conducted to establish changes in WTP over time. The results indicated a small, positive WTP (0.63 standard deviations) for farm animal welfare varying in relation to a number of factors including animal type and region. Socio-demographic characteristics explained the most variation in the data. An evidence gap was highlighted in relation to reduced WTP for specific production diseases associated with the intensification of production, with only 4 of the 54 studies identified being related to this. A combination of market and government based policy solutions appears to be the best solution for improving farm animal welfare standards in the future, enabling the diverse public preferences to be taken into consideration.
13. Measuring the consumer benefits of improving farm animal welfare to inform welfare labeling
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Kehlbacher, A. (author), Bennett, R. (author), and Balcombe, K. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2012-12
- Published:
- USA: Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 5 Document Number: D10196
- Journal Title:
- Food Policy
- Journal Title Details:
- 37(6) : 627-633
- Notes:
- 7 pages., Via online journal., Policy makers in the European Union are envisioning the introduction of a community farm animal welfare label which would allow consumers to align their consumption habits with their farm animal welfare preferences. For welfare labeling to be viable the market for livestock products produced to higher welfare standards has to be sufficiently segmented with consumers having sufficiently distinct and behaviourally consistent preferences. The present study investigates consumers’ preferences for meat produced to different welfare standards using a hypothetical welfare score. Data is obtained from a contingent valuation study carried out in Britain. The ordered prohbit model was estimated using Bayesian inference to obtain mean willingness to pay. We find decreasing marginal WTP as animal welfare levels increase and that people’s preferences for different levels of farm animal welfare are sufficiently differentiated making the introduction of a la belling scheme in the form of a certified rating system appear feasible.
14. Storytelling through experiencescape: creating unique stories and extraordinary experiences in farm tourism
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Mei, Xiang Y (author), S Ha˚gensen, Ann-Margret (author), and Kristiansen, Heidi S (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018-11-28
- Published:
- Norway: SAGE Journals
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 7 Document Number: D10230
- Journal Title:
- Tourism and Hospitality Research
- Notes:
- Via online journal., Creating unique stories through storytelling as a way to stage extraordinary experiences has become increasingly important in the tourism industry, particularly in experience-based activities such as farm tourism. However, limited resources and the lack of knowledge of the experiencescape suggest that many farm tourism operators struggle to integrate the experiencescape as part of storytelling. The research method chosen was an explorative study with the use of semi-structured in-depth interviews with key farm tourism operators in the Inland region in Norway. How stories and concepts are created is dependent on the resources available, the perception of authenticity, the history of the farm as well as the environment. Storytelling can be facilitated through tangible elements in the experiencescape such as the physical environment as well as intangible elements including the interaction and dynamics between the host and guest. The farmer or the person telling the story also need to possess certain skills, engagement, and interest in order to be committed to deliver the story or the concept. Essentially, the farmer becomes a part of the product and the experience.
15. Communication at farmers’ markets: commodifying relationships, community and morality
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Garner, Benjamin (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2015-07-01
- Published:
- USA: SAGE Journals
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 7 Document Number: D10231
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Creative Communications
- Journal Title Details:
- 10(2) : 186-198
- Notes:
- 13 pages., Via online journal, Consumers are increasingly using their purchasing power to enact their politics and activism. I examine how consumption at farmers’ markets fits into this trend. The consumption of local and organic food and the number of farmers’ markets have drastically increased in recent years. This research examines the ways interpersonal relationships, community ties and morality (ethical consumption) relate to commodification at local farmers’ markets. Specifically, this research is framed through Marx’s understanding and critique of capitalism, including his concept of commodity fetishism. Using Radin’s (1996) indicia of commodification, I explore the degree to which relationships, community and morality either are commodifiable or resist commodification. Using a combination of extant literature as well as interview and observational data from a 2011–2012 market study, I discovered that relationships and community ties resist commodification but morality is commodifiable in this space. Specifically, I argue that the contingent and voluntary nature of human communication as a two-way process is one of the key reasons that interpersonal relationships and community ties resist commodification.
16. Consumer attitudes towards production diseases in intensive production systems
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Clark, Beth (author), Panzone, Luca A. (author), Stewart, Gavin B. (author), Kyriazakis, Ilias (author), Niemi, Jarkko K. (author), Latvala, Terhi (author), Tranter, Richard (author), Jones, Philip (author), and Frewer, Lynn J. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-01-10
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 7 Document Number: D10240
- Journal Title:
- PLoS ONE
- Journal Title Details:
- 14(1)
- Notes:
- Many members of the public and important stakeholders operating at the upper end of the food chain, may be unfamiliar with how food is produced, including within modern animal production systems. The intensification of production is becoming increasingly common in modern farming. However, intensive systems are particularly susceptible to production diseases, with potentially negative consequences for farm animal welfare (FAW). Previous research has demonstrated that the public are concerned about FAW, yet there has been little research into attitudes towards production diseases, and their approval of interventions to reduce these. This research explores the public’s attitudes towards, and preferences for, FAW interventions in five European countries (Finland, Germany, Poland, Spain and the UK). An online survey was conducted for broilers (n = 789), layers (n = 790) and pigs (n = 751). Data were analysed by means of Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA, exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. The results suggest that the public have concerns regarding intensive production systems, in relation to FAW, naturalness and the use of antibiotics. The most preferred interventions were the most “proactive” interventions, namely improved housing and hygiene measures. The least preferred interventions were medicine-based, which raised humane animal care and food safety concerns amongst respondents. The results highlighted the influence of the identified concerns, perceived risks and benefits on attitudes and subsequent behavioural intention, and the importance of supply chain stakeholders addressing these concerns in the subsequent communications with the public.
