23 pages, The present study explores the development of agri-food value chains from an organizational learning perspective, using the German organic food sector as an example. We illustrate how the development of local value chains unfolds over time and outline how facilitation can support this process.
5pgs, This time of year, fresh produce production is abundant in most U.S. states, with the North arriving to the party little later than those below the Mason Dixon line.
While retailers know how to source, merchandise and market locally grown programs, engaging consumers in a locally grown program can prove to be trickier than in the past. But there are a lot of opportunities.
12 pages, Smallholder farms are complex systems, constantly adapting to context and rely on local, place-based knowledges. The vital role of local knowledge in smallholder farming systems has seen attempts throughout low- and middle-income countries to entwine local knowledge with scientific knowledge to improve outcomes from agricultural extension. Using a systematic review and exploratory meta-synthesis of selected literature, this research explored the use of local knowledge in agricultural extension. The synthesis found local knowledge plays a vital role in the adoption of new technologies or practices because as the dominant form of knowledge in communities they give learners confidence and they provide a context upon which new information can be introduced. However, effective use of local knowledge requires a realistic perspective which recognises that some combination of local and scientific knowledge, developed in a participatory process, will likely result in extension delivering greater outcomes to farmers.
3 pages, Various food programs present opportunities for marketing local food in Tennessee. Health-conscious consumers prefer the health benefits of local food over processed foods. To satisfy consumer demand, local restaurants are utilizing the services of local food vendors. Conventional grocery stores are broadening their food aisles to accommodate locally produced foods. Using data collected from an online survey of 250 producers, this research update reports on opportunities for marketing local foods in Tennessee.
12 pages., In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), declining soil fertility is among the factors affecting optimal food production. Although a number of interventions have been implemented to improve soil fertility management (SFM) in SSA, their adoption especially among small scale farmers has been low. Although the literature provides considerable evidence of socio-economic factors which influence adoption, the subject of how communication influences adoption of SFM remains under-explored. This paper therefore reviewed studies on SFM communication in SSA. The objectives were to identify the current focus of studies on SFM communication, the current definitions of communication which informed such studies, and the type of SFM practices being communicated in the SSA region. Using specific search terms, articles were collected from various databases and content analysed. The review revealed five main themes as the focus of current studies on SFM. The study also revealed two main interpretations of communication which in turn influence the use of either diffusion or participatory communication strategies for SFM communication. The review also showed a focus on integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) messages in the SSA area. The study concludes that while each of the two communication strategies has their individual strengths, farmers prefer participatory strategies. This is because participatory strategies foster interaction and greater understanding; thereby, increasing the likelihood of farmer adoption of SFM practices in SSA. The review concludes by calling for further research on the use of participatory communication to engage farmers about various SFM practices in SSA.
15 pages., Many U.S. state governments have programs that promote the food grown or made within their state. In this study, the websites of 41 such programs were analyzed for indicators of stewardship, a framework concerned with relationship cultivation. Several of the indicators were observed commonly, demonstrating a generally balanced use of stewardship strategies by the programs. The websites also provided a platform to grow relationships between producers and consumers. One recommendation for managers of statewide food promotion programs, or similar umbrella food brand programs, is to examine their own websites to ensure indicators of all stewardship strategies are present. Though most websites examined in this study posted mission statements, for example, not all of them did. Expressions of gratitude to multiple stakeholder groups were also lacking on many of the websites. Another recommendation for managers is to implement some of the more creative ways programs have practiced stewardship such as giving audiences opportunities to co-create content. Overall, this analysis showed that state-run food promotion programs function as public relations and agricultural communications tools.
Online from publication. 4 pages., Outlook perspectives from a panel of leaders of three of the largest organic fresh produce companies during the Organic Grower Summit Roundtable, December 9, 2020.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 201 Document Number: D11718
Notes:
Online via AgriMarketing Weekly from the Certified Agriculture Dealer (CAD) Program and partner RFD-TV. 2 pages., Release announces "the first live national farm show that includes both the local and virtual aspect for farmers and ranchers to participate in the best way that suits their operations."
2 pages, Online from publication. 2 pages., Food Marketing Institute's 2020 Power of Produce Report indicated that the power of local produce is not fading. More than 50% of respondents said they would like to see a greater assortment of locally grown produce at their primary store. Great promotions, displaying items in season and eye-catching displays were identified as most effective at driving impulse purchases, which tend to involve local produce.
Online from publisher. 3 pages., Case examples in the eastern U.S. of consumer food buying from local, -in-state, and regional producers, with expressions of increased interest and preference.
