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82. 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.
83. Client focused extension approach for disseminating soil fertility management in central Kenya
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Muchai, Serah W.K. (author), Muna, Monicah W.M. (author), Mugwe, Jane N. (author), Mugendi, Daniel N. (author), and Mairura, Franklin S. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2014
- Published:
- ESci Journals Publishing
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 122 Document Number: D11154
- Journal Title:
- International Journal of Agricultural Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 2(2): 129-136
- Notes:
- 8 pages., via online journal., Land degradation and soil nutrient depletion have become serious threats to agricultural productivity in sub- Saharan Africa. To improve agriculture production, research has led to recommendation of a range of integrated Soil fertility Management (ISFM) options, of proven effectiveness, for soil fertility improvement. Although many factors contribute to the low adoption of ISFM by farmers, communication gaps between extension agents and farmers lie at the heart of the problem. Hence, the study sought to investigate factors considered by agricultural extension agents in selection of communication channels to disseminate soil fertility information in the central highlands of Kenya. Structured questionnaires were used to elicit information from 105 extension agents. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. In choosing the communication method to be used in dissemination of soil fertility management (SFM) practices, target group was scored as the most relevant factor followed by type of SFM, time available then number of staff sequentially. Education was perceived to highly influence the selection of workshop (M= 3.4) while age was perceived to highly influence the selection of video showing (M= 2.8) as extension methods in dissemination of SFM. The implication of the study is that diverse communication channels should be utilized to get to farmers of different socio economic characteristics.
84. Climate change communication in the Midwestern United States: perceptions of state park interpreters
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Balasubramanyam, Vidya (author), Stanis, Sonja Wilhelm (author), Morgan, Mark (author), and Ojewola, Ojetunde (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019
- Published:
- Springer
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 18 Document Number: D10506
- Journal Title:
- Environmental Management
- Journal Title Details:
- 63:615–628
- Notes:
- 14 pages., via online journal., Parks and protected areas can be ideal settings for climate change communication since many visitors have an affinity for natural and cultural settings, and an interest in resource protection. However, climate-based education efforts in the Midwestern United States may need a slightly different approach since this region lacks obvious indicators, such as sea level rise and melting glaciers. Interpretation, an informal communication process designed to transmit scientific information to visitors in leisure-based settings, could be a useful strategy for engaging visitors in climate change discussions. Few studies have assessed perceptions of interpreters on this topic, much less, their willingness to communicate such information. To address this issue, a mixed methods approach (surveys, interviews, photovoice) was used to examine interpreters’ perceptions of climate change and its impacts in Missouri State Park and Historic Sites. Although nearly 70% of interpreters were either alarmed or concerned about climate change, many of them were unsure about its causation. Interpreters report observing impacts such as flooding, earlier plant blooming, high temperatures, extreme weather, and invasive species, but were uncertain about attributing these impacts to climate change. Interpreters did not believe that visitors would be responsive to climate-based education per se but thought the topic could be addressed in pre-existing programs and activities. Rather than discussing complex science with visitors, interpreters felt more comfortable with conveying the significance of resources at their sites. Implications from this study include acknowledging multiple viewpoints, framing strategic messages, and developing place-based educational materials.
85. Climate change curricula for adult audiences in agriculture and forestry: a review
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Schattman, Rachel E. (author), Kaplan, Marjorie (author), Aitken, Hannah M (author), and Helminski, Jennifer (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019
- Published:
- SAGE Journals
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 18 Document Number: D10524
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Adult and Continuing Education
- Journal Title Details:
- 25(1): 131–151
- Notes:
- 21 pages., via online journal., Agricultural and forestry advisers and other technical service providers play an important role in supporting farmers and foresters to adapt to climate change. However, not all agricultural and forestry advisers are comfortable talking about climate change with land managers. While there is a demonstrated interest related to climate-related professional development, few examples of curricula developed with the express purpose of serving this audience and a systematic review of these curricula has not been conducted. To address this gap, we reviewed 12 curricula which were developed and implemented between 2001 and 2017. The goal of this review is to apply the lessons learned from a range of climate change-focused curricula to new, regionally or sector-specific educational programs targeting both agricultural advisers and innovative farmers. Our findings suggest that developers of future educational programs consider the following: (a) the specific needs of their audience, including topical interests and learning needs; (b) the use of interdisciplinary teams for curricula development; (c) trade-offs associated with inclusivity and depth of course content; and (d) the advantages of project-based education approaches suited for adult learning audiences. By applying these concepts to future curricula, these curricula are likely to have the greatest level of impact.