17. Preference for local food as a matter of helping behaviour: Insights from Norway
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Skallerud, Kåre (author) and Wien, Anders H. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-03-02
- Published:
- Norway: Science Direct
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 7 Document Number: D10250
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Rural Studies
- Journal Title Details:
- (67) : 79-88
- Notes:
- 10 pages., Via online journal., Consumption of local food is a fast-growing trend supported by local food advocates and governments. This trend has also captured the interest of researchers. The present study draws from the foundational principles of the theoretical perspective of helping behaviour with a view to enhancing the understanding of why people buy local food. This article tests a conceptual framework with proposed relationships between helping behaviour constructs and local food-buying behaviour within a Norwegian context. Local food consumers in Troms County are surveyed, and the results indicate that empathic concern and social concern influence their attitude towards, and preference for, local food. Local patriotism influences the preference for local food even if such consumers evaluate it as being of lower quality and less desirable than other food products. This study is among the first to examine local food-buying behaviour through the lens of prosocial helping behaviour theory. The recommendations for local food producers and local food advocates regarding appealing to consumers’ prosocial helping behaviour propose communication strategies emphasizing the difficulties that local food producers face, portraying local food producers as people deserving of help against national competition and imports, and depicting them as being as loyal to the local community as the local food consumers are.
18. Consumer satisfaction in alternative food networks (AFNs): evidence from Northern Italy
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Carzedda, Matteo (author), Marangon, Francesco (author), Nassivera, Federico (author), and Troiano, Stefania (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018-11
- Published:
- Italy: Science Direct
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 7 Document Number: D10252
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Rural Studies
- Journal Title Details:
- (64) : 73-79
- Notes:
- 7 pages., Via online journal, The emergence of Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) has drawn the attention of researchers from various fields, who try to understand and explain these new phenomena. The purpose of this paper is to explore how personal attitude and product quality perception influence relative satisfaction over participation in AFNs, therefore contributing to the literature on socially conscious consumerism. Structural Equation Modeling is used to investigate the determinants of consumers' attitudes towards AFNs, its influence on perceived quality of food products, and their relative influence over satisfaction with participation in AFNs. A survey was conducted among 210 AFN participants. The results from this study suggest that consumers' attitude towards AFNs directly influences the perceived quality of food products; moreover, the analysis confirms the relationship between these two elements and overall satisfaction with participation in AFNs. Finally, the research provides suggestions on how to improve consumers’ involvement and mainstream AFNs.
19. An analysis of the growth in environmental labelling and information schemes
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Gruère, Guillaume P. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2015-03
- Published:
- France: Springer
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 7 Document Number: D10253
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Consumer Policy
- Journal Title Details:
- 38(1) : 1–18
- Notes:
- 18 pages., Via online journal, This paper provides an analysis of the growth in environmental and labelling schemes (ELIS), using a dataset of 544 schemes introduced between 1970 and 2012 covering 197 countries. General trends drawn from this dataset and an examination of relevant trademarks support a rapid but slowing increase in the number of ELIS. The analysis also shows both the diversity and unequal growth of ELIS according to different characteristics, such as communication means, channels, scope, and the standards on which they are based. The analysis further outlines the dual nature of the evolution of ELIS over time, driven by the combination of an increase in the number of “traditional” ELIS, such as single-issue environmental seals, and the emergence of more recently introduced types of ELIS, including environmental footprints. This combination highlights the tension between increased competition among similar ELIS and the emergence of new schemes potentially less exposed to direct competition but facing larger entry challenges.
20. Which communication channels shape normative perceptions about buying local food? An application of social exposure
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Witzling, Laura (author), Shaw, Bret (author), and Trechter, David (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-02-22
- Published:
- USA: Springer
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 7 Document Number: D10273
- Journal Title:
- Agriculture and Human Values
- Journal Title Details:
- 36(3): 443–454
- Notes:
- 12 pages., via online journal, We examined how information from multiple communication channels can inform social norms about local food purchasing. The concept of social exposure was used as a guide. Social exposure articulates how information in social, symbolic, and physical environments contributes to normative perceptions. Data was collected from a sample in Wisconsin. Results indicated that information from communication channels representing symbolic, social, and physical environments all contributed to normative perceptions. We also found that for individuals who frequent farmers’ markets, information from some communication channels was relatively less strongly associated with injunctive norms. It may be that when first-hand, experiential information is available to inform norms, individuals rely less on information available through other communication channels. Future work might further explore how farmers’ markets foster information sharing in communities, as such information may contribute to normative perceptions.
21. Towards sustainable consumption: Keys to communication for improving trust in organic foods
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Vega-Zamora, Manuela (author), Torres-Ruiz, Francisco Jose (author), and Parras-Rosa, Manuel (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-04
- Published:
- Spain: Science Direct
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 7 Document Number: D10293
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Cleaner Production
- Journal Title Details:
- 216 : 511-519
- Notes:
- 9 pages., Via online journal., Lack of trust is thought to be one of the most significant barriers to the consumption of organic foods, which is an important dimension of sustainable behaviour. Building trust in organic foods is the central objective of this paper. Based on information processing models focusing on what message to transmit and how, and on the premise that to improve trust, two different dimensions (functionality and authenticity) must be managed simultaneously, this paper analyzes the comparative effectiveness of different combinations of message arguments, forms of appeal and sources on consumer trust. To this end, an experiment was designed with a total of 800 participants, in which 36 different treatments were tested. The results show strong interactions between the three variables considered and suggest that the most effective combinations for building trust are: the health argument put across by an expert, the authenticity argument transmitted by a producers’ union, the elitist argument made by an expert and lastly, the social argument transmitted by a public authority, using an emotional form of appeal in all four cases. These results serve to complete the previous literature on the subject, in which communication activities are recommended but the questions of what to say, how to say it and who should say it are not specifically addressed.
