Norris-Parish, Shannon L. (author), Leggette, Holli R. (author), Pesl Murphy, Theresa (author), Parrella, Jean A. (author), Richburg, Audra (author), and Herring, Andy D. (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2024-01-12
Published:
UK: Oxford University Press
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 208 Document Number: D13252
9 pages, Animal scientists face an increasing need to communicate with the lay public because of the public’s interest in the origin and production of animal-sourced foods. Consumers’ increased interest infers a critical need for effective communication skills among animal science graduates. Effective communication skills are mandatory if students are to explain scientific information and mitigate misinformation about livestock production. The purpose of our study was to investigate the communication styles and communication effectiveness of upper-level animal science students enrolled in a beef cattle production and management course at Texas A&M University across five semesters (N = 241; spring 2018 = 61, summer 2018 = 15, Fall 2018 = 54, spring 2019 = 55, and fall 2019 = 56). Male animal science students (n = 25; 32.9%) preferred assertive and direct communication (a driver communication style) and female students (n = 32; 19.4%) preferred collaborative and accommodating communication (an amiable communication style). Students were moderately experienced with beef cattle production (M = 3.09, SD = 1.07) before enrolling in the course; however, former beef cattle experiences did not influence their preferred communication style [F(10, 230) = 0.36, P = 0.96]. Researchers also observed students’ communication skills during an end-of-semester beef cattle production and management project presentation and identified strengths and weaknesses. Students demonstrated strong, in-depth animal industry knowledge, an ability to connect beef production techniques to management success, and critical thinking skills when answering questions. Oral communication skills warranting improvement included integrating visual aids and/or visual slides to support findings, using improved stage presence and confidence, and sharing responsibilities when presenting as a team. Finally, completion of a supplemental communication training module, intended to develop oral communication skills, significantly improved [F(1, 55) = 4.16, P = 0.046] students’ beef cattle production and management project presentation scores. As students become aware of their communication preferences and tendencies, they become equipped to adjust their communication practices and techniques when needed. Through this study, we gained insight into students’ communication tendencies and skills, which can be used to provide curricular recommendations and enhance students’ workforce readiness.
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.
7 pages, Climate change is considered primarily as a human-created phenomenon that is changing the way humans live. Nowhere are the impacts of climate change more evident than in the food ecosphere. Climate-induced changes in temperature, precipitation, and rain patterns, as well as extreme weather events have already started impacting the yield, quality, and safety of food. Food safety and the availability of food is a fundamental aspect of ensuring food security and an adequate standard of living. With climate change, there have been increasing instances of observed changes in the safety of food, particularly from a microbiological standpoint, as well as its quality and yield. Thus, there is an urgent need for the implementation of advanced methods to predict the food safety implications of climate change (i.e., future food safety issues) from a holistic perspective (overall food system). Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other such advanced technologies have, over the years, permeated many facets of the food chain, spanning both farm- (or ocean-) to-fork production, and food quality and safety testing and prediction. As a result, these are perfectly positioned to develop novel models to predict future climate change-induced food safety risks. This article provides a roundup of the latest research on the use of AI in the food industry, climate change and its impact on the food industry, as well as the social, ethical, and legal limitations of the same. Particularly, this perspective review stresses the importance of a holistic approach to food safety and quality prediction from a microbiological standpoint, encompassing diverse data streams to help stakeholders make the most informed decisions.
8 pages, Street foods play an important role in the lives of urban population members in developing countries. The food industry provides many job opportunities. The food safety knowledge, attitude, and practices of vendors are important aspects, as these individuals provide food and nourishment at very low prices to people all over the world. Most street foods are unhealthy because of the high risk of contamination, which poses a serious threat to food safety. The present study aimed to assess the food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices of vendors and the most significant influencing factors of these aspects with the help of cluster analysis to categorize vendors. The present study focused on 100 vendors who were randomly selected from different locations in Lucknow city. The information was collected through a structured questionnaire using the KAP (Knowledge Attitude Practice) scale for food safety. Vendors were clustered on the basis of the KAP using two-step cluster analysis and a chi -square test to assess the impact of various personal factors on the KAP. The results of the study indicated that street vendors are significantly differentiated on the basis of qualifications, knowledge, attitude and practices. Awareness and training programs should be implemented to improve the food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices among vendors. Once food safety standards are acceptable, it will then be critical to ensure that poor people in developed cities such as Lucknow can earn a living through a "convenient" enterprise such as street food vending.