86. Climate change typologies and audience segmentation among corn belt farmers
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Arbuckle, J.G. (author), Tyndall, J.C. (author), Morton, L.W. (author), and Hobbs, J. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2017-05
- Published:
- USA: Soil and Water Conservation Society
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 152 Document Number: D10145
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
- Journal Title Details:
- 72(3): 205-214
- Notes:
- 10 pages., Via online journal., Development of natural resource user typologies has been viewed as a potentially effective means of improving the effectiveness of natural resource management engagement strategies. Prior research on Corn Belt farmers’ perspectives on climate change employed a latent class analysis (LCA) that created a six-class typology—the Concerned, Uneasy, Uncertain, Unconcerned, Confident, and Detached—to develop a better understanding of farmer perspectives on climate change and inform more effective climate adaptation and mitigation outreach strategies. The LCA employed 34 variables that are generally unobservable—beliefs about climate change, experience with extreme weather, perceived risks of climate change, and attitudes toward climate action—to identify types. The research reported in this paper builds on this typology of Corn Belt farmers by exploring 33 measures of observable farm enterprise characteristics, land management practices, and farmer demographics to assess whether variations in these observable characteristics between the six farmer classes display systematic patterns that might be sufficiently distinctive to guide audience segmentation strategies. While analyses detected some statistically significant differences, there were few systematic, meaningful observable patterns of difference between groups of farmers with differing perspectives on climate change. In other words, farmers who believe that anthropogenic climate change is occurring, that it poses risks to agriculture, and that adaptive action should be taken, may look very much like farmers who deny the existence of climate change and do not support action. The overall implication of this finding is that climate change engagement efforts by Extension and other agricultural advisors should use caution when looking to observable characteristics to facilitate audience segmentation. Additional analyses indicated that the farmer types that tended to be more concerned about climate change and supportive of adaptive action (e.g., Concerned and Uneasy) reported that they were more influenced by key private and public sector actors in agricultural social networks. On the other hand, farmers who were not concerned about climate change or supportive of adaptation (e.g., the Unconcerned, Confident, and Detached groups, comprising between one-third and one-half of respondents) were less integrated into agricultural networks. This suggests that Extension and other agricultural advisors should expand outreach efforts to farmers who are not already within their spheres of influence.
87. Climate services and communication for development: the role of early career researchers in advancing the debate
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Donkor, Felix Kwabena (author), Howarth, Candice (author), Ebhuoma, Eromose (author), Daly, Meaghan (author), Vaughan, Catherine (author), Pretorius, Lulu (author), Mambo, Julia (author), MacLeod, Dave (author), Kythreotis, Andrew (author), Jones, Lindsey (author), Grainger, Sam (author), Golding, Nicola (author), and Anderson, Julio Araujo (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019
- Published:
- Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 34 Document Number: D10677
- Journal Title:
- Environmental Communication
- Journal Title Details:
- 13(5): 561-566
- Notes:
- 7 pages., via online journal., Climate services entail providing timely and tailored climate information to end-users in order to facilitate and improve decision-making processes. Climate services are instrumental in socio-economic development and benefit substantially from interdisciplinary collaborations, particularly when including Early Career Researchers (ECRs). This commentary critically discusses deliberations from an interdisciplinary workshop involving ECRs from the United Kingdom and South Africa in 2017, to discuss issues in climate adaptation and climate services development in water resources, food security and agriculture. Outcomes from the discussions revolved around key issues somewhat marginalized within the broader climate service discourse. This commentary discusses what constitutes “effective” communication, framings (user framings, mental models, narratives, co-production) and ethical dimensions in developing climate services that can best serve end-users. It also reflects on how ECRs can help tackle these important thematic areas and advance the discourse on climate services.
88. Climate-change communication within public natural resource agencies: lessons learned from the U.S. forest service
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Laatsch, Jamie (author) and Ma, Zhao (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2016-01-26
- Published:
- USA: Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 151 Document Number: D10130
- Journal Title:
- Society & Natural Resources
- Journal Title Details:
- 29(10) : 1169-1185
- Notes:
- 17 pages., via online journal, By analyzing interview and survey data from U.S. Forest Service employees, we examined the strategies used for communicating about climate change within the agency and their effectiveness from the perspective of agency employees. We found a limited awareness among employees regarding climate policy. We found that horizontal information flow through informal social networks was an important way in which climate-change information was communicated. We also found a lack of confidence among employees in their ability to provide feedback to agency leadership. Our results suggest that (1) agency leadership’s ability to set priorities and deliver positive vision is important for increasing employee awareness and inspiring actions, (2) the agency could play a role in facilitating formal and informal networking among employees, and (3) using advanced information technologies may contribute to information flow horizontally and vertically, formally and informally.
89. Collaborating across state lines to leverage cultural competency expertise
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Wille, Celina G. (author), Garcia, Zuri (author), and Garcia-Pabón, José L. (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: D10614
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 57(3)
- Notes:
- 5 pages., Article #: 3TOT6, via online journal., A statewide need for Latino cultural competency training for Utah State University (USU) Extension personnel was identified. The solution involved the collaborative efforts of our team of two USU Extension faculty members and one Washington State University (WSU) Extension faculty member on adaption and customization of a needs assessment tool and a training program originated at WSU. Our collaboration leveraged important limited resources such as subject-matter expertise, training materials, time, and funding while providing a venue for feedback and ideas to improve, update, and enhance an existing program. Garnering administrative support from the start is key to successful cross-state collaborative work and implementation of specialized training to expand Latino outreach capacity in Extension.
90. Combining on-farm and climate data for risk management of nitrogen decisions
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Anderson, Christopher J. (author) and Kyveryga, Peter M. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2016-04-06
- Published:
- United States
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 169 Document Number: D08769
- Journal Title:
- Climate Risk Management
- Journal Title Details:
- 13: 10-18