22. Improving agricultural productivity and markets: the role of information and communication technologies
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- McNama, Kerry (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2009-04
- Published:
- USA: World Bank
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 8 Document Number: D10320
- Journal Title:
- Agricultural and Rural Development Notes
- Journal Title Details:
- 47 :1-4
- Notes:
- 4 pages., Via online journal., Raising the productivity of smallholders is a necessary condition for increasing incomes and improving livelihoods among the rural poor in most developing countries. This increased productivity is essential to both household food security and to agriculture-based growth and poverty reduction in the larger economy. Smallholder productivity is limited by a variety of constraints including poor soils, unpredictable rainfall, and imperfect markets, as well as lack of access to productive resources, financial services, or infrastructure. Information and communication technologies (ICT) are also vitally important to commercial and large-scale agriculture, and to agriculture-related services and infrastructure such as weather monitoring and irrigation. This note focuses on the sometimes less-obvious importance of ICT in improving the information, communication, transaction, and networking elements of smallholder agriculture in developing countries.
23. What characteristics define participants of Michigan’s healthy food incentive program?
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Parks, Courtney A. (author), Jaskiewicz, Lara J. (author), Dombrowski, Rachael D. (author), Frick, Hollyanne E. (author), Hortman, Sarah B. (author), Trumbull, Elissa (author), Hesterman, Oran B. (author), and Yaroch, Amy L. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018-04-27
- Published:
- USA: SAGE Journals
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 11 Document Number: D10342
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Planning Education and Research
- Notes:
- 7 pages., Via online journal., To characterize participants of a statewide healthy food incentive program in terms of shopping behaviors, surveys were collected at farmers markets (N = 436) and grocery stores (N = 131). Farmers market and grocery store respondents were mostly forty-five to fifty-four years old (21 percent to 24 percent) and female (72 to 82 percent). Grocery store respondents were more diverse. Farmers market participants were more likely to be female (p = .011), not have children (p = .006), and traveled further compared to grocery store participants. As healthy food incentive programs expand, participant characteristics should inform tailored outreach to expand to diverse populations to have a greater public health impact.
24. Effectiveness of storytelling in agricultural marketing: scale development and model evaluation
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-03-13
- Published:
- Frontiers Media
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 12 Document Number: D10365
- Journal Title:
- Frontiers in Psychology
- Journal Title Details:
- 10
- Notes:
- 12 pages., Article 452, Via online journal., Storytelling is a mode of communication in human interaction and is pervasive in everyday life. Storytelling in marketing is also a managerial application as a marketing strategy. Researchers of consumer psychology and marketing have devoted great efforts to developing theories and conducting empirical studies on this approach. However, in addition to narrative theories, many researchers are mainly concerned about the effect of telling a good brand story and its applications, such as advertising design and presentation. However, for those products that usually lacks branding, such as agricultural products, knowledge remains scarce about the relative impact of storytelling in marketing. Few researchers have explicitly developed a valid tool for measuring the effect of storytelling in marketing. To aid storytelling research in consumer psychology, this article conceptualized a construct of the effectiveness of storytelling in agricultural marketing and developed a measure with further validation. This scale consisted of 13 items with four subscales: narrative processing, affect, brand attitude, and purchase intention. The findings of this study supported a structural model with strong order among the four dimensions and good model fit. A discussion of the results and the theoretical and practical implications for consumer psychology and marketing practice are also addressed.
25. New trends in pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.'s communication with rural America
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Goers, Willona Graham (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 1994
- Published:
- Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 18 Document Number: D10480
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agricultural & Food Information
- Journal Title Details:
- 2(3,): 57-64
- Notes:
- 9 pages., via online journal., Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. is a major agribusiness company that communicates in a variety of ways with its rural customers. The following methods are discussed: face-to-face, print media, radio and television, printed materials, telecommunications, on disk, and satellite communication. In addition, key communication trends are identified.
26. What influences consumer evaluation of genetically modified foods?
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Pham, Nguyen (author) and Mandel, Naomi (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019
- Published:
- Sage
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 18 Document Number: D10499
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Public Policy & Marketing
- Journal Title Details:
- 38(2): 263-279
- Notes:
- 18 pages., via online journal., Genetically modified (GM) foods have attracted a great deal of controversy. While some consumers and organizations regard GM foods as safe, many other consumers and organizations remain concerned about their potential health risks. The results of three studies suggest that consumers respond differently to persuasive messages regarding GM foods on the basis of their preexisting attitudes. Weak anti-GM consumers tend to comply with a variety of pro-GM messages. In contrast, strong anti-GM consumers exhibit message-opposing behavior. Moreover, they respond just as negatively to a safety message (claiming that GM foods are safe) as to a risk message (claiming that GM foods are unsafe). The mechanism underlying these effects is consumers’ perceived health risk. A benefit message claiming that GM foods are beneficial (e.g., more nutritious than their conventional counterparts) is a better alternative for strong anti-GM consumers. Finally, the results suggest that persuasive messages do not significantly change pro-GM consumers’ evaluations of these foods.