12 pages, Food waste and food insecurity are two concurrent major public health issues. To address them, gleaning programs can reduce waste and enhance food security by diverting produce to food pantries. To understand the experiences of farmers and gleaning programs, interviews were completed with 12 farmers who had participated in a gleaning program and 16 farmers who had not donated produce through a gleaning program within the Greater Kansas City metro area. For farmers who had participated in the gleaning program, the ease of donating and tax incentives were primary benefits. Inadequate experience and inefficient volunteers were cited as challenges. Farmers without experience with gleaning programs cited safety and liability issues as concerns. Because farmers communicate frequently with other farmers, food rescue organizations should consider enlisting their support. Communities and government agencies should provide financial support to improve the resources and infrastructure of gleaning organizations to improve farmer-gleaner relationships.
17 pages, Little is known about how farms and markets are connected. Identifying critical gaps and central hubs in food systems is of importance in addressing a variety of concerns, such as navigating rapid shifts in marketing practices as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic and related food shortages. The constellation of growers and markets can also reinforce opportunities to shift growing and eating policies and practices with attention to addressing racial and income inequities in food system ownership and access. With this research, we compare network methods for measuring centrality and sociospatial orientations in food systems using two of America’s most high-producing agricultural counties. Though the counties are adjacent, we demonstrate that their community food systems have little overlap in contributing farms and markets. Our findings show that the community food system for Yolo County is tightly interwoven with Bay Area restaurants and farmers’ markets. The adjacent county, Sacramento, branded itself as America’s Farm-to-Fork capital in 2012 and possesses network hubs focused more on grocery stores and restaurants. In both counties, the most central actors differ and have been involved with the community food system for decades. Such findings have implications beyond the case studies, and we conclude with considerations for how our methods could be standardized in the national agricultural census.
21 pages, Produce that does not meet sellers’ esthetic standards may be redirected to alternative uses or wasted, but consumer trends indicate potential marketability of blemished produce. We conduct a nonhypothetical experimental auction to elicit consumer willingness-to-pay (WTP) for produce of varying degrees of blemish and test whether valuations are affected by (1) information on food waste resulting from grocery stores’ esthetic standards and (2) additional information on the environmental impacts of food waste. WTP for blemished produce increases as consumers become informed, but the information effects vary by blemishing degree. Market simulations indicate that introducing blemished produce can increase retailer revenue.
2pgs, Animal intrusion into produce fields has been an obvious food safety risk for some time. More recently, the risks associated with proximity to animal agriculture and habitats — including evidence for commodities other than leafy greens — have received high-profile interest, demanding increased attention from the fresh produce industry.
20pgs, This study aimed to better understand consumers’ perceptions toward superfoods, to reveal segments of consumers, and to describe their behavioral patterns and sociodemographic characteristics. Data were collected from a mail survey (n = 423). Consumer segmentation revealed six segments. The “superfoodies” (13%) showed a more positive attitude toward superfoods, believing in their health and sustainable benefits. Adventurous consumers (16%) showed less knowledge on superfoods, despite that, they believe in the benefits of those foods after receiving some information during the survey. Involved consumers (13%) presented high nutritional knowledge and believe in the future of superfoods. Indifferent consumers (23%) appear to have a neutral attitude toward superfoods. Skeptical consumers (21%) and rejectors (15%) seem to be more conservative and less interested and unconvinced about the benefits of consuming superfoods. These results help guide those producing, marketing, and selling superfoods, and serve as a basis to develop strategies for different target groups.
7pgs, Community Food Assessments (CFAs) can be used to identify resources and gaps in how food is grown and distributed in a community, and develop action plans for improvement. This article shares the process for conducting these assessments and draws lessons from CFAs conducted across Oregon. Key themes and innovative projects are highlighted to share potential programming ideas. Extension can play a role in partnership development and networking that helps create sustainable projects that improve local food systems.
10 pages, Biotechnology use in food production has been a polarizing topic that has encountered resistance from some consumers. The discovery of genome editing biotechnology, in which no foreign genetic material is introduced into the host organism while making accurate and efficient changes in genomes, has the potential to revolutionize food biotechnology in a more socially acceptable and less polarizing fashion. The success and adoption of gene-edited foods, however, ultimately depends on consumer acceptance. This study reports the results of a geographically disperse Chinese consumer acceptance study (n = 835) in which individuals evaluated rice and pork products that were bio-engineered to address two significant hazards that have recently garnered international attention: cadmium contamination in rice and African swine fever. We explore the role that food technology neophobia has on consumer acceptance and assess how information on the differences between transgenic and gene editing technologies affects consumer preferences. While averse to the use of biotechnology in food products, consumers were considerably more accepting of products that have undergone genome editing rather than transgenic modification. We find differential impacts of information provision on preferences between pork and rice products and on preferences for product provenance. Our analysis indicates that a reduction in consumers’ fear of novel food technologies can substantially increase consumer valuation and market acceptance of bioengineered food products and reinforces the need to consider attitudes in measuring acceptance of novel food products.
