7 pages, The application of balanced fertilizers is essential to produce highquality broccoli. A field experiment was conducted to find an appropriate fertilizer management practice for broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. ‘Italica’) that can generate higher yield and quality. The experiment comprised 24 treatment combinations with six fertilizer management practices, i.e., T1: control. T2: cow dung at 10 t ha-1. T3: chicken manure at 10 t ha-1. T4: recommended NPK dose. T5: cow dung at 5 t ha-1 + 50% of the recommended NPK dose. T6: chicken manure at 5 t ha-1 + 50% of the recommended NPK dose. The highest plant height (60.00 cm) occurred in response to T6, the highest stem length (22.25 cm) in T4, and the maximum number of leaves per plant (22.00) in T4 and T6 treatments. Maximum fresh leaf weight per plant (609 g), stem diameter (3.98 cm), curd diameter (16.63 cm), and individual curd weight (494.50 g) occurred in response to the T5 treatment. The optimum yield (25.78 t ha-1) of broccoli can be obtained by application of cow dung (5 t ha-1) with a recommended dose of 50% inorganic fertilizer NPK (T5). Maximum TSS value (10.54%) occurred in response to T3, which was statistically similar to the effect of T6 (10.52%). Vitamin C content (80.77 mg 100 g-1) became significantly high in response to the T4 treatment (100% recommended dose of NPK). Minimum vitamin C content (53.84 mg 100 g-1) occurred in the control treatment (T1). Applying cow dung at 5 t ha-1 in addition to the 50% recommended dose of NPK fertilizers (T5) led to superior yield values in broccoli.
5 pages, While strategies may differ across geographical regions, FACS Extension professionals work to enhance nutrition education and increase food security in their communities. The four dimensions of food security developed by The Food and Agricultural Organization were reconceptualized to understand food security on an individual or at a community level. Using experiences from a summer internship with two urban counties, the EEUESA Model described here was designed to aid FACS Extension professionals in their efforts for nutrition education and to better understand how programming targets food security in their communities
16 pages, Producing sufficient food to satisfy nutritional needs is imperative for building a prosperous society. This study examined trends in agricultural yields, water and sanitation services, and nutrition indices in Nigeria. Secondary data from the FAO-FAOSTAT (2000–2020) were utilized and analyzed using descriptive statistics, the respective coefficients of variation and determination, the Mann-Kendall trend test, the Pearson correlation and multivariate regression for statistical inferences. The results show trends for data on several variables. GDP per capita and population numbers were positively correlated with the number of children under five years of age who were stunted, and the proportion of population and number of people using safely managed and at least basic drinking water and sanitation services. A major result was the significant positive relationship between cassava yield and number of children under five who were stunted. Also, there was the negative influence of population numbers on cassava and maize yields. If not attended to, the outcomes of these relationships are expected to exacerbate nutrition insecurity and stunting in children under five. An improvement in the national indices on agricultural yields and nutrition security is imperative for the accelerated attainment by 2030 of the national nutrition security targets and the SDGs.
26 pages, This research is intended to initiate understanding of how obesity in the South persists even though the majority of inhabitants subscribe to a faith that discourages unhealthy lifestyles. Grounded in the Cognitive Dissonance Theory, this study examined Protestant evangelical Christians in the South (N = 11), who participated in semi-structured interviews. The first emergent theme was that, to these Southerners, the purpose of food is for sustenance and survival, as well as for bringing people together. Most participants reported having an average level of knowledge of nutrition and health. Furthermore, participants generally agreed that marketing or educational efforts had little effect on their understanding of nutrition. Another theme emerged when participants provided Biblical references to food or health. “The Body is a Temple” and “gluttony” were the most common Biblical concepts. All participants referred to taste or desirability as the driver of their food selections. Furthermore, most participants claimed habitual gluttony as a personal experience in their lives. This study concluded that subjects employed two modes of “trivializing” as a way of resolving dissonance. Some participants justified their eating habits based on Southern culture, while others explained that their church culture supported unhealthy eating as a means of gathering in fellowship.