27. Environmental impacts and consumer preference for sustainably cultivated Japanese mustard spinach, komatsuna
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Seo, Yuna (author), Someya, Yuki (author), and Dowaki, Kiyoshi (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-01
- Published:
- Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 18 Document Number: D10521
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Environmental Management
- Journal Title Details:
- 231: 364-369
- Notes:
- 6 pages., via online journal., Sustainable agriculture is spreading in Japan in response to growing concerns about the environmental burden of the agriculture sector, but less than 1% of the total crop area for each vegetable in Japan is grown sustainably. Environmentally friendly agricultural products are produced by using organic and low-input farming techniques; low-input farming aims to reduce chemical inputs, such as fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, by half. Here, we used komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach, Brassica rapa var. perviridis) as a model vegetable to study the environmental impact of low-input farming and ways to promote the purchase of organically and low-input farmed vegetables. We first assessed greenhouse gas emissions resulting from organic, low-input, and conventional farming of komatsuna. We also evaluated the effectiveness of providing consumers with detailed farm management and seasonality information to market organically and low-input farmed vegetables. We estimated marginal willingness-to-pay (MWTP) using choice-based conjoint analysis, based on attributes of price, fertilizer use, pesticide use, and region of origin. For seasonality, the questionnaire incorporating these attributes was conducted twice: once assuming purchasing in season, the other out of season. The greenhouse gas emissions of organic farming per area (196.7 kg CO2-eq/10 a/year) and per yield (72.3 kg CO2-eq/t/year) were less than those of low-input (322.6 kg CO2-eq/10 a/year, 120.7 kg CO2-eq/t/year) and conventional (594.0 kg CO2-eq/10 a/year, 220.7 kg CO2-eq/t/year) farming. MWTPs were highest for pesticide-free komatsuna (76.9 yen out of season, 66.2 yen in season), followed by full organic fertilizer (66.0 yen out of season, 63.4 yen in season), half organic fertilizer (35.8 yen out of season, 19.8 yen in season), and half pesticide (29.2 yen out of season, 21.0 yen in season). Consumers showed greater preference for organically and low-input farmed komatsuna out of season than in season. Consumers were more interested in pesticide information than in fertilizer and region of origin information. Our findings suggest that providing detailed cultivation and seasonality information would be a beneficial consumer communication tool to increase the market for sustainable agricultural products.
28. The use of restaurant inspection disclosure systems as a means of communicating food safety information
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Filion, Katie (author) and Powell, Douglas A. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2009
- Published:
- Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 18 Document Number: D10528
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Foodservice
- Journal Title Details:
- 20: 287-297
- Notes:
- 11 pages., via online journal., The World Health Organization estimates that up to 30% of individuals in developed countries become ill from food or water each year. Up to 70% of these illnesses are estimated to be linked to food prepared at foodservice establishments. Consumer confidence in the safety of food prepared in restaurants is fragile, varying significantly from year to year, with many consumers attributing foodborne illness to foodservice. One of the key drivers of restaurant choice is consumer perception of the hygiene of a restaurant. Restaurant hygiene information is something consumers desire, and when available, may use to make dining decisions.
29. “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish”: how ethical beliefs influence consumer perceptions of “blue” aquaculture products?
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Banovic, Marija (author), Reinders, Machiel, J. (author), Claret, Anna (author), Guerrero, Luis (author), and Krystallis, Athanasios (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019
- Published:
- Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 18 Document Number: D10530
- Journal Title:
- Food Quality and Preference
- Journal Title Details:
- 77: 147-158
- Notes:
- 12 pages., via online journal., Respecting ethical beliefs of consumers is an important precondition for food manufacturers in their attempt to improve their positioning in the European food market. Based on a cross-cultural survey of 2511 European participants, this research demonstrates how ethical beliefs affect consumer perceptions of “blue” (i.e. environmentally friendly) aquaculture products. The study further emphasises that the positive effect of ethical beliefs on purchase intention operates via an indirect route mediated by consumers’ trust in a product category. Consumer involvement has limited moderation effect on the above relationships. To expand its “blue” business, a key policy recommendation to aquaculture product manufacturers and policy makers is to urge stable and reliable standards of control in environmentally responsible aquaculture production so that consumers can rely on the information source and increase their trust in aquaculture products.
30. Understanding consumer resistance to the consumption of organic food. a study of ethical consumption, purchasing, and choice behaviour
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Kushwah, Shiksha (author), Dhir, Amandeep (author), and Sagar, Mahim (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019
- Published:
- Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 18 Document Number: D10533
- Journal Title:
- Food Quality and Preference
- Journal Title Details:
- 77:1-14
- Notes:
- 14 pages., via online journal., Although the demand for organic food is growing globally, the mainstream consumption of organic food is far less. The present study attempts to understand the underlying reasons for consumer resistance toward consuming organic food using the theoretical framework of innovation resistance theory (IRT). The study further examines the association between different consumer barriers and purchase decisions (purchase intentions, ethical consumption intentions, and choice behaviour) at different levels of buying involvement and environmental concerns. The collected data, consisting of 452 consumers, were analyzed by structural equation modeling approach. The results showed that value barrier shared a negative association with purchase intentions and ethical consumption intentions. Ethical consumption and purchase intention were found to have a direct influence on choice behaviour. Additionally, the relationship between ethical consumption intention and choice behaviour is mediated by purchase intention. However, no significant differences have emerged based on the level of buying involvement and environment concerns. The findings of the study provide insight into public policymakers, marketers, suppliers, and consumer associations by enhancing their current understanding of buying behaviour of the growing organic food community.
31. Farmers prevailing perception profiles regarding GM crops: a classification proposal
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Almeida, Carla (author) and Massarani, Luisa (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018
- Published:
- SAGE Journals
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 32 Document Number: D10598
- Journal Title:
- Public Understanding of Science
- Journal Title Details:
- 27(8), 952–966
- Notes:
- 15 pages., via online journal., Genetically modified organisms have been at the centre of a major public controversy, involving different interests and actors. While much attention has been devoted to consumer views on genetically modified food, there have been few attempts to understand the perceptions of genetically modified technology among farmers. By investigating perceptions of genetically modified organisms among Brazilian farmers, we intend to contribute towards filling this gap and thereby add the views of this stakeholder group to the genetically modified debate. A comparative analysis of our data and data from other studies indicate there is a complex variety of views on genetically modified organisms among farmers. Despite this diversity, we found variations in such views occur within limited parameters, concerned principally with expectations or concrete experiences regarding the advantages of genetically modified crops, perceptions of risks associated with them, and ethical questions they raise. We then propose a classification of prevailing profiles to represent the spectrum of perceptions of genetically modified organisms among farmers.
