Bin, Li (author), Shahzad, Muhammad (author), Khan, Hira (author), Bashir, Muhammad Mehran (author), Ullah, Arif (author), and Siddique, Muhammad (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2023-09-18
Published:
Switzerland: MDPI
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 206 Document Number: D12959
20 pages, Sustainable agriculture is a pivotal driver of a nation’s economic growth, especially considering the challenge of providing food for the world’s expanding population. Agriculture remains a cornerstone of many nations’ economies, so the need for intelligent, sustainable farming practices has never been greater. Agricultural industries worldwide require sophisticated systems that empower farmers to manage their crops efficiently, reduce water wastage, and optimize yield quality. Yearly, substantial crop losses occur due to unpredictable environmental changes, with improper irrigation practices being a leading cause. In this paper, we introduce an innovative irrigation time control system for smart farming. This system leverages fuzzy logic to regulate the timing of irrigation in cotton crop fields, effectively curbing water wastage while ensuring that crops receive neither too little nor too much water. Additionally, our system addresses a common agricultural challenge: whitefly infestations. Users can adjust climatic parameters, such as temperature and humidity, through our system, which minimizes both whitefly populations and water consumption. We have developed a portable measurement technology that includes air humidity sensors, temperature sensors, and rain sensors. These sensors interface with an Arduino platform, allowing real-time climate data collection. This collected climate data is then sent to the fuzzy logic control system, which dynamically adjusts irrigation timing in response to changing environmental conditions. Our system incorporates an algorithm that generates highly effective (IF-THEN) fuzzy logic rules, significantly improving irrigation efficiency by reducing overall irrigation duration. By automating the irrigation process and precisely delivering the right amount of water, our system eliminates the need for human intervention, rendering the agricultural system more dependable in achieving successful crop yields. Water supply commences when the environmental conditions reach specific thresholds and halts when the requisite climate conditions are met, maintaining an optimal environment for crop growth.
31 pages, Imaginaries of empty, verdant lands have long motivated agricultural frontier expansion. Today, climate change, food insecurity, and economic promise are invigorating new agricultural frontiers across the circumpolar north. In this article, I draw on extensive archival and ethnographic evidence to analyze mid-twentieth-century and recent twenty-first-century narratives of agricultural development in the Northwest Territories, Canada. I argue that the early frontier imaginary is relatively intact in its present lifecycle. It is not simply climactic forces that are driving an emergent northern agricultural frontier, but rather the more diffuse and structural forces of capitalism, governmental power, settler colonialism, and resistance to those forces. I also show how social, political, and infrastructural limits continue to impede agricultural development in the Northwest Territories and discuss how smallholder farmers and Indigenous communities differently situate agricultural production within their local food systems. This paper contributes to critical debates in frontiers and northern agriculture literature by foregrounding the contested space between the state-driven and dominant public narratives underpinning frontier imaginaries, and the social, cultural, and material realities that constrain them on a Northwest Territories agricultural frontier.
11 pages, Food, waste, and food waste are embroiled in a wide array of political and moral debates in the United States today. These debates are staged across a range of scales and sites—from individual decisions made in front of refrigerators and compost bins to public deliberations on the U.S. Senate and House floors. They often manifest as a moral panic inspiring a range of Americans at seemingly opposed ends of the political spectrum. This article contrasts three distinct sites where food waste is moralized, with the aim of deconstructing connections between discarded food and consumer ethics. In doing so, we argue that across the contemporary American social strata, food waste reduction efforts enfold taken-for-granted ideas of moral justice, or theodicy, that foreground individual responsibility and, as a result, obfuscate broader systemic issues of food inequality perpetuated by late stage capitalism.
12 pages, If we are to attain a sustainable future, humanity will need to make drastic changes towards a life based on sustainability in all areas, especially in the economic sector, including food production. The task of educating for sustainability needs to include food producers (farmers and livestock breeders). This article describes an educational experience carried out within the framework of a proposal presented in the “Second Call for Grants to Promote University-Company Projects” at the Technological Campus of Algeciras (Spain). It consisted of conducting in-depth interviews with farmers and livestock breeders, identifying the practices in the daily management of their farms, and having them participate in an education and training event in which they shared their knowledge. It was not an easy task because food producers have systematically been attacked by currents of opinion that blame them for causing greenhouse gas emissions. We adopted an approach based on empathy and on encouraging sustainable food production practices.