25pgs, se programs in the peer-reviewed literature, the objectives were to identify factors that facilitate or hinder the implementation of these two local value chain models of healthy food access and to identify the perceived impacts from the perspective of the sites implementing them. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with CFS (n = 7) and DS (n = 10) site representatives in January 2020. Template analysis was used to identify themes through a priori and inductive codes. Participants identified two primary facilitators: support from partner organizations and on-site program stewardship. Produce (and program) seasonality and mitigating food waste were the most cited challenges. Despite challenges, both CFS and DS sites perceive the models to be successful efforts for supporting the local economy, achieving organizational missions, and providing consumers with greater access to locally grown produce. These innovative programs demonstrate good feasibility, but long-term sustainability and impacts on other key stakeholders merit further investigation.
14pgs, The unjust distribution of poor health outcomes produced via current United States food systems indicates the need for inclusive and innovative policymaking at the local level. Public health and environmental organizers are seeking to improve food environments from the ground up with locally driven policy initiatives but since 2010 have increasingly met resistance via state-government preemption of local policymaking power. This analysis seeks to understand how political actors on both sides of preemption debates use rhetorical argumentation. In doing so, we offer insights to the meaning-making process specific to food systems. We argue that advocates for local food-system innovations are forwarding understandings of food and community that contradict the policy goals they seek. We offer suggestions for local food and environmental advocates for adjusting their arguments.
Balkan, Büsra Atamer (author), Lindqvist, Andreas Nicolaidis (author), Odoemena, Kelechi (author), Lambd, Robert (author), Tiongco, Monique Ann (author), Gupta, Stueti (author), Peterud, Arpitha (author), and Menendez III, Hector Manuel (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2021-09
Published:
Germany: CENTMA Research
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 205 Document Number: D12695
16 pages, COVID-19 has caused severe agriculture and food supply chain disruptions, significantly affecting smallholder farmers who supply most of the world’s food, specifically their changes in vulnerability, resilience, and food loss and waste. Therefore, the objective of this study was to understand the complex causal and feedback relationships for this system by developing a dynamic hypothesis and causal loop diagrams utilizing the System Dynamics methodology. Results provide a roadmap for dialogue and a framework for case-specific model development and help to guide policy decisions for smallholder farmers’ survival during health crises.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 202 Document Number: D12129
Notes:
Online via AgriMarketing Weekly. 2 pages., Research among registered dietitians indicates potential negative impact on fruit and vegetable consumption among consumers caused by the so-called "dirty dozen" list published by the Environmental Working Group (EWG).
Lando, Amy (author / U.S. Food and Drug Administration), Verrill, Linda (author / U.S. Food and Drug Administration), and Wu,Fanfan (author / U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
Format:
Research summary
Publication Date:
2021-03
Published:
USA: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 202 Document Number: D12132
Notes:
Online from publisher., National probability consumer survey designed to assess consumers' awareness, knowledge, understanding, and self-reported behaviors relating to a variety of food safety and nutrition-related topics. 76 pages. This printed research summary includes only the table of contents, executive summary, key findings regarding food safety and nutrition, and methodology used.
Online via AgriMarketing Weekly. 3 pages., Based on findings of the Ag Economy Barometer poll by Purdue University. Responses by farmers indicating they expect the market share of plant-based alternatives to beef, pork, and chicken will grow rapidly. Most said they would not grow crops for processing into a meat alternative, even if offered a contract.
USA: International Food Information Council Foundation, Washington, D.C.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 202 Document Number: D12150
Notes:
Online from publisher. 45 pages., Report of findings from a probability survey of 1,199 American parents and caregivers ages 18-80 regarding children ages 2-10. Aspects involved knowledge and understanding of dietary recommendations, behavior associated with feeding this age group, sources of information when making dietary decisions, purchasing habits when food shopping for children, areas of concern when feeding this age group, and areas of need for additional science-based information when feeding this age group.