32. Promoting farmers' markets: preferences of farmers' market leaders
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Witzling, Laura (author), Shaw, Bret (author), Wilson, Marlie (author), and Morales, Alfonso (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-01
- Published:
- Extension Journal, Inc.
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 32 Document Number: D10606
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 57(3)
- Notes:
- 9 pages., Article #:3FEA4, via online journal., Extension professionals across disciplines are involved with farmers' markets, and reports have indicated an increase in the number of farmers' markets across the country. We explored perspectives of farmers' market leaders regarding topics and data of interest and capacity and willingness to collect data related to market promotion. The purpose of our work was to provide Extension educators with information that may guide programming around farmers' markets. We collected data through an online survey of Wisconsin farmers' market leaders in spring 2017. Market leaders were most interested in learning how to encourage word-of-mouth communication between customers and engage in other low-cost strategies, such as having partners help promote a market.
33. Community economic development initiatives: a descriptive exploratory study of community shared agriculture
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Ashiabi, Godwin S. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2000
- Published:
- Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 32 Document Number: D10641
- Journal Title:
- Community Development
- Journal Title Details:
- 31(2): 365-379
- Notes:
- 16 pages., via online journal., This study examines community economic development (CED) initiatives and focuses on community shared agriculture (CSA) as an alternative form of farming to industrialized agriculture. CSA connects the farmers directly with consumers, such that both farmers and consumers share the benefits and risks involved in agriculture. The purpose of this study was to understand what motivates individuals to become involved in a CSA and what involvement in CSA means for them. As a point of departure, the ecological and social psychological problems associated with industrialized agriculture are elucidated. Empowerment theory, social vitality, and sense of community were used as conceptual frameworks. Data were collected on a community farm in midwest Ontario using a participant-observer mode of inquiry and open-ended interviews. The themes that emerged were categorized under empowerment, social vitality, and sense of community.
34. Connecting social media data and crisis communication theory: a case study on the chicken and the egg
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Lauran, N. (author), Kunneman, F. (author), and Van de Wijngaert, L. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-01-01
- Published:
- Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 32 Document Number: D10643
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Risk Research
- Notes:
- 20 pages., via online journal., In a crisis situation, communication is an important asset for safeguarding the reputation of an organization. The communication strategy that is used in a crisis influences the way people perceive the crisis. While extensive research is conducted and clear communication guidelines about crisis communication are provided, current research tends to focus on a single actor in a crisis within a homogeneous stakeholder group. In this article, we analyze whether and how different groups of stakeholders frame a crisis and the extent to which they attribute responsibility for the crisis to actors. The case concerns the use of an illegal lice detergent (fipronil) in eggs in the Netherlands in the summer of 2017. Based on the analysis of Twitter data related to the case using multiple methods (network analysis, a longitudinal analysis and the annotation of a sample of tweets), this study shows that a seemingly simple case in a single sub-arena has different subgroups that use different frames and attribute different responsibilities to different stakeholders. This result implies that a reconsideration of communication strategies during and after a crisis is needed.
35. The “age of agricultural ignorance”: trends and concerns for agriculture knee-deep into the twenty-first century
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Evans, Sterling (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019
- Published:
- JSTOR
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 32 Document Number: D10650
- Journal Title:
- Agricultural History
- Journal Title Details:
- 93(1): 4-34
- Notes:
- 32 pages., via online journal., The phrase in the title is not mine. I am borrowing it here from syndicated columnist and cowboy poet Baxter Black, who borrowed the title of one of his own columns “Growth of Agricultural Ignorance” from the editor of the Delmarva Farmer (a weekly agricultural publication serving the Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia region). In many ways I agree with the term, and believe it is accurate in part to describe American society in the late twentieth century and into the twenty-first. Thus, I would like to take this opportunity to discuss some trends in American agriculture, and for that matter, agricultural history, and some concerns that I have about them. Not all the trends are bad, of course, and perhaps in some ways, at least, American society is less agriculturally ignorant than Black and others suggest.
36. Mediating influences of attitude on internal and external factors influencing consumers’ intention to purchase organic foods in China
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Chu, Kuo Ming (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018
- Published:
- MDPI
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 34 Document Number: D10680
- Journal Title:
- Sustainability
- Journal Title Details:
- 10(12)
- Notes:
- 15 pages., Article #: 4690, via online journal., As with environment and sustainable development, there has been a rapid rise in the worldwide consumption of organic foods over the last years, as well as the quickly growing potential of organic markets in China, and their direct influence on consumer health awareness and social opinion. This study provides insights into Chinese consumers’ attitudes toward organic foods and evaluates purchase intention’s impact as a mediator in the relationship between external and internal factors on purchase intention. This empirical study is based on an online questionnaire using a sample of 1421 Chinese consumers. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used as the main practical approach for data analysis, and six hypotheses were examined. The results show that a more positive attitude on the part of consumers toward organic foods will further reinforce their purchasing intentions, whereas, there was no significant impact of marketing price and communication on consumers’ attitudes toward organic foods. Furthermore, the results show that intention was a full or a whole mediator among the three exogenous constructs of environment awareness, health consciousness, and subjective norms. Based on the findings, marketing communication strategies should concentrate on offering more value to consumers regarding the features of nutritional value. Long-term environment friendliness, health benefits, and social status symbols should be assumed to enhance consumers’ purchase intention in the organic foods industry.