20 pages, Knowledge of agricultural practices has declined in recent years, resulting in consumers becoming uncertain of where and how their food has been produced and the marketing tactics used to promote the product. Historically, the U.S. population’s rich agricultural heritage coincided with higher levels of agricultural literacy. Some scholars, however, have maintained that U.S. culture has begun to lose touch with its agricultural foundations. More recent evidence has demonstrated that consumers acquire knowledge about their food from various media, most notably the Internet and social media. Often these sources use incorrect information and promote food and agricultural marketing trends that may not be grounded in scientific data. In response, this historical narrative analyzed a reform effort that occurred in U.S. food labeling policy and practice in the 1900s, which contributed to food labeling issues and consumer distrust in the agricultural industry. Based on the findings of this investigation, we concluded that food labels were initially intended to provide consumers with more profound knowledge of the food they purchased. However, key legislative acts such as the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act and the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act shifted the food labeling movement into a branding device to differentiate products and brands. We recommend that agricultural practitioners explore new ways to communicate their message more effectively. We also call for producers to incorporate more personal and emotional appeals when marketing agricultural products to better compete with third-party branding efforts.
7 pages, Pecans are a heart-healthy food, serving as an excellent source of unsaturated fatty acids, micronutrients, and phytochemicals. Despite rapid growth of the U.S. pecan export in global market, domestic pecan consumption has been stagnating, especially in attracting young consumers. This study seeks to investigate the effectiveness of nutrition education brochure that utilizes two information formats-rich media and traditional media-for promoting nutritional knowledge of pecans among young consumers. The experiment followed a between-subjects 2 x 2 design. Four versions of digital brochures were developed to manipulate two independent variables: video (absent vs. present) and recipe (absent vs. present). The findings indicated that including a video in the digital brochure can help increase consumers’ perceived information quality, and recipe content can help increase consumers' trust in the nutrition information and information source. The results also showed that for consumers with a lower prior knowledge regarding pecans, educational materials including a video were more effective than materials without a video. Such strategies to promote pecan consumption could benefit the pecan industry as well as public health.
9pgs, Soil loss due to crop harvest contributes to land degradation, and knowledge of this challenge can guide the choice of crops for sustainable agriculture. Nigeria is the largest producer of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) and the third largest producer of peanut (Arachis hypogaea Linn) in the world. Due to limited information on soil loss during peanut and cassava harvests worldwide, and cost of nutrient loss, a two-year field experiment was conducted to compare soil loss due to harvesting of peanut and cassava and to estimate cost of nutrient loss due to crop harvest under traditional agriculture. Peanut pod yields of 2.39 and 2.08 t ha–1harvest–1 removed 0.62 and 0.58 t ha–1 harvest–1 during peanut harvest, respectively, for years 1 and 2. Similarly, cassava yields of 22.71 and 21.40 t ha–1 harvest–1 removed 1.11 and 0.91 t ha–1harvest–1 during cassava harvest, respectively, for years 1 and 2. Crop yields strongly correlated with soil loss due to peanut harvest (R2= 0.36; p < 0.001) and soil loss due to cassava harvest (R2 = 0.23; p < 0.01). Significantly higher soil loss due to cassava harvest compared to peanut harvest can be ascribed to higher cassava yield. Also, soil nutrient loss due to crop harvest was significantly (p < 0.001) higher for cassava compared with peanut by 27.6% phosphorus (P) and 73.7% potassium (K) for the first year and 39.2% P and 79.1% K for the second year. Fertilizer equivalent cost of P and K losses due to cassava harvest for the two years was higher than that of peanut by US$29 ha–1. The study indicated that the intensity of nutrient loss by harvesting is largely dependent on the crop type, and harvesting of cassava can deplete soil nutrients faster than that of peanut under traditional agriculture. Sequential planting of cassava (deep rooted crop) followed by peanut (shallow rooted crop) as a crop rotation management practice is recommended to mitigate soil loss due to continuous harvesting of cassava, and harvesting with thorough shaking technique is also suggested to reduce nutrient loss potential of crop harvesting.
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.