7pgs, Agricultural subsidies are an important factor for influencing food production and therefore
part of a food system that is seen as neither healthy nor sustainable. Here we analyse options
for reforming agricultural subsidies in line with health and climate-change objectives on one
side, and economic objectives on the other. Using an integrated modelling framework
including economic, environmental, and health assessments, we find that on a global scale
several reform options could lead to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and improvements in population health without reductions in economic welfare. Those include a repurposing of up to half of agricultural subsidies to support the production of foods with beneficial
health and environmental characteristics, including fruits, vegetables, and other horticultural
products, and combining such repurposing with a more equal distribution of subsidy payments globally. The findings suggest that reforming agricultural subsidy schemes based on
health and climate-change objectives can be economically feasible and contribute to transitions towards healthy and sustainable food systems
Sloan, Margaret F. (author), Trull, Laura (author), Malomba, Maureen (author), Akerson, Emily (author), Atwood, Kelly (author), and Eaton, Melody (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2022
Published:
USA: Sagamore-Venture Publishing Inc.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 208 Document Number: D13249
17 pages, Much of the press on the pandemic has been focused on urban environments where the virus was quick to spread and the numbers of cases are high. Beyond the greater risk for COVID-19-related health complications, rural populations are particularly susceptible to disruptions in the economic infrastructure of their communities. This study explores the impacts of COVID-19 on rural communities and the responses of nonprofit and other community infrastructures. Using a strengths-based approach and mixed methods design, this qualitative research asked rural residents and nonprofit leaders about their needs, challenges, and assets as a result of COVID-19. Themes relative to access, interdependence, and community emerged from a priori categories. The research offers implications for both nonprofit education and rural nonprofit leadership.
12 pages, via Online Journal, Current, prevalent models of the food system, including complex-adaptive systems theories and commodity-as-relation thinking, have usefully analyzed the food system in terms of its elements and relationships, confronting persistent questions about a system’s identity and leverage points for change. Here, inspired by Heldke’s (Monist 101:247–260, 2018) analysis, we argue for another approach to the “system-ness” of food that carries those key questions forward. Drawing on Niklas Luhmann’s systems theory, we propose a model of the food system defined by the relational process of feeding itself; that is, the food system is made of feeding and only feeding, and system structures are produced by the coupling of that process to its various contexts. We argue that this approach moves us away from understandings of the food system that take structures and relations as given, and sees them instead as contingent, thereby helping to identify leverage points for food system change. The new approach we describe also prompts us as critical agrifood scholars to be constantly reflexive about how our analyses are shaped by our own assumptions and subjectivities.
International: Autogrow Systems Limited and Agritecture LLC
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 202 Document Number: D12004
Notes:
Online in issue of The Packer. 27 pages., This is the second Census to be conducted and ran from July 8 to September 4, 2020. It was promoted through Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, industry partners and various online media and industry channels. The 371 respondents were from 58 countries with the largest percentage from the United States, India and the United Kingdom. Respondents were growers and small to large businesses. Twenty percent founded their business in 2020.
14 pages, We explored ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has affected those who work in the agriculture industry in Hawai'i. Although economic hardship seems to be the obvious consequence, changes to the logistical and daily routines in the home also emerged as major impacts, and psychological effects may be even more distressing. Those who work in agriculture are an essential component of the agricultural and human ecologies to which land-grant universities are connected. Our findings provide valuable insights as to how Extension professionals across the United States may assist agricultural producers and farm families in their own communities at this time.
17pgs, In this article, we evaluate the rate of return to government efforts to promote broadband. Specifically, we estimate the impact of USDA's broadband loan and grant programs on the average payroll per worker using zip code level data from the Zip Code Business Patterns for the period from 1997 to 2007. Our results indicate that two of the smaller broadband programs (the Pilot loan program and the broadband grants program) likely had no effect on local payroll per workers. On the other hand, the largest program in terms of funding and coverage (the current broadband loan program) likely had a positive impact. Our estimate implies that a $1 per capita increase in a particular zip code's one-time receipt of the current program broadband loan results in a $0.92 increase in payroll per worker annually. Our calculated point estimates of the benefit: cost ratios for this broadband program range from 1.98 to 2.99, depending on assumptions about the time frame over which benefits accrue. However, the confidence intervals are wide enough to include the possibility that the costs outweigh the benefits.