37. Customer experience with organic food: global view
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Pilař, Ladislav (author), Stanislavská, Lucie Kvasničková (author), Rojík, Stanislav (author), Kvasnička, Roman (author), Poláková, Jana (author), and Gresham, George (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018
- Published:
- United Arab Emirates University
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 34 Document Number: D10681
- Journal Title:
- Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture
- Journal Title Details:
- 30(11): 918-926
- Notes:
- 9 pages., via online journal., In recent years, organic food production has been rising dramatically both in the EU and the USA. Previous research on consumer perception of organic food has mainly employed questionnaire survey methods. However, in the current age of the social network phenomenon,social media could prove to be a rich source of data. Increasingly, consumers are using social networks to share personal attitudes and experiences. This shared content could inform us about consumer opinions. Social network analysis and related sentiment analysis could allow identification of consumers’ experience and feelings about organic food. We investigated the perception of organic food using 1,325,435 Instagram interactions by 313,883 users worldwide. The data were recorded between July 4, 2016, and April 19, 2017. We identified three major hashtag areas (healthy, vegan, and clean food). The sentiment analysis revealed three dominant areas related to the #organicfood hashtag (feelings, taste, and appearance). Cluster analysis extracted four areas, as follows: Healthy living, Vegetarian, vegan, and raw diets, Clean eating, and Active healthy living. The mentioned communities are significant and useful at identification of customers values for farmers organic food product management and marketing communication in terms of product positioning.
38. 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.
39. Consumer acceptance of innovations in food: a survey among Polish consumers
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Sajdakowska, Marta (author), Jankowski, Paweł (author), Gutkowska, Krystyna (author), Guzek, Dominika (author), Żakowska‐Biemans, Sylwia (author), and Ozimek, Irena (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018
- Published:
- Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 34 Document Number: D10686
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Consumer Behaviour
- Journal Title Details:
- 17: 253– 267
- Notes:
- 15 pages., via online journal., The aim of the study was to examine the possible factors that might contribute to consumer acceptance of food innovations. Particular attention was paid to 3 main factors: (a) relationship between socio‐demographic determinants and level of consumer innovation, (b) evaluation of consumer innovation acceptance, particularly toward animal‐derived food products, and (c) consumer preferences for health‐promoting food innovation over time. Studies were conducted using quantitative research methods in 2004 and 2011. An organic method of production, least important in 2004, was top rated in 2011, and ease of preparation dropped to the bottom of the list in 2011, whereas food origin, low fat, and sugar content were ranked in the first group of the considered factors in 2011. Since 2004, consumers have become used to products with various innovations. The new generation of Poles is relatively more open to new food products, due to the wide range of food products available on the free market. Furthermore, the group of well‐educated consumers with a higher level of income has increased in size, and this includes people interested in knowledge of a product's nutritional value and its health impact. Our study extends existing research in the area of understanding consumer expectations toward food innovations. The results not only contribute to the field of consumer behavior but also have practical potential for food market applications, especially for companies operating on or planning to enter the Polish food market, and which could be used for developing communication strategies.
40. Organic wine purchase behaviour in Germany: exploring the attitude-behaviour-gap with data from a household panel
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Schäufele, Isabel (author) and Hamm, Ulrich (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018
- Published:
- Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 34 Document Number: D10691
- Journal Title:
- Food Quality and Preference
- Journal Title Details:
- 63: 1-11
- Notes:
- 11 pages., via online journal., Consumer surveys revealed positive attitudes towards organic wine in large consumer segments. Health, environmental and quality benefits were stated most often as drivers for purchase decisions. However, sales data show that the market share for organic wine is still far below 10% compared to the total wine market in all countries. Obviously, there is a gap between consumers’ attitudes and real purchase behaviour in daily decisions. So far, it is not clear whether there is congruence between consumers’ attitudes and their purchase behaviour and if the attitude-behaviour-gap differs among consumer segments. Consequently, the paper at hand explores the attitude-behaviour-gap with household panel data from the GfK Group by means of a cluster analysis. The results show that even though expenditure shares for organic wine were at a low level, attitudes were in line with purchase behaviour for five out of six clusters. For example, consumers who had the highest expenditure share for organic wine showed strong pro-environmental attitudes and a preference for sustainable products. Therefore, comprehensive communication about sustainability issues, which also includes social aspects, could help to further develop the organic wine market and lead to higher market shares. However, for the low-income consumer cluster, the price of organic wine seemed to be an effective barrier despite their positive attitudes towards environmentalism. Future studies need to consider that the extent of the attitude-behaviour-gap is segment specific.
41. Free range, organic? Polish consumers preferences regarding information on farming system and nutritional enhancement of eggs: a discrete choice based experiment
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Zakowska-Biemans, Sylwia (author) and Tekien, Agnieszka (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2017
- Published:
- MDPI
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 34 Document Number: D10693
- Journal Title:
- Sustainability
- Journal Title Details:
- 9(11)
- Notes:
- 16 pages., Article #: 1999, via online journal., The main purpose of this study was to determine the structure of consumer preferences regarding information on farming system and nutritional enhancement of eggs to verify if consumers are willing to accept products combing sustainability and nutrition related claims. The data was collected within a CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interviews) survey on a representative sample of 935 consumers responsible for food shopping. A discrete choice-based conjoint method was selected in eliciting consumer preferences among different product profiles with varying levels of attributes. A hierarchical cluster analysis was used to identify four distinct clusters that differed significantly in terms of importance attached to production system attributes and socio-demographic profiles. The results of the experiment showed that price and farming system had the most significant mean relative importance in shaping consumers’ preferences, while other attributes such as nutrition and health claims, egg size, package size and hen breed were far less important. Free range eggs had the highest relative importance for consumers despite the fact that organic egg production systems are governed by much stricter animal welfare standards. Our segmentation revealed that two of our four clusters may be more easily reached by information on animal welfare related attributes in egg production than the others. The results of our study provide the policy makers and marketing practitioners with insights applicable for communication and pricing strategies for eggs with sustainability claims.
