4pgs, The U.S. Department of Agriculture has reinforced oversight on organic certification and enforcement to prevent mislabeled products, in what advocates are calling the biggest update in decades.
14pgs, We used an online survey to document challenges experienced by aquaponic hobbyists (n = 81), producers (n = 117), and educators (n = 75). Responses were distilled into the following categories: 1) operations and management; 2) facilities, location, and system design; 3) knowledge and educational resources; 4) funding; 5) economic viability; 6) plant culture; 7) marketing and distribution; 8) fish culture; 9) human factors; 10) regulations and certifications. Training and research in these areas are needed to advance the aquaponics industry.
6pgs, Small producers won’t have the testing and control tools available to chicken-industry giants, some farmers say. That could give big producers one more advantage in a market where they already exercise a lot of control.
Online from publication. 2 pages., Identification of produce items cited as problematic and acceptable by the Environmental Working Group. Article indicates that more than 99 percent of produce samples tested for these reports have residue levels that are compliant with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards (which EWG considers insufficient).
Online from publication. 3 pages., Report of a conversation with Hugo Hays, global director of compliance and food safety for international banana firm, Fyffes.
21 pages, via Online Journal, This paper explores the role of regulation and legislation on influencing the development and diffusion of technologies and methods of crop production. To do this, the change in pesticide registration under European Regulation 1107/2009 ‘Placing Plant Protection Products on the Market’ was followed through the UK’s agricultural system of innovation. Fieldwork included: a series of interviews conducted with scientists, agronomists and industry organisations; a programme of visiting agricultural events; as well as sending an electronic survey to British potato growers. The innovation system is noted to have made the legislation less restrictive than originally proposed. The most notable system response to the legislation is the adjustment of agrochemical company pesticide discovery strategy and their expansion into biologically derived treatments. There have also been other innovation responses: agricultural seed companies have been breeding in pathogen resistance in their cultivars; agricultural consultancies are prepared to recommend pathogen-resistant seeds; scientists are using the change as justification for adopting their solutions; the agricultural levy boards funded research into off-label pesticide uses; and producers, potato growers in particular, have been seeking advice, but not changing their growing practices.
Online from publication. 1 page., Author provides selected excerpts of six comments in response to the Food and Drug Administration's proposed rule on its designation of high-risk foods for tracing.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 202 Document Number: D11945
Notes:
From Agri-Pulse via online from AgriMarketing Weekly. 1 page., "Key voices from new and innovative meat technology industries are calling for mandatory labeling of cell-based meat and for more sector feedback before those labels are developed."
Online from publication. 3 pages., Report of USDA decision to suspend a report used to set wages for guest workers in the H-2A program in 2021, with examples of responses and implications.
Online from publication. 4 pages., Introduction of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's proposed rule, called "Requirements for additional traceability records for certain foods." Reporter notes, "The industry has been waiting for this shoe to drop for years."
International: Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 30 Document Number: D10564
Notes:
2 pages., via website, The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy., Regulation gets a bad name in much of the world today. Business lobbies have successfully equated it in many people’s minds with just so much “red tape”. Government-imposed rules on how things are made, how services are delivered and what products have no place on the market at all are said to hamper business competitiveness. Precautionary measures aimed at safeguarding people’s health, or the health of fragile water bodies and ecosystems, are labelled unfair barriers to trade and investment — a claim made increasingly over the past quarter-century of corporate globalization.
13 pages., via online journal., Drawing on the increasing body of literature on policy stakeholders and the ever-growing acknowledgement that communication policy is crafted by more than just parliamentarians and formal communication regulators this paper examines the role that another set of regulators plays in communication policy: agriculture regulators. Based on a study of the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS), this paper explores alternative agents of communication policy. More specifically, through document analysis we examine the way in which the Rural Utilities Service has shaped rural broadband policy in the United States over the last three decades. The implications for this research are wide, as it brings another policy actor into the policy making melee, and pushes communication policy scholars to consider the role that non-traditional communication regulators play in the communication policy making process.