2 pages, via Online Journal, Stan Cox’s The Green New Deal and Beyond argues that the realities of our climate crisis require the elimination of fossil fuels from the U.S. economy and a realignment of the unjust system that allows for their exploitation. Cox’s thesis is that the Green New Deal legislation (GND) is a good first step, but we in the U.S. must also acknowledge and adhere to the limits of economic growth and material consumption. His evidence-driven analysis builds from the IPCC report’s finding that we need to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 if we are to limit global warming to 1.5 °C.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 201 Document Number: D11694
Notes:
18 pages., Online from publisher website., Issue brief in the UNESCO series, "World trends in freedom of expression and media development." Reports seven key trends involving increasing disinformation, rising demand for verified information, need for more more transparency, some regulatory measures restricting human rights, risks to safety of journalists, economic threat to journalism, and new opportunities to stand up for journalism.
Dobson, A.D.M. (author), Milner-Gulland, E.J. (author), Aebischer, Nicholas J. (author), Beale, Colin M. (author), Brozovic, Robert (author), Coals, Peter (author), Critchlow, Rob (author), Dancer, Anthony (author), Grove, Michelle (author), Hinsley, Amy (author), Ibbett, Harriet (author), Johnston, Alison (author), Kuiper, Timothy (author), Le Comber, Steven (author), Mahood, Simon P. (author), Moore, Jennifer F. (author), Nilsen, Erlend B. (author), Pocock, Michael J.O. (author), Quinn, Anthony (author), Travers, Henry (author), Wilfred, Paulo (author), Wright, Joss (author), and Keane, Aidan (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2020
Published:
International
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 167; Folder: 201 Document Number: D11695
11 pages., Authors present an overview of the opportunities and limitations associated with messy data which conservationists increasingly use (e.g., citizen science records, ranger patrol observations). They also explain how the preferences, skills, and incentives of data collectors affect the quality of the information these data contain and the investment required to unlock their potential.
7 pages, via Online journal, The mid-nineteenth century Hudson River School of painting reflects artists' views of American paradise, a glorified Hudson River landscape where the disappearing wilderness, agriculture, and human settlements coexisted along the river in perfect harmony. The romantic, peaceful coexistence of nature and humans became an unsustainable illusion as the twentieth century 507 km (315 mi) Hudson River became a major transportation route to the northern and western interior of the United States (figure 1). Like many rivers throughout history, navigation of the Hudson River waters fostered tanneries, paper mills, factories, electrical plants, and other enterprises along its coastline (Rothstein 2019). Rivers, with their abundant water supply and capacity to transport raw materials and finished goods, fueled the Industrial Revolution of the 1800s, and the Hudson River was exemplary in its contributions. Settlements and industries along the Hudson River valley flourished, creating jobs, expanding communities, and bringing economic prosperity to the region and the nation. In its wake, followed an era of industrial pollution that left an ugly mark on the river celebrated for its beauty and pristine waters. In 1984, 321 km (200 mi) of the Hudson River was classified by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) as the Hudson River PCBs Superfund site—one of the largest in the country.
Via online issue. 2 pages., Describes recent experience in which a packing house fire resulted in lower fed cattle prices and higher values of choice boxed beef cutout values - resulting in frustration and anger in cattle country.
Marques, Andreia (author), Kamali, Farahnaz Pashaei (author), Asveld, Lotte (author), Osseweijer, Patricia (author), Silveira, Jose Maria F. J. de (author), and Delft University of Technology, Netherlands
Unicamp Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil
Format:
Online journal article
Publication Date:
2019-11-05
Published:
Netherlands: Elsevier
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 124 Document Number: D11216
16 pages, via online journal, Sugarcane expansion in Brazil during the 2000s was partly restricted by several discussions about the sustainability aspects of its cultivation. These discussions were mainly based on surveys that sometimes use highly aggregated data not including local perspectives and particularities, and sometimes used case studies with small samples which, while listening to local perspectives, cannot be considered representative of the whole sector. This work aims at filling this gap by considering both the perceptions of the local community, which add primary data on impact, and a large sample, to increase the research representativeness. To do so, we present the results of 353 interviews, covering 33 municipalities in five states of the Center-South region of Brazil (the largest cultivation area in the country). The results show that the expansion of biofuels has generated conflict mostly related to environmental and social issues, although there is good acceptance of the sugarcane mills in general. Our conclusions point to the importance of including local voices for a deeper understanding of the advantages and limitations of the expansion of biofuels.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 82 Document Number: D10831
Notes:
10 pages., via website AgWeb's Farm Journal, In their story, “Plowed Under, The Next American Farm Bust Is Upon Us,” (paywall) the Wall Street Journal reported on the tough times we’re facing in agriculture. They are tough. And, as a corn and soybean farmer, it’s painful to see. But farmers are nothing if not resilient. And we’ll survive this one too.