42. The distribution of farmer learning videos: Lessons from non-conventional dissemination networks in Benin
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Zoundji, Gérard C. (author), Okry, Florent (author), Vodouhê, Simplice D. (author), and Bentley, Jeffery W. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2016-01-01
- Published:
- Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 38 Document Number: D10698
- Journal Title:
- Cogent Food & Agriculture
- Journal Title Details:
- 2(1): 1-15
- Notes:
- 15 pages., Article #: 1277838, via online journal., Commercial channels can be non-conventional networks for disseminating agricultural information, especially if farmers are willing to pay for a DVD with learning videos. Using purposive sampling, we selected retailer and involved them in selling videos compiled in a DVD. Inside the jacket of DVD, we pasted a sticker listing a phone number that buyers or video viewers could call for further questions. We interviewed 341 of the buyers who called that number. After the phone interviews, snowball sampling was used to select 180 farmers for face-to-face interviews in order to validate the information collected during the telephone interviews and to understand the behavioural changes triggered by watching the videos. Within four months of first distributing DVDs to retailers, 80% of the 700 DVDs were sold. Distributing videos through commercial channels gives a fair chance to everyone to learn, since the DVDs were sold on the open market at an affordable price. About 84% of the DVDs were sold at 1 USD, suggesting that all of the respondents were willing to pay for learning DVDs; 86% of respondents said they now spent less money on pesticides after watching the videos. Private sector actors can become “new extensionists” and distribute agricultural information to rural populations.
43. Pesticide residues in food: attitudes, beliefs, and misconceptions among conventional and organic consumers
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Koch, Severine (author), Epp, Astrid (author), Lohmann, Mark (author), and Böl, Gaby-Fleur (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2017-12
- Published:
- International Association for Food Protection, Des Moines, Iowa
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 38 Document Number: D10699
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Food Protection
- Journal Title Details:
- 80(12): 2083-2089
- Notes:
- 7 pages., via online journal., Pesticide use and pesticide residues in foods have been the subject of controversial public discussions and media coverage in Germany. Against this background, a better understanding of public risk perceptions is needed to promote efficient public health communication. To this end, this study captures the German public's perception of pesticide residues in foods. A representative sample of the population aged 14 years and older (n = 1,004) was surveyed via computer-assisted telephone interviewing on their attitudes and knowledge with regard to pesticide residues. Based on questions regarding their typical consumer behavior, respondents were classified into conventional and organic consumers to identify differences as well as similarities between these two consumer types. As assessed with an open-ended question, both organic and conventional consumers viewed pesticides, chemicals, and toxins as the greatest threats to food quality and safety. Evaluating the risks and benefits of pesticide use, more than two-thirds of organic consumers (70%) rated the risks as greater than the benefits, compared with just over one-half of conventional consumers (53%). Concern about the detection of pesticide residues in the food chain and bodily fluids was significantly higher among organic compared with conventional consumers. Only a minority of respondents was aware that legal limits for pesticide residues (referred to as maximum residue levels) exist, with 69% of organic and 61% of conventional consumers believing that the presence of pesticide residues in foods is generally not permitted. A lack of awareness of maximum residue levels was associated with heightened levels of concern about pesticide residues. Finally, general exposure to media reporting on pesticide residues was associated with more frequent knowledge of legal limits for pesticide residues, whereas actively seeking information on pesticide residues was not. The possible mechanisms underlying these findings are discussed.
44. Making sense of the “clean label” trends: a review of consumer food choice behavior and discussion of industry implications
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Asioli, Daniele (author), Aschemann-Witzel, Jessica (author), Caputo, Vincenzina (author), Vecchio, Riccardo (author), Annunziata, Azzurra (author), Næ, Tormod (author), and Varela, Paula (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2017-09
- Published:
- Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 38 Document Number: D10700
- Journal Title:
- Food Research International
- Journal Title Details:
- 99(1): 58-71
- Notes:
- 14 pages., via online journal., Consumers in industrialized countries are nowadays much more interested in information about the production methods and components of the food products that they eat, than they had been 50 years ago. Some production methods are perceived as less “natural” (i.e. conventional agriculture) while some food components are seen as “unhealthy” and “unfamiliar” (i.e. artificial additives). This phenomenon, often referred to as the “clean label” trend, has driven the food industry to communicate whether a certain ingredient or additive is not present or if the food has been produced using a more “natural” production method (i.e. organic agriculture). However, so far there is no common and objective definition of clean label. This review paper aims to fill the gap via three main objectives, which are to a) develop and suggest a definition that integrates various understandings of clean label into one single definition, b) identify the factors that drive consumers' choices through a review of recent studies on consumer perception of various food categories understood as clean label with the focus on organic, natural and ‘free from’ artificial additives/ingredients food products and c) discuss implications of the consumer demand for clean label food products for food manufacturers as well as policy makers. We suggest to define clean label, both in a broad sense, where consumers evaluate the cleanliness of product by assumption and through inference looking at the front-of-pack label and in a strict sense, where consumers evaluate the cleanliness of product by inspection and through inference looking at the back-of-pack label. Results show that while ‘health’ is a major consumer motive, a broad diversity of drivers influence the clean label trend with particular relevance of intrinsic or extrinsic product characteristics and socio-cultural factors. However, ‘free from’ artificial additives/ingredients food products tend to differ from organic and natural products. Food manufacturers should take the diversity of these drivers into account in developing new products and communication about the latter. For policy makers, it is important to work towards a more homogenous understanding and application of the term of clean label and identify a uniform definition or regulation for ‘free from’ artificial additives/ingredients food products, as well as work towards decreasing consumer misconceptions. Finally, multiple future research avenues are discussed.