10 pages, Sustainable food systems are often defined by greenhouse gases, land use, effects on biodiversity, and water use. However, this approach does not recognize the reason food is produced—the provision of nutrients. Recently, the relationship between diets and sustainability has been recognized. Most accepted models of ‘sustainable diets’ focus on four domains: public health, the environment, food affordability, and cultural relevance. Aligned with the FAO’s perspective, truly sustainable diets comprise foods that are affordable, nutritious, developed with ingredients produced in an environmentally friendly manner, and consumer preferred. Identifying solutions to address all four domains simultaneously remains a challenge. Furthermore, the recent pandemic exposed the fragility of the food supply when food accessibility and affordability became primary concerns. There have been increasing calls for more nutrient-dense and sustainable foods, but scant recognition of the consumer’s role in adopting and integrating these foods into their diet. Dietary recommendations promoting sustainable themes often overlook how and why people eat what they do. Taste, cost, and health motivate consumer food purchase and the food system must address those considerations. Sustainable foods are perceived to be expensive, thus marginalizing acceptance by the people, which is needed for broad adoption into diets for impactful change. Transformational change is needed in food systems and supply chains to address the complex issues related to sustainability, taste, and cost. An emerging movement called regenerative agriculture (a holistic, nature-based approach to farming) provides a pathway to delivering sustainable foods at an affordable cost to consumers. A broad coalition among academia, government, and the food industry can help to ensure that the food supply concurrently prioritizes sustainability and nutrient density in the framework of consumer-preferred foods. The coalition can also help to ensure sustainable diets are broadly adopted by consumers. This commentary will focus on the challenges and opportunities for the food industry and partners to deliver a sustainable supply of nutrient-dense foods while meeting consumer expectations.
4 pages, Excess intake of energy, sugars, salt and saturated fats is an important causal factor of obesity and related non-communicable diseases. In order to help consumers to make healthy food choices, many European countries have developed proposals for “front-of-pack” food labeling, intended as an integration to the nutritional information provided by the mandatory nutritional declaration. Based on the European strategic program “Farm to Fork”, the intention is to achieve a harmonized front-of-pack label proposal by Q4 2022.
Among the different proposals, the one which received most attention by experts and greater feedback by the EU member countries is the Nutri-Score, a tool based on an algorithm whereby a “quality” category ranging from A to E is assigned to each single food on a background colored from dark green to dark orange. As an alternative to Nutri-Score, the NutrInform Battery has been developed by Italy in association with a few other EU member states: this proposal is objectively alternative to the Nutri-Score proposal due to a different underlying philosophy, in particular for its informative and educational intent rather than purchase orientation.
The present document, prepared by the Scientific Board and reviewed by the Scientific Council of the Italian Society of Human Nutrition, represents the scientific-based position of the Society in relation to the general theme of front-of-pack labeling and in particular to the dualism created between the Nutri-Score and NutrInform Battery proposals.
13 pages, HIV Aids has had a major impact on resource-limited African rural Sub-Saharan communities, especially upon women who typically experience greater gender inequity, have fewer assets and greater food insecurity and vulnerability. Coordinated interventions in crop productivity, nutrition, AIDS treatment, and livelihood security can have significant positive impacts on individuals and households; however their impact upon gender relations and social equity is unclear. Qualitative interviews and an integrative model of factors influencing women’s empowerment are used to examine this issue in four villages of the Miracle Project in Zambia and Malawi. Although some local agency and NGO programs existed in these villages prior to project inception, female respondents reported improvements in crop productivity and income, some initiation of new enterprises, improvement in ownership of assets and housing quality and access or re- access to kinship or community based mutual assistance networks from which they had been excluded. Consumption of the introduced quality protein maize and products from home processing of soyabeans were cited as improving household nutrition. Together with increased accessibility to retroviral drugs, women’s health has improved; levels of poverty and stigmatisation have reduced and allowed many to display an improved degree of empowerment.
Online from publication issue. 3 pages., Article summarizes findings of the 16th annual "Power of Meat" survey funded by the Food Industry Association (FMI) and the North American Meat Institute's (Meat Institute) Foundation for Meat and Poultry Research and Education. Focuses on beef, pork, and poultry consumption in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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.