Online from publication. 3 pages., Food store produce specialist urges produce managers to get summer extra-help staff members identified early and begin to train them by mid-April. "June is too late, you know." The busiest quarter of the year for fruits and vegetables is often run with the least-experienced people, due in part to summer vacation schedules of experienced personnel.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 202 Document Number: D12108
Notes:
Online from Radio Free. 3 pages., Author reports on helping the U.S. Senate draft and pass the Physician Payments Sunshine Act a decade ago. It requires companies to report monies and gifts they give physicians, which are known to influence what doctors prescribe or promote. "We need a 'sunshine law' for science that would expose all sorts of conflicts of interest and industry manipulation that skew research on food, synthetical chemicals, pesticides, air pollution, genetic technology, and the climate."
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 202 Document Number: D12122
Notes:
Online from organization. 34 pages., "State of the Plate" research during 2020 indicates that Americans have decreased their fruit and vegetable eating occasions by nearly 10 percent since 2004. Foundation suggests a behavioral framework for a path forward.
Via online issue. 3 pages., Results of a 2020 study by the Produce for Better Health Foundation indicate that fruit and vegetable consumption in the U.S. has declined almost 10 percent since 2004.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 202 Document Number: D12140
Notes:
Online via AgriMarketing Weekly. 2 pages., Findings of a survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults commissioned by Proagrica indicated that 39% of U.S. consumers considered going vegetarian or vegan since the COVID-19 pandemic began. These attitudes were apparent in relation to both grocery shopping and eating out. Health was cited as the main reason for considering changes in diet, followed closely by the cost of meat.
15 pages, via Online journal, Critical food scholars have argued that activists’ political ideologies and environmental values are important influences on their food justice projects. However, this body of work has given little attention to religion and spirituality even though religious studies scholars maintain that religious values affect environmental and social action. Bringing together these perspectives considers the way religious values and meaning making intersect with actions toward food justice outside of traditionally religious spaces. This paper draws on qualitative research, including a dozen interviews and 11 months of participant observation, at Franklinton Farms, a nonprofit urban farm in Columbus, Ohio. I demonstrate that Franklinton Farms team members reference diverse religious values and practices when explaining the meaning and significance of their farming. In addition, I argue that they renegotiate their religious values in light of the injustices they see in the food system. By examining religion and spirituality within a secular food space, this paper sheds light on an underexplored influence on whether and how alternative food spaces realize food justice.
25 pages, Decreasing the consumption of meat and dairy has been identified as an effective strategy for protecting the health of humans and the planet. More specifically, transitioning to diets that are lower in animal-source foods and higher in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains offers a promising opportunity to better align consumer behaviors with contemporary nutritional and ecological goals. However, given the limited understanding of how these changes in dietary behaviors can be best promoted, there is a need to explore the merits of community-based approaches to meat reduction and their capacity to advance more sustainable practices of eating at the individual, household, and community levels. To address this gap in the literature, we surveyed more than 100 American households participating in a communitywide, 12-week-long Meatless Monday challenge and tracked the changes in their knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and food choices over a nine-month period. The case study provided herein highlights a number of key findings from our evaluation. Most notably, our results demonstrate the value of community-based efforts in initiating and maintaining dietary behavior change and provide preliminary insights into the unique roles of multilevel interventions and diverse stakeholder engagement in promoting healthier, more sustainable diets.
Online from publisher., Brief report and analysis of research published by the National Academy of Sciences showing a strong positive relationship between meatpacking plants and local community transmission. "...the risk of excess death primarily came from large meatpacking plants operated by industry giants." Communities that shut down slaughterhouses reduced spread.
12 pages, via Online Journal, Climate change compels us to rethink the ethics of our dietary choices and has become an interesting issue for ethicists concerned about diets, including animal ethicists. The defenders of veganism have found that climate change provides a new reason to support their cause because many animal-based foods have high greenhouse gas emissions. The new style of argumentation, the ‘climatic argument(s) for veganism’, may benefit animals by persuading even those who are not concerned about animals themselves but worry about climate change. The arguments about the high emissions of animal-based food, and a resulting moral obligation to abstain from eating such products, are an addition to the prior forms of argument for principled veganism grounded on the moral standing of, and concern for, nonhuman animals. In this paper, we examine whether the climatic argument for veganism is convincing. We propose a formulation for the amended version of the argument and discuss its implications and differences compared to the moral obligations of principled veganism. We also reflect upon the implications of our findings on agricultural and food ethics more generally.
