12 pages, The article discusses the importance of regenerative agriculture and its implications for education within agriculture, food, and natural resources sectors. The document highlights how regenerative agriculture focuses on restoring ecosystem processes, such as improving soil health, increasing biodiversity, and enhancing water retention, while also promoting more sustainable agricultural practices. It also touches upon the challenges faced by conventional agricultural systems, including the loss of soil health and vulnerability to climate change, while advocating for interdisciplinary approaches to teaching and research. The document encourages a shift from industrialized agriculture towards systems that work with nature, offering examples of successful regenerative agricultural practices, both in the U.S. and globally.
13 pages, The study explored the contribution of information and communication technology (ICT)-based information sources to market participation among smallholder livestock farmers. Use of ICTs is considered paramount for providing smallholder farmers with required market information, and also to reduce market asymmetries. A double hurdle regression was utilized to analyze data collected from 150 smallholder livestock farmers in the study area. The results show that while use of ICT-based market information sources significantly influenced market participation, the effect of using ICT-based information sources on the intensity of market participation was not significant. Other variables shown to influence both market participation and the intensity of market participation were age, additional income and membership of farmer cooperatives. This suggests the need to consider other associated factors in the application and design of interventions that utilize ICT-based information sources to achieve market engagement among smallholders.
Via online issue obtained from aginfo@farmjournal.com. 3 pages., Author reports on efforts for closer integration among the cow-calf, stocker, and feeding sectors of the beef industry. The article describes efforts of feedlot veterinarians affiliated with the Production Animal Consultation (PAC) to develop a plan to share data, experiences, ideas, and outcomes. "PAC now has 35 veterinary members in 14 states and two international countries, along with staff to assist in information technology, data collection, research and communications."
16 pages, After years of debates and opposition from pharmaceutical companies, the Final rule of the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) went into effect in January 2017 requiring antibiotics used for both humans and animals for the purpose of growth promotion to be discontinued. This study sought to determine the effects framing content regarding antibiotic use in livestock and antibiotic resistance had on public opinion. Using a between-subjects experimental survey research design, 297 respondents indicated their perceptions of antibiotic use in livestock and the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria before being randomly assigned to one of three conditions. Each condition was a mock Twitter account framed differently based on findings from previous studies. After reading their assigned mock Twitter page, respondents indicated their trust of the information contained in the account, their information seeking behavior, demographics, and their support for antibiotic use in livestock. Using an ANCOVA, results indicated the frame influenced trust of information (F = 8.7, p < .05) and information seeking behavior (F = 4.48, p = .01) while support was not significant (F = 2.7, p = .07). Results suggest the blame frame has the greatest influence on shaping public opinion of antibiotic use in livestock and the development of antibiotic resistance.
USA: Center for Food Integrity, Gladstone, Missouri.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 123 Document Number: D11183
Notes:
Via online release. 1 page., Findings of a digital ethnography report indicate that while the climate change debate is expected to grow 3.6 percent in the next two years, the conversation on causes is expected to grow 260 percent and solutions 202 percent.
Commentary on "self-financed, self-serving 'science'" used by agricultural interests involving a variety of food, agriculture, and environmental issues.