15 pages, The main purpose of this qualitative research was to design an export marketing strategy model for tea products to target markets. The statistical population was composed of all experts in the field of this research topic (N = 332). The sample size was determined as equal to the statistical population. Second-hand data used for data collection and a semi-structured interview was used as the research instrument. Five series of interviews were conducted with the experts. In order to identify the status of tea export, the first interview was done with tea exporters during 2016 (87 people were interviewed). The second round of interviews was done with factory holders to investigate the status of green tea leaf and dry tea as well as the respective model (170 companies were interviewed). In the third step, the experts and practitioners (50 people) were interviewed to provide the research model. The fourth round of interviews was carried out with 10 experts of the tea research center and organization to examine the status of tea gardens, green tea, and dry tea production and the main model. Finally, some Iranian business and economic advisers were interviewed in the fifth step. The results showed that direct export - business partner was the most suitable method to enter the target markets. Participation in relevant fairs in the target country and invitation and presence of traders of target markets in Iran were determined as the most appropriate method for market penetration and development strategy. Low price with more discounts was seen as a more suitable pricing strategy. Top quality and top packaging were selected as the best methods regarding product strategy. The selection of top distributors in each country and chain stores were determined for the product distribution. Using the brand of target market, digital marketing, fair, and social networks were recognized as a more suitable promotion strategy. Gardener and factory holder cooperation, agricultural improvement of tea gardens, promoting the quality of green leaf of tea, and using modern types of machinery for cultivation and harvesting in production strategy were the most important production strategy. In addition, differentiation through special taste and smell of Iranian tea, high quality, and attractive packaging design and type were recognized as the best differentiation strategy.
Herrera, Beatriz (author), Gerster-Bentaya, Maria (author), Tzouramani, Irene (author), Knierim, Andrea (author), and University of Hohenheim
Agricultural Economics Research Institute
Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2019
Published:
Germany: Taylor & Francis
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 7 Document Number: D10258
22 pages., Via online journal., Purpose: This study explores the use of advisory services by farm managers and its linkages with the economic, environmental and social performance of farms.
Design/methodology/approach: Using cluster analysis we determined groups of farms according to their sustainability performance and explored the correlations between contacts with advisory services and a set of farm-level sustainability indicators.
Findings: There exist significant differences in the number of farmers’ contacts with advisory services across countries, type of farms, farmers’ degree of agricultural education, utilized agricultural area, legal type of farm ownership and economic size of the farms. We identified three groups of farms that have different sustainability performance, are different in farm characteristics and relate differently to advisory services. The number of contacts with advisory services is positively related to the adoption of innovations, the number of information sources utilized and the adoption of farm risk management measures. We find no clear linear relationship between advisory services and environmental sustainability.
Theoretical implications: This study derives hypotheses to analyze causalities between indicators of farm-level sustainability and advisory services.
Practical implications: Results suggest the importance of taking into account the heterogeneity of farming systems for the design, targeting and evaluation of advisory services. In addition, results confirm the importance of selection of indicators that can be used in multiple sites.
Originality/value: We used a harmonized indicator of advisory services and a harmonized set of farm-level sustainability indicators in nine different EU countries that could be used to evaluate the role of advisory services in the achievement of multiple objectives in different groups of farms in multiple sites.
9 pages., Online via UI electronic subscription., A choice experiment was used to evaluate the U.S. public's willingness to pay for egg attributes including housing system, color, size, and certifying agency. A significant difference in willingness to pay for hen housing systems was found using video information treatments describing hen housing systems. Participants were indifferent between hen housing systems when they viewed video treatments describing hen housing systems. However, they clearly preferred the cage-free system when they viewed no video treatments. "Results point towards potential public misunderstanding of the costs and benefits associated with the "cage-free" egg label designation."