13 pages, via Online Journal, Indicators of food sovereignty and food democracy center on people having the right and ability to define their food polices and strategies with respect to food culture, food security, sustainability and use of natural resources. Yet food sovereignty, like democracy, exists on multiple and competing scales, and policymakers and citizens often have different agendas and priorities. In passing a ban on the use of genetically-modified (GMO) seeds in agriculture, Jackson County, Oregon has obtained some measure of food sovereignty. Between 2016 and 2017 ethnographic research was undertaken in rural Southern Oregon where local community and State of Oregon priorities regarding the use of GMO crops are in conflict. This article presents ethnographic research findings about the expression and negotiation of multiple food sovereignties by civil society in rural southern Oregon and the State of Oregon via democratic processes. In particular, these findings illustrate the effects of socio-political power dynamics on local and state acts of food sovereignty, democracy and agrifood policy by analyzing what the different expressions of food sovereignty reveal for its implementation at the local level.
14 pages., CONTEXT
The U.S. has the world's largest organic food market. However, low domestic production and a low adoption rate of organic grain farming limit the overall development of this sector. Multiple organic stakeholders have called for a better understanding of cognitive and motivational aspects of farmers' decision-making processes to help policymakers, agricultural scientists, and extension practitioners to work more effectively with farmers to explore and adopt organic grain production.
OBJECTIVE
This paper assesses farmers' adoption motivations, long-term goals, and perceived benefits to examine the congruence between initial motivations, long-term goals, and current perceived benefits.
METHODS
We employed a sequential mixed-method approach that first interviewed organic farmers in Iowa, U.S. Then developed and administered a statewide survey for the organic farmers. Survey data were analyzed with confirmatory factor analysis, paired-samples t-tests, and heteroskedasticity-robust regression models.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
We identified five highly-rated motivations for farmers to adopt organic grain: 1) profitability, 2) personal safety, 3) natural resources stewardship, 4) consumers and public health, and 5) honor and tradition. We found organic farmers' long-term goals are strongly orientated to both productivism and stewardship but less strongly oriented to civic-mindedness. This research assessed five areas of benefits associated with organic grain farming: 1) economic benefit, 2) addressed health concerns, 3) environmental natural resources, 4) values and beliefs validation, and 5) social benefit. This study found the benefits farmers experienced by adopting organic grain farming aligned with most of their original adoption motivations and long-term goals, except for serving the motivation of consumer and public health concerns.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 201 Document Number: D11754
Notes:
Online from AgriMarketing Weekly. 3 pages, Highlights from a national survey representing all age groups of U.S. consumers. Nearly one-half said they were concerned or extremely concerned about the safety and reliability of the food chain as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Via online from publisher., "The Front Gate" editorial confronts advertising campaign of Burger King based on misleading, inaccurate information about the role of cattle in generating global greenhouse gas emissions.
Article online from publication issue. 3 pages., Report of a panel discussion during the Produce Marketing Association virtual conference, "Foodservice: delivered virtual." One panelist noted that the coronavirus pandemic has "brought the restaurant to you, in your home. And it's here to stay." And it includes not only restaurants, but also the purveyors - "farmers and everybody." One panelist advised the foodservice industry to give back to a community, even while suffering financially. "When we think of what it means to be in hospitality, it means to serve. This is a call to action. Think of ways to serve."
Online from publication. 4 pages., Report about a panel presentation at a meeting of the Produce Marketing Association. Panelist moderator reported that food delivery services such as Grubhub, DoorDash and Postmates can charge restaurants 20-35 percent commission per order, in addition to the monthly fee for the service. Customers typically pay a delivery fee, a driver tip, and sales tax. The moderator urged restaurants, "Be smart about where your money is spent, and be firm, and try and make it a good experience for yourself and your customers."
Online from publication. 3 pages., Perspectives from four restaurant chain executives at a conference of the Produce Marketing Assocition. Focus on deeper connections with supply partners, labor savings through technology, and more racial diversity at top levels. "...the truth is, this country runs on foodservice."