45. Greenwashing and environmental communication: Effects on stakeholders' perceptions
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Torelli, Riccardo (author), Balluchi, Federica (author), and Lazzini, Arianna (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-07
- Published:
- Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 78 Document Number: D10823
- Journal Title:
- Business Strategy and the Environment
- Notes:
- 15 pages., via online journal., Since the first Earth Day in the 1970s, corporate environmental performance has increased dramatically, and cases of greenwashing have increased sharply. The term greenwash refers to a variety of different misleading communications that aim to form overly positive beliefs among stakeholders about a company's environmental practices. The growing number of corporate social responsibility claims, whether founded or not, creates difficulties for stakeholders in distinguishing between truly positive business performance and companies that only appear to embrace a model of sustainable development. In this context, through the lens of legitimacy and signalling theory, we intend to understand and assess the different influences that various types of misleading communications about environmental issues have on stakeholders' perceptions of corporate environmental responsibility and greenwashing. Stakeholder responses to an environmental scandal will also be assessed. The hypotheses tested through a four‐for‐two design experiment reveal that different levels of greenwashing have a significantly different influence on stakeholders' perceptions of corporate environmental responsibility and stakeholders' reactions to environmental scandals.
46. Are social embeddedness associated with food risk perception under media coverage?
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Zhen, Yan (author), Huang, Zu-hui (author), Wang, Yu (author), and Zhou, Jie-hong (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-08
- Published:
- Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 78 Document Number: D10827
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Integrative Agriculture
- Journal Title Details:
- 18(8): 1804–1819
- Notes:
- 16 pages., via online journal., raceability system has received wide attention in solving food safety issues, via which food information could be tracked back to producer/farmers. Consumers need to obtain this information from producers or social networks, trust in the information, and consequently assess perceived risks, especially when food scandals are exposed to the media. In this study, we introduce the social embeddedness theory to understand how consumers' social activities affect their risk perceptions on traceable food. Specifically, we investigate how risk perceptions are predicted by the interpersonal relationships, organizational level and social-level relationships. Results show that the interpersonal relationships were associated with lower levels of risk perceptions, while organizational and social relationships impacted consumer's risk perceptions at middle and higher levels, respectively. Results also show that the “ripple effect” extended to effect of risk events with negative information, however, did not exist for the group exposed to positive information. Potential food safety implications have been proposed to identify for effective risk mitigation under media coverages.
47. Analysis of the consumer’s perception of urban food products from a soilless system in rooftop greenhouses: a case study from the Mediterranean area of Barcelona (Spain)
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Ercilla-Montserrat, Mireia (author), Sanjuan-Delmás, David (author), Sanyé-Mengual, Esther (author), Calvet-Mir, Laura (author), Banderas, Karla (author), Rieradevall, Joan (author), and Gabarrell, Xavier (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-09
- Published:
- Springer New York LLC
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 83 Document Number: D10839
- Journal Title:
- Agriculture and Human Values
- Journal Title Details:
- 36(3): 375–393
- Notes:
- 19 pages., via online journal., Soilless crops are commonly used in rooftop agriculture (RA) because they easily adapt to building constraints. However, acceptance of the produce derived from this system may be controversial. This paper evaluates consumers’ acceptance of food from RA in Mediterranean cities, focusing on the quality of the product, production system, and consumers’ motivations. We surveyed 238 respondents on the UAB university campus as potential consumers. The survey was distributed via an Internet-link that was provided along with a sample of tomatoes from RA. The results showed that most people approved the quality of RA products and perceived them to be local and fresh (94%). The respondents exhibited acceptance of soilless-produced tomatoes and considered them to be environmentally better than conventionally produced ones (69%). Cluster analysis revealed that consumers with high income levels and a university education had a better perception of the quality and proposed a higher price for RA products, but no difference was found regarding their environmental perception of this products. Moreover, people who possessed more information about the product also had a higher perception of the quality and production system (it was perceived to be environmentally friendly) and would pay more for them. The main concerns of consumers were related to food safety and the social impact of RA. Additional research is needed to improve the sustainability of RA, and the applied measures should be communicated to potential consumers to enhance their acceptance and success.
48. Establishing ethical organic poultry production: a question of successful cooperation management?
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Schäfer, Martina (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Language:
- Enblish
- Publication Date:
- 2019-06
- Published:
- Springer Publishing
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 84 Document Number: D10842
- Journal Title:
- Agriculture and Human Values
- Journal Title Details:
- 36(2): 315–327
- Notes:
- 13 pages., via online journal., In reaction to growing critics regarding ecological and ethical aspects of intensive animal husbandry, different initiatives of ethical poultry production try to establish alternative food supply chains on the market. To be able to stabilise these niche innovations parallel to the mainstream regime, new forms of cooperation along the value added chain and with the consumers play an important role. Based on a case study of integrated egg and meat production from a dual-purpose breed by small multifunctional farms in Northeast of Germany, the paper exemplifies the challenges for the different partners of the food supply chain and cooperation management. Empirical data were obtained via nine qualitative interviews with actors along the value chain and via participatory observation of workshops and meetings. The research was embedded in a transdisciplinary project, where different measures to meet the existing challenges were taken and evaluated. Analysing the existing cooperation reveals possibilities for improving cooperation management by e.g. clarifying the goals of the cooperation, including the points of sale as part of the food supply chain and communication of the ethical and sustainability qualities of the product to the consumers. However, the analysis also shows the limits of cooperation in an environment dominated by the paradigm of specialisation, economies of scale and cost reduction, which is also characteristic for parts of the organic sector. The paper discusses if the challenges of establishing this radical niche innovation can be met without a fundamental change of framework conditions as e.g. regulation on animal husbandry.
49. In the belly of the “beast”: s look at Monsanto’s public engagement awakening
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Charlebois, Sylvain (author) and Van Acker, Rene (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2015
- Published:
- Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 93 Document Number: D10864
- Journal Title:
- Public Relations Review
- Journal Title Details:
- 42(1): 223-225
- Notes:
- 3 pages., via online journal, This study is motivated by the importance of communication with societal stakeholders when food is involved. This case adopts an internal view of Monsanto's challenge of engaging with consumers and the broader public when discussing biotechnologies and specifically, genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Multiple interviews were conducted at Monsanto's world headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, to understand the challenges within the organization in terms of their public persona and why and how they want to change it.
50. 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.