Specht, Kathrin (author), Zoll, Felix (author), Schumann, Henrike (author), Bela, Julia (author), Kachel, Julia (author), and Robischon, Marcel (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2019
Published:
International
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 99 Document Number: D10870
Via online. 27 pages., Global challenges such as climate change, increasing urbanization and a lack of transparency of food chains, have led to the development of innovative urban food production approaches, such as rooftop greenhouses, vertical farms, indoor farms, aquaponics as well as production sites for edible insects or micro-algae. Those approaches are still at an early stage of development and partly unknown among the public. The aim of our study was to identify the perception of sustainability, social acceptability and ethical aspects of these new approaches and products in urban food production. We conducted 19 qualitative expert interviews and applied qualitative content analysis. Our results revealed that major perceived benefits are educational effects, revaluation of city districts, efficient resource use, exploitation of new protein sources or strengthening of local economies. Major perceived conflicts concern negative side-effects, legal constraints or high investment costs. The extracted acceptance factors deal significantly with the “unknown”. A lack of understanding of the new approaches, uncertainty about their benefits, concerns about health risks, a lack of familiarity with the food products, and ethical doubts about animal welfare represent possible barriers. We conclude that adaptation of the unsuitable regulatory framework, which discourages investors, is an important first step to foster dissemination of the urban food production approaches.
10 pages, Online via UI Library electronic subscription. Open access., "This paper re-affirms that women make essential contributions to agriculture and rural enterprises across the developing world. But there is much diversity in women's roles and over-generalization undermines policy relevance and planning."
8 pages., Online via Ryerson Review of Journalism website. Published on February 19, 2020., Tara de Ryk, owner and publisher of a rural Saskatchewan weekly newspaper, decided after 21 years to retire from the newspaper business. This article describes how community interest in local news and an adventuresome spirit prompted her to conduct a give-away contest in late 2019. Interested persons were invited to write an essay (500 words maximum) about how they would be ideal owner and publisher of the Davidson Leader. The article describes the contest and winning entry, which led to change in ownership.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 133 Document Number: D11393
Notes:
15 pages., Online research report., Reports findings of a survey of 3,627 U.S. adults, October 1-13, 2019. Democrats mostly agreed the federal government should do more on climate, while Republicans differed by ideology, age and gender
16 pages., via online journal., The expanding critical literature on Urban Agriculture (UA) makes links between the withdrawal of state services and the institutionalisation of volunteering, while observing that challenging funding landscapes can foster competitive environments between third-sector organisations. Where these organisations are forced to compete for survival at the expense of collaboration, their ability to collectively upscale and expand beneficial activities can be compromised. This paper focuses on a lottery-funded UA project and draws predominantly on observations and interviews held with project staff and growing group volunteers. Research conducted in Wythenshawe, Manchester (UK), highlights difficulties experienced by organisations attempting to function in an environment disfigured by depletion, illustrating conflicts that can arise between community groups and charitable organisations competing for space and resources. Inter-organisational dynamics are considered at two scales: at the grassroots level between growing groups, and at a structural level between project partners. In a landscape scarred by local authority cutbacks and restructures, a dearth of funding opportunities and increasingly precarious employment, external initiatives can be met with suspicion or hostility, particularly when viewed as superfluous interventions. The resulting ‘siege mentality’ reflects the need for organisational self-preservation but perhaps paradoxically results in groups with similar goals and complementary ideologies working against each other rather than in cooperation.
