16 pages., via online journal., Synthetic biology will probably have a high impact on a variety of fields, such as healthcare, environment, biofuels, agriculture, and so on. A driving theme in European research policy is the importance of maintaining public legitimacy and support. Media can influence public attitudes and are therefore an important object of study. Through qualitative content analysis, this study investigates the press coverage of synthetic biology in the major Nordic countries between 2009 and 2014. The press coverage was found to be event-driven and there were striking similarities between countries when it comes to framing, language use, and treated themes. Reporters showed a marked dependence on their sources, mainly scientists and stakeholders, who thus drives the media agenda. The media portrayal was very positive, with an optimistic look at future benefits and very little discussion of possible risks.
9 PAGES., Systematic reviews and meta-analyses generally focus on intervention impacts or outcomes. Less common, however, are reviews of the assumptions and theory underlying the pathways between intervention and outcome. We consider the hypothetical case for interventions to empower female farmers, either by prioritising women for new investments or re-allocating existing resources. Empowerment is defined as increased women's decision-making authority related to agricultural resources, management and production, and income. We hypothesise two avenues through which productivity or health benefits might arise: (i) eliminating female-male differences in, e.g. input access; or (ii) leveraging gendered risk, time, and social preferences leading women to differentially allocate resources. A review of evidence highlights the extent of support for the baseline, behaviour change, and economic benefit assumptions behind these hypothesised avenues. Findings suggest returns to investing in female farmers could be significant in various contexts but estimates of economic returns to empowering women in agriculture remain limited.
16 pages, via online journal, We examine important changes in agriculture in Vietnam in the context of ongoing structural changes in the economy. We use a household-level panel dataset and a quantitative framework to document the extent and consequences of factor misallocation in agriculture during the period between 2006 and 2016. Despite rapid growth in agricultural productivity and a reallocation of factor inputs to more productive farmers, we find that misallocation across farmers remains high and increased during the period. Reallocation of factor inputs has not been strong enough to accommodate substantial changes in farm productivity over time. Our analysis also reveals important differences between the north and south regions.
Beachy, Roger N. (author), Atkinson, Richard C. (author), Conway, Gordon (author), Cordova, France A. (author), Fox, Marye Anne (author), Holbrook, Karen A. (author), Klessig, Daniel F. (author), McCormick, Richard L. (author), McPherson, Peter M. (author), Rawlings III, Hunter R. (author), Rapson, Rip (author), Vanderhoef, Larry N. (author), Wiley, John D. (author), and Young, Charles E. (author)
Format:
unknown
Publication Date:
unknown
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 162 Document Number: C26890
17 pages, In developing countries, agriculture plays a vital role in reducing poverty and enhancing food security. In Sunamganj, Bangladesh, rural women significantly contribute to agriculture but face gender disparities and limited access to resources. Green cooperatives provide a promising model to empower these women through sustainable practices and economic support. This study explores the roles and impacts of green cooperatives on rural women entrepreneurs in Sunamganj, focusing on factors influencing their involvement, the benefits, and constraints they face, and changes in empowerment before and after joining cooperatives. This study was conducted across five upazilas in Sunamganj, the sampled 200 women entrepreneurs-100 cooperative members and 100 non-members using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Data was gathered via interviews, surveys, and focus group discussions (FGDs) and analyzed with SPSS and Microsoft Excel. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify key influencing factors and the Problems Confrontation Index (PCI) was utilized to assess the severity of challenges faced by members. The findings reveal that green cooperatives enhance women’s socio-economic status through improved production, market access, financial stability, and decision-making roles. Education, credit access, input availability, training, and experience were key drivers of the cooperative engagement of rural women entrepreneurs. However, challenges like male dominance, limited training, transportation issues, labor shortages, and market information gaps persist. Despite these, women in green cooperatives benefit from fixed pricing for organic products, increased bargaining power, and timely access to inputs and training. The study highlights the need for improved education, continuous training, extension services, high-quality inputs, and better infrastructure to support women’s participation further. The insights provided aim to guide policymakers in developing supportive policies that enhance the impact of green cooperatives, address gender-specific challenges, and promote the use of digital tools for market access. Future research should explore longitudinal studies and regional comparisons for deeper insights into rural women’s empowerment.