2 pages, via Online journal, Every morning I wake up like thousands of others wondering if what I am experiencing is just a bad dream. As I move into the day I am acutely aware that it is not a bad dream and that I as a farmer and an activist have a responsibility to make this devastating situation better.
9 pages, Financial performance benchmarks were estimated on the basis of samples of successful Northeast fruit and vegetable producers classified by primary local foods market channel. Comparisons across farm stores, large urban farmers' markets, and intermediated market channels were conducted for the purpose of identifying key differences in human and financial resource requirements. The benchmarks provide data useful for assisting individual farmers in assessing their performances and new and beginning farmers in identifying appropriate market channels for their businesses. Additionally, the benchmarks provide a rich source of information for use by Extension educators in developing programming around local foods marketing opportunities and business planning.
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.
Curtiss, Brook D. (author), Hale-Spencer, Melissa (author), Hueston, Brett (author), Whitney, Jonathan (author), Harnack, Roger (author), McLaughlin, Kaylie (author), Lozinski, Peter (author), Hedlund, Patric (author), Meyer, Eric (author), Wagner, Ellen (author), Nash, Noel (author), White, Mark (author), Ranson, Steve (author), Meier, Jill (author), Sawvell, Derek (author), Keck, Randy (author), Murray, Ian (author), McCarthy, James (author), and Valpy, Bruce (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2020
Published:
USA: International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 201 Document Number: D11786
Online via UI electronic subscription., Brief case examples of how community newspapers adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic in the face of suspended activities in their communities.
Freireich, Elliott (author), Fogler, Jim (author), Waltner, Jeremy (author), McLaughlin, Kaylie (author), Wagner, Ellen (author), Nash, Noel (author), van Zyl, Anton (author), Finklea, Betsy (author), Manko, Janet (author), Meyer, Eric (author), Bellune, Jerry (author), Martin, Brad (author), Sieve-Hicks Jen (author), Klomp, Marcie (author), Meier, Jill (author), and Whitney, Jonathan (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2020
Published:
International
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 201 Document Number: D11787
Online via UI electronic subscription, Comments, ideas and concerns expressed by a selection of community newspaper publishers and editors about their adjustments in the face of economic and business impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
8 pages., Originally published by Yes! magazine and reproduced by High Country News as part of the SoJo Exchange of COVID-19 stories from the Solutions Journalism Network., Some consumers have turned to community agriculture as the pandemic strains the nation's food system.
4 pages., Author suggests that"social forestry seeks to manage forests through local communities for their own plus national benefits, but is still falls short of the targets set. Reconciling local concerns for livelihood opportunities with the need for accountability requires intermediaries who successfully negotiate in the bureaucratic jungle of forestry as an institution."
National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) staff summarizes findings of 2019 listenership research and unique capabilities of audio media in providing farmers with timely, "hands free" information.
19 pages., Online via UI e-subscription., Authors examined impacts of efforts by Report for America (RFA) to strengthen the capacity of local news and increase trust from the perspective of two communities: a neighborhood on Chicago's West Side and a rural county in eastern Kentucky. Findings illustrated "the influence of place and power dynamics on how residents navigate trustworthiness factors." They also revealed lack of feedback loops to provide coverage for communities.
International: Center for Food Integrity, Gladstone, Missouri.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 166 Document Number: D11681
Notes:
3 pages., News release via online., News release covering a meeting panelist's remarks during a webinar about shifting sustainability priorities related to the food system.
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.
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.
Ercilla-Montserrat, Mireia (author), Sanjuan-Delmás, David (author), Sanyé-Mengual, Esther (author), Calvet-Mir, Laura (author), Banderas, Karla (author), Rieradevall, Joan (author), and Gabarrell, Xavier (author)
Format:
Online journal article
Publication Date:
2019-09
Published:
Springer New York LLC
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 83 Document Number: D10839
19 pages., via online journal., Soilless crops are commonly used in rooftop agriculture (RA) because they easily adapt to building constraints. However, acceptance of the produce derived from this system may be controversial. This paper evaluates consumers’ acceptance of food from RA in Mediterranean cities, focusing on the quality of the product, production system, and consumers’ motivations. We surveyed 238 respondents on the UAB university campus as potential consumers. The survey was distributed via an Internet-link that was provided along with a sample of tomatoes from RA. The results showed that most people approved the quality of RA products and perceived them to be local and fresh (94%). The respondents exhibited acceptance of soilless-produced tomatoes and considered them to be environmentally better than conventionally produced ones (69%). Cluster analysis revealed that consumers with high income levels and a university education had a better perception of the quality and proposed a higher price for RA products, but no difference was found regarding their environmental perception of this products. Moreover, people who possessed more information about the product also had a higher perception of the quality and production system (it was perceived to be environmentally friendly) and would pay more for them. The main concerns of consumers were related to food safety and the social impact of RA. Additional research is needed to improve the sustainability of RA, and the applied measures should be communicated to potential consumers to enhance their acceptance and success.