McFarland, Amy (author), Waliczek, Tina M. (author), Etheredge, Coleman (author), Lillard Sommerfield, Aime J. (author), and Grand Valley State University
Texas State University
Mississippi State University
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2018-06
Published:
United States: American Society for Horticultural Science
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 11 Document Number: D10336
7 pages., Via online journal., Although some benefits of gardening have been documented, motivations regarding participation in gardening are often considered based on anecdote. The purpose of this study was to use qualitative analysis to explore reasons gardeners from different genders and generations participate in gardening. The questions developed for this study were intentionally exploratory and left open-ended to gather a large variety of responses. Surveys were collected from 177 individuals between the ages of 7 and 94 years old. Responses were categorized into themes identified through the literature review, the pilot study, and through exploration of the data. Responses could fit into as many categories as were mentioned by the respondents and were categorized by three independent coders. Interrater reliability was assessed using a two-way mixed, absolute agreement, average measures intraclass correlation (ICC) and determined the degree to which coders provided consistency in their ratings across participants. Themes developed through this survey included “social interaction,” “aesthetics,” “food availability/health/nutrition,” “economics,” “therapeutic,” “environmental benefits,” “nostalgia,” and “personal productivity.” Themes of personal productivity and nostalgia are those which have not occurred in previous research. Statistically significant differences were found in comparisons among males and females with more males gardening for food/health/nutrition and for reasons regarding nostalgia. More females reported gardening for personal productivity when compared with males. No significant difference was identified in comparisons of gardeners from various age groups indicating that gardeners across generations have similar intentions and receive similar benefits.
Parker, Kim (author), Horowitz, Juliana Menasce (author), Brown, Anna (author), Fry, Richard (author), Cohn, D'Vera (author), and Igielnik, Ruth (author)
Format:
Research report
Publication Date:
2018-05-22
Published:
USA: Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 198 Document Number: D09679
5 pages, Sugarcane industry is at second position after textile industry in Pakistan. By the export of refined sugar, it plays a significant role in the economy of the country. Public and private sectors extension field staff work with sugarcane growers to improve their per acre yield. The research was conducted to compare and identify the services provided by those two sectors. A total of 150 respondents were selected randomly and interviewed to collect data through a structured interview schedule. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS). It was revealed that private sector provided commodity services such as improved sugarcane seed more than the public sector. However, public sector provided agriculture machinery on subsidized basis whereas private sector did not have any of such facility but was ahead in providing the advocacy services, arranging trainings/workshops, paying farm/home visits, organizing method demonstrations and arranging agricultural fares (Kissan Mellas) for farmers due to better funding. However, Agri. Helpline calls system of public sector was found more effective.
Hirsch, Darya (author), Heuschkel, Zoe (author), and Terlau, Wiltrud (author)
Format:
Paper
Publication Date:
2018
Published:
Germany
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 106 Document Number: D10930
Notes:
2018 International European Forum (163rd EAAE Seminar), February 5-9, 2018, Innsbruck, Austria. International European Forum on System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Networks. 5 pages., Urban food systems consist of many stakeholders with different perspectives, different interests and different governance tools. This study aimed at developing potential future scenarios for the food system of Cologne by analysing the system with a Delphi approach. In our research-design, the suitability of the Delphi-method was evaluated not only as a tool for future modelling and scenario design, but also as a communication tool among the group of participants on a multistakeholder platform. As a case study, the Food Policy Council of Cologne, Germany was used. Cologne can be seen as a forerunner among German cities in the development of a new urban food policy. Some of the successful steps to re-envisioning food as an urban system include joining the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, the decision of the City Council to become an edible city and the establishment of a Food Policy Council. For the study it was important to capture participants’ visions of a common goal regarding the governance of the urban food system and also to identify mental ‘silos’. It was obvious that the municipality of Cologne together with the Food Policy Council made great efforts towards participatory processes to build a vision for a sustainable and regional food supply. However, many stakeholder-groups in the process still work exclusively among themselves and do not actively practice the confrontation with the viewpoints of other relevant groups. This supports the maintenance of ‘silos’ and leaves little room for face-to-face discussions. Therefore, the primary aim of this study is to explore key components of food provisioning in the future for Cologne while confronting all stakeholders (municipal administration and politicians, farmers and food activists) with the perspectives of all group members. We used a multi-stakeholder Delphi approach with 19 panellists to find out essential components of the municipal regional food provisioning system in Cologne. Unique in this Delphi study is the bringing together of municipal administration, regional urban farmers and food activists. The research is still on-going, but preliminary results show that more communication among all relevant actors, especially horizontally among different city departments, in the urban food system is needed.