Cabrera, Ramiro C. (author), Hargrove, T.R. (author), Manto, F.E. (author), and International Rice Research Institute; International Rice Research Institute; International Rice Research Institute
Format:
Guide
Publication Date:
1983
Published:
International
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 57 Document Number: C01543
Notes:
James F. Evans Collection; Six copies, Manila, Philippines : International Rice Research Institute, 1983. 17 p.
9 pages., Via online journal., Using an agent-based model we explore the model of slavery in modern business developed by Crane (2013). Taking the Spanish agricultural sector—specifically the area of Campo de Dalías in Almería where much of Europe's vegetables are grown—as a case, we find that labour exploitation flourishes in communities of like-minded companies that do not care about mainstream norms. We confirm which socio-economic aspects of labour demand/supply lead to slavery, while challenging the assumption that markets which are dominated by few employers are more prone to exploiting workers. We find that, regarding isolation and connectedness of employers, cluster effects and intense inter-employer communication are particularly effective drivers of underpayment if the cluster is homogenous in terms of wage level and if it is isolated from law-abiding employers. This means that employers tend to confirm and reinforce each other in their illegal behaviour, thus creating enclaves in which non-standard norms prevail and worker exploitation is regarded as legitimate. On the other hand, we see that breaking the isolation of employees among each other only increases pay levels if there are law-abiding employers, pointing to the potentially beneficial role social business and entrepreneurs, state-owned companies, or public entrepreneurs could play for transforming labour conditions of entire markets.
18 pages, Digital agriculture has been developing rapidly over the past decade. However, studies have shown that the need for more ability to use these tools and the shortage of knowledge contribute to current farmer unease about digital technology. In response, this study investigated the influence of communication channels—mass media, social media, and interpersonal meetings—on farmers’ adoption, decision-making, and benefits obtained using technologies. The research uses data from 461 farmers in Brazil and 340 farmers in the United States, leaders in soybean production worldwide. The results show differences and similarities between these countries. LinkedIn has the highest positive association in Brazil between the communication channels and the digital agriculture technologies analyzed. In the United States, YouTube has the highest positive correlation. The overall influence of social media among Brazilian farmers is higher than among American farmers. The perceived benefits of using digital tools are more strongly associated with mass media communication in the United States than in Brazil. Regarding farm management decision-making, the study showed a higher relevance of interpersonal meetings in Brazil than in the United States. Findings can aid farmers, managers, academics and government decision makers to use communication channels more effectively in evaluating and adopting digital technologies.
Coughenour, C. Milton (author) and Swanson, Louis E. (author)
Format:
Book chapter
Publication Date:
2002
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: C18461
Notes:
Pages 103-116 in Ronald C. Wimberley, Craig K. Harris, Joseph J. Molnar and Terry J. Tomazic (eds.), The social risks of agriculture: Americans speak out on food, farming and the environment. Praeger, Westport, Connecticut. 163 pages.
Dan, Viorela (author), Osterheider, Angela (author), Raupp, Juliana (author), and Department of Communication Studies and Media Research, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Oettingenstrße
Format:
Online journal article
Publication Date:
2018-12-22
Published:
[place of publication not identified]: SAGE Publishing
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 151 Document Number: D10124
34 pages., via online journal, he use of antibiotics in agriculture contributes to antimicrobial resistance. We surveyed German farmers (n = 336) on their intention to adopt alternative antimicrobial agents (AAA) and used the diffusion of innovations approach as a theoretical guide. (1) Farmers’ views regarding the relative advantage and complexity of AAA, (2) their use of and trust in information sources and channels, and (3) various individual and organizational characteristics were entered as predictors in two explorative models. While farmers’ intention to adopt AAA was generally very high, selected variables in all three categories predicted variations in the intensity of the adoption intention.