Online via UI subscription. 10 pages., How libraries are teaming up with journalists to promote media literacy, spur civic engagement, and even take on reporting projects
USA: International Food Information Council Foundation, Washington, D.C.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 30 Document Number: D10555
Notes:
3 pages., via website, International Food Information Council Foundation., Topics like sustainability, plant-based diets and clean eating seem to permeate news about food, but it turns out they’re not just buzzwords or “flavors of the week.” IFIC Foundation’s 2019 Food and Health Survey shows genuine and growing interest in these and other trends.
VanSickle, John J. (author) and Zhang, Fangyi (author)
Format:
Research report
Publication Date:
2019-01-14
Published:
USA: Food and Resource Economics Department, Institute of Food and Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 12 Document Number: D10414
Notes:
25 pages., Results suggest that education and promotion activities yield positive returns to the Florida tomato industry, much from shifting demand away from imported tomatoes to U.S. grown tomatoes.
USA: International Food Information Council Foundation, Washington, D.C.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 30 Document Number: D10554
Notes:
3 pages., Via website, International Food Information Council Foundation., While consumers cite broad aspects like taste, price and familiarity as the top reasons to purchase certain foods, they also crave a deeper understanding of what they are eating. Americans want to learn more about the origins of their food and its entire journey from farm to fork, according to the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation.
Available online at www.centmapress.org, Results showed that the producers had seen a positive improvement in sales following acquisition of the regional food quality label, although they had not noticed greater interest in their products during campaigns to support awareness of the label.
Interational: 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: D11693
Notes:
2 pages., Online from publisher website., Cites trends in lifestyles of sending as little to the landfill as possible and offers ideas for local new coverage of efforts along that line (including those of local grocery stores and restaurants).
16 pages., via online journal., Case study examined the efforts of a rural hyperlocal outlet to adapt community traditions as engagement interventions by reimagining "society columns" as community contributors -- and using "liars tables" as listening circles. Findings show promising signs by making the processes of journalism more participatory, allowing residents to represent and share their own stories and cover a wider range of stories that are not exclusively negative. The "liars table" concept "has a steeper road ahead."
12 pages., Online via UI e-subscription., Authors examine dimensions of globalization and propose three research domains in which psychology scholars can contribute to further understanding of our global society.
14 pages., Online via Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)., Authors tested label effectiveness involving "supermarket shoppers on a rural American Indian reservation." Results showed added value and willingness to pay through tailoring the label to the local community.
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.
16 pages., via online journal., Fraudulent activities in the international honey market affect 10% of food, and cost the global food market $50 billion per annum. Although many developed countries have created regulations to combat food fraud, illegally imported honey, especially originating from China, still enters through transshipments and relabelling to mask its true origin. This honey laundering poses a health risk to consumers, as Chinese honey potentially contains illegal and unsafe antibiotics and high levels of herbicides and pesticides. We analyse whether information about the negative health impacts of laundered honey increases the proportion of consumers willing to pay a premium for local fraud‐free honey. Using a laboratory experiment, we find when consumers are given honey laundering information, their willingness to pay a premium for local fraud‐free honey increases by as much as 27 percentage points. Our findings suggest that by conveying honey laundering information and guaranteeing their honey is fraud‐free, producers can potentially increase revenues and reduce the prevalence of food fraud. Our results further show that consumers' preference for various honey characteristics and age also influence the probability of paying a premium for local honey.
18 pages., via online journal., Findings in rural communities prompt authors to recommend a customized policy framework that is responsive to the diversity and uniqueness of local contexts in connectivity and digital inclusion.
7 pages., Article presents learnings and observations from the perspective of delivering a targeted sugarcane agricultural extension program across the Wet Tropics. "Importantly, this program has continued to find the need to understand and align with local community and industry dynamics to ensure prioritisation supports the intended outcomes, including that communities and landholders are actively engaged in water quality improvement and remain resilient."
Online via Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). 25 pages, Researchers analyzed the spatial dimension and socioeconomic determinants of social media utilization in 3,109 counties in the United States. Subsamples involved metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural regions. Findings compared usage of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and all social media, by region of the nation.
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
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 199 Document Number: D09786
Notes:
Center for Public Issues Education in Agriculture and Nature Resources, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. 2 pages.