15 pages, via online journal, Scientific innovation provides benefits to society but also fosters suspicion and distrust. The unknown of scientific innovations in agriculture has yielded a strained relationship between consumers and farmers, creating little to no public support for solutions to agricultural issues. The relationship between public trust and agricultural innovation is further strained when discussing genetic modification (GM) science and food. Informational graphics are an increasingly popular communication technique that may effectively communicate GM science to consumers. This study examined, through a experimental design using two treatments and a control, if static or animated infographics sharing current societal perceptions of GM science in the U.S. influenced consumers’ trust in science, personal attitudes toward GM, and perceived attitudes of others toward GM science. The animated group had the highest mean trust in science and the control group had the most positive attitude toward GM and the most positive perceived attitudes of others toward GM. The only significant difference was the control group had a more positive perceived attitude than the animated group. The infographics’ lack of impact on respondents’ trust or attitude toward GM science contradicted previous research about respondents’ increased attitude and elaboration of agricultural issues. Food concerns are of continual importance for consumers, and researchers need to help food and fiber scientists and communicators share relevant and research-based information with the public through diverse channels.
8 pages, As Extension professionals are increasingly tasked with moving beyond program delivery into the murky realm of systems change, networks represent an essential organizing framework for this transition. In this article, we examine the ways in which networks are becoming a modern mode for social change. By providing examples from our work with food networks, we demonstrate how these collaborative approaches can produce a greater impact for Extension and the communities we serve. Lastly, we discuss the critical characteristics of successful networks and the role Extension can play in their optimization.
12 pages., via online journal, Local food systems are an emerging way for communities to build vibrant economies, improve health outcomes, and limit their environmental impact. Studies have shown local food engagement differs significantly between generations; however, what remains unclear is how generations’ perceptions and engagement compare to each other so the agricultural community can most effectively communicate about local food systems. Leveraging audience segmentation theory from social marketing, this study sought to address how the five living generations in the United States – Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X, Baby Boomers, and The Silent Generation – perceived and engaged with local food systems. To address this question, a non-probability opt-in sampling of 863 adults in the state of Georgia was used. Each participant was asked four questions pertaining to different aspects of local food systems – the purchase of local foods from grocery stores, use of local food markets, participation in local food events, and level of engagement with local food related media. Millennials and Generation X’ers expressed significantly higher levels of engagement with local food systems when compared to Baby Boomers and The Silent Generation, this was not observed between Generation Z and any other group. While Millennials and X’ers engaged at higher levels, significant opportunities remain for engagement through generation-specific media to turn the universal tepid interest in local food systems into action. Future research should seek to identify the relationship between generational media preferences and how effective they are at transforming interest in local food systems into action.
58 pages., Journal article via online., Historical analysis of print advertising in the early 20th Century revealed that "in an era of scientific discovery and therapeutic ethos, fruits and vegetables were advertised as medical tonics, with 'prescriptions' that included recommended daily doses, to ward off or cure real or imagined medical ailments (flu, listlessness, acidosis)." Findings identified social positives and negatives associated with this practice. Researchers recommended use of a broader social marketing and transdisciplinary approach.
USA: Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 166 Document Number: D11684
Notes:
2 pages., Online from publisher website., Noting that the nonprofit sector is the third-largest employer in the United States, the author encouraged reporters to provide context about these organizations in reporting the financial impact of COVID-19 on them. Food services and health care are among the sectors emphasized.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 157 Document Number: D11639
Notes:
2 pages., Online via AgriMarketing Weekly., Release from Protect the Harvest describes "how extremist groups...are cashing in" on the COVID-19 crisis, jeopardizing animal producers and consumers.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 157 Document Number: D11640
Notes:
4 pages., Online from G&S Business Communications, New York City, New York. 4 pages., "A new consumer intelligence survey fielded by G&S Communications found Americans are changing their consumption behaviors and their perceptions of the food supply chain as a direct result of the coronavirus. From food safety and quality to availability and affordability, people are beginning to think differently about where their food comes from and the significance of the nation's farming infrastructure."
USA: Center for Food Integrity, Gladstone, Missouri.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 201 Document Number: D11707
Notes:
2 pages., Online from publisher., Examines a period of meat shortages in stores - and headlines about pork and poultry farmers having to euthanize entire barns of animals. "Helping consumers understand the supply chain disruption and impacts may seem daunting, but the key is to keep it simple and engage on the shared values of safe food and a commitment to the highest standards of animal care."
19 pages., Authors scanned literature in nine food systems journals to identify and characterize instances of "food waste" and "food loss" mentions. Findings indicated that this topic is growing within food studies but is still a marginal concept. They suggested three potential areas of food systems research to help advance the discourse and progress in reducing food loss and wastage.
Online open access via AgEcon Search., Authors used a survey to examine the information and communication technology (ICT) usage and attitudes by enterprises operating in the agri-food sector. "...competitive advantage my be reached using ITC solutions for widening and maintaining relations through a more effective information flow with partners and consumers."