30 pages., via online journal., Information communication technology (ICT) and environmental innovation (EI) are
relevant waves of the ongoing technological revolution. We study the
complementarity in innovation adoption to test the research hypothesis that the higher
the diffusion and intensity of usage of ICT and EI, the higher a firm’s productivity
performance might be. However, it is not certain that the use of different innovations
stemming from different innovation paths generates higher productivity. To test our
hypothesis, we use original survey data concerning manufacturing firms in Northeast
Italy including detailed information on both ICT and EI. Empirical evidence shows
that there are still wide margins to improve the integration between EI and ICT in
order to exploit their potential benefits on productivity. The awareness of specific
synergies seems to mainly characterise the heavy polluting firms that are subject to
more stringent environmental constraints, while some trade-offs tend to emerge for
the remaining firms.
11 pages., Online via UI electronic subscription, Authors examined ethical issues arising from the collection, management and analysis of data, as well as those faced by researchers as they formulate, fund and disseminate their research. They paid special attention to ethical issues such as data dredging or p-hacking and potential ethical issues arising from interaction with media.
Oparinde, Adewale (author), Birol, Ekin (author), Murekezi, Abdoul (author), Katsvairo, Lister (author), Diressie, Michael T. (author), Nkundimana, Jean d'amour (author), and Butare, Louis (author)
Format:
Journal article
Language:
English / French
Publication Date:
2017-06-29
Published:
Rwanda: Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D08314
17 pages., Via online journal., Purpose: This paper presents economic and pedagogical motivations for adopting information and communications technology (ICT)-mediated learning networks in agricultural education and extension. It proposes a framework for networked learning in agricultural extension and contributes a theoretical and case-based rationale for adopting the networked learning paradigm.
Design/methodology/approach: A review of the literature highlights the economic and pedagogical need for adopting a networked learning approach. Two examples are described to instantiate the language for learning networks: a small community of farmers in India and large Twitter community of Australian farmers.
Findings: This paper reviews evidence that successful networked learning interventions are already occurring within agricultural extension. It provides a framework for describing these interventions and for helping future designers of learning networks in agricultural extension.
Practical implication: Facilitation of learning networks can serve to achieve efficient agricultural extension that connects farmers across distances for constructivist learning. To realize these benefits, designers of learning networks need to consider set design, social design and epistemic design.
Theoretical implication: This paper contributes a theoretical framework for designing, implementing and analysing learning networks in agriculture. It does this by integrating existing ideas from networked learning and applying them to the agricultural context through examples.
Originality/value: This paper contributes an understanding of the value of networked learning for extension in terms of economic and pedagogical benefits. It provides a language for talking about learning networks that is useful for future researchers and for practitioners.
D'Souza, Clare (author), Taghian, Mehdi (author), and Associate Professor Department of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Marketing, Plenty Road, La Trobe University, Bundoora 3083, Australia
Senior Lecturer Department of Marketing, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2017-03-12
Published:
USA: John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 162 Document Number: D08048
Risius, Antje (author), Hamm, Ulrich (author), and University of Kassel, Faculty of Organic Agriculture, Food and Agricultural Marketing, Steinstr.19, Witzenhausen, Germany
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2017-02
Published:
Germany: Elsevier Ltd.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 162 Document Number: D08138
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 169 Document Number: D08994
Notes:
Datu Case Studies, Datu Research, Durham, North Carolina. Summary of a case study posted on the website of the National Association of Conservation Districts, Washington, D.C. 2 pages., Study shows adoption of conservation practices boosted net income $83-110 per acre.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 148 Document Number: D11589
Notes:
5 pages., Online via publisher. 5 pages., Author interviewed Al Cross, director of the Institute of Rural Journalism and Community Issues, about the background of the Rural Blog and more generally about changes in the ways national and local journalists cover - or talk about- rural journalism. Other topics involved gaps in national news coverage about rural areas, who is doing rural journalism well, and effects of newspaper ownership changes in the types of stories that rural news outlets cover.
Susanty, A. (author), Bakhtiar, A. (author), Suliantoro, H. (author), Manalu, Christoper (author), and Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Diponegoro, Semarang, Indonesia
Format:
conference papers
Publication Date:
2016-12
Published:
Indonesia: IEEE Computer Society
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 163 Document Number: D08174
Notes:
Article number 7797845 pp. 104-108, 2016 International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, IEEM 2016; Bali; Indonesia; 4 December 2016 through 7 December 2016; Category numberCFP16IEI-ART; Code 125655
Klimova, Alexandra (author), Rondeau, Eric (author), Andersson, Karl (author), Porras, Jari (author), Rybin, Andrei (author), and Zaslavsky, Arkady (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2016-11
Published:
USA: Elsevier Science Publishers
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 157 Document Number: D07540
9 pages, via online journal, Grain marketing arrangements in modern Russia are far from what they were in the 1990s. Given that grain marketing is crucial for farm revenues and an adequate functioning of the agri-food system, this paper examines why different grain marketing contracts co-exist and how well they fit the local agri-food context. Semi-structured interviews with farmers, grain buyers and regional authorities were conducted in the region of Tyumen in 2013-2014. The analysis, grounded in new institutional economics, found that the traders’ contracts, compared to those offered by grain elevators, are often better suited to account for uncertainty as a salient property of marketing transactions, but discourage quality improvements and differentiation of grain. Furthermore, both contract types encourage strategic behaviour on the part of grain buyers. The paper also discusses the case in a broader theoretical and international context and offers a number of policy implications, such as those related to independent grain quality assessments and extension.
Marasteanu, I. Julia (author), Jaenicke, Edward C. (author), and Food and Drug Administration (formerly the Pennsylvania State University), 5100 Paint Branch Parkway # 1B056, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2016-06
Published:
USA: CAB International, Wallingford Oxon OX10 8DE United Kingdom
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 164 Document Number: D08213
MATEI, Daniela (author), BRUMĂ, Ioan Sebastian (author), TANASĂ, Lucian (author), and Senior Researcher, Ph.D., Romanian Academy -Iaşi Branch, Gh. Zane"Institute of Economic and Social Research
Researcher, Ph.D., Romanian Academy -Iaşi Branch, Gh. Zane"Institute of Economic and Social Research
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2016
Published:
Romania: Apollonia University of Iasi, Communication Sciences Faculty
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 164 Document Number: D08309
Yu Jin (author), Huffman, Wallace E. (author), and Department of Economics, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics
Department of Economics, Iowa State University
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2016
Published:
Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 16 Document Number: D10455
17 pages., Via online journal., This article provides new estimates of the marginal product of public agricultural research and extension on state agricultural productivity for the U.S., using updated data and definitions, and forecasts of future agricultural productivity growth by state. The underlying rationale for a number of important decisions that underlie the data used in cost‐return estimates for public agricultural research and extension are presented. The parameters of the state productivity model are estimated from a panel of contiguous U.S. 48 states from 1970 to 2004. Public research and extension are shown to be substitutes rather than complements. The econometric model of state agricultural TFP predicts growth rates of TFP for two‐thirds of states that is less than the past trend rate. The results and data indicate a real social rate of return to public investments in agricultural research of 67% and to agricultural extension of 100+%. The article concludes with guidance for TFP analyses in other countries.
25 pages., Online via UI e-subscription, Researchers evaluated the role of media through qualitative feedback from smallholder farmers identified by Community Markets for Conservation through radio programming efforts involving sustainable agriculture. Results demonstrated the centrality of the radio programming alongside other forms of communication such as extension and farmer-to-farmer communication, as well as written and visual communication.
3 pages., Via online from publisher., Summary of promotion and business management options identified during a National Rural Grocery Summit, Wichita, KS, hosted by Kansas State University Center for Engagement and Community Development.
15 pages., The paper analyses characteristics of vertical relationships of organic supply chains with a specific focus on the processing and retailing sectors. The analysis takes into account different regions of the EU Mediterranean area. Data were collected through interviews using an ad hoc questionnaire. The survey was based on a sample of 306 firms, including processors and retailers. The analysis revealed that a relevant aspect for the processing firms of organic products concerns the guaranteeing of safety and quality levels for the products. The main tools to implement the quality management are based on the adoption of specific production regulations and quality controls. The premium price most frequently applied by processors ranges from 10% to 40% and similar values are revealed for retailers. The diffusion of supply contracts allows the vertical coordination between agriculture and processing firms in the organic supply chains. The main distribution channels for the processing firms are represented by specialised shops in organic products, direct sales and supermarkets.
Barkley, Andrew (author) and Barkkley, Paul W. (author)
Format:
Book
Publication Date:
2015
Published:
USA: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, London and New York.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 154 Document Number: D07071
Notes:
196 pages., "In an information-based economy...the only source of prosperity is providing consumers with what they desire." Authors conclude that the flow of information from consumers to producers may be more important than providing consumers with knowledge about agriculture.