International: Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 30 Document Number: D10565
Notes:
4 pages., via website, The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy., As Congress and the public debate the pros and cons of the United States-Mexico-Canada
Agreement (USMCA), or New NAFTA, behind the scenes and in the shadows transnational
corporations are doubling down on their plans to weaken and eliminate public protections
through a related entity, the secretive Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC). This littleknown council has the mission of promoting trade by “reducing, eliminating or preventing
unnecessary regulatory differences” between Canada and the United States. Since the RCC’s
inception, agribusiness—including factory-farmed livestock producers, the feed industry, and
chemical and pesticide manufacturers and linked transportation businesses—has had a seat at
the regulatory cooperation table. Their focus, without exception, has been advocating the
scaling back and even elimination of important safety protections in both countries. In the U.S.,
recommendations made by the RCC feed directly into regulations enacted (or eliminated) by
the Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection
Agency, among others
20 pages., Online via UI e-subscription, This article centered on the representation of food additives as a matter of key importance to the public's conceptualization of them. Findings from a systematic qualitative study of the magazines of two Belgian consumer organizations revealed that additives were seen as providing no benefits to consumers, for they could be used to reduce the quality of both the ingredients and the production process. They were perceived as a means of deceiving the public, with portrayal of consumers as powerless in the struggle for control over the types and amounts of additives they ingested. In turn, the limitations were seen as a failure of government and scientific institutions to provide the necessary protection.
Austin, Lucinda L. (author / University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Schultz, MaryClaire (author / Elon University), and Gaither, Barbara Miller (author / Elon University)
Format:
Book chapter
Publication Date:
2019
Published:
International
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 102 Document Number: D10898
Notes:
See also D10895., Pages 95-103 in Brigitta R. Brunner and Corey A. Hickerson (editors), Cases in public relations: translating ethics into action. Oxford University Press, New York City, New York. 359 pages., Reports on goals of McDonald's to increase transparency with consumers. While their goals are clear, their actions fall short."
15 pages., via online journal., This paper presents selected highlights from the ‘Engaging with society’ session of EFSA's third Scientific Conference ‘Science, Food and Society’ (Parma, Italy, 18–21 September 2018). The social dimension for scientific advisory bodies largely concerns science communication and public engagement. The political, economic and technological transformation of contemporary societies is challenging conventional structures and approaches in these areas. The disintermediation of communication and the proliferation of misinformation, it is argued, herald the onset of the post‐truth society. A better understanding of the way individuals consume information today has led to the development of tools to guide mediators such as journalists and communication specialists in countering these trends. Public engagement can reinforce confidence in regulatory bodies and potentially contribute to the quality of the scientific process. Scientific advisory bodies in Europe have created strategies and mechanisms to engage the public that are designed to increase transparency and representativeness. To be effective, several engagement mechanisms are needed, although factors such as resource constraints, institutional culture and public/stakeholder attitudes may limit their development. In conclusion, a more vigorous role for social research is needed to place scientific risk assessment within broader socio‐economic and political contexts. Social science expertise can help to define more impactful public information strategies and to explore the potential opportunities that engaged stakeholders and citizens can make to sustain and strengthen regulatory science.
4 pages., Online from publisher., "For the first time, a landmark report on digitalisation for agriculture (D4Ag) in Africa compiles and highlights data on digital solutions that are enabling the transformation of African agriculture."
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.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 130 Document Number: D11277
Notes:
7 pages., Trans Atlantic Consumer Dialogue, coordinated by Consumers International, London, United Kingdom. Document Number: Food 40.19., Resolution offers recommendations for EU and U.S. governments to develop policies and regulations to effectively protect children, including adolescents, from unregulated and inappropriate food marketing in digital media and techniques.
Article first online: 18 July 2017, Via online journal., Farm to school programs have been positioned as interventions that can support goals of the global food sovereignty movement, including strengthening local food production systems, improving food access and food justice for urban populations, and reducing distancing between producers and consumers. However, there has been little assessment of how and to what extent farm to school programs can actually function as a mechanism leading to the achievement of food sovereignty. As implemented in North America, farm to school programs encompass activities not only related to school food procurement, but also to the development of student knowledge and skills under the framework of food literacy. Research on farm to school initiatives has largely been conducted in countries with government-supported national school feeding programs; this study examines farm to school organizing in Canada, where there is no national student nutrition program. Using qualitative fieldwork and document analysis, we investigate the farm to school movement in British Columbia, in a context where civil society concerns related to education and health have been the main vectors of farm to school mobilization. Our analysis suggests that, despite limited institutional infrastructure for school meals, the British Columbia farm to school movement has contributed toward realizing goals of food sovereignty through two main mechanisms: advocacy for institutional procurement of local and sustainable foods and mobilizing food literacy for increased public engagement with issues of social justice and equity in food systems.
Warner, Anna (author), Oesterreicher, Shelby (author), and Rumble, Joy (author)
Format:
Paper abstract
Publication Date:
2018-02
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 199 Document Number: D10004
Notes:
Abstract of paper presented at the National Agricultural Communications Symposium, Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists (SAAS) Agricultural Communications Section, Jacksonville, Florida, February 4-5, 2018.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 133 Document Number: D11397
Notes:
5 pages., Via online from website., Results of a national survey among U.S. adults suggest that "Americans are closely divided over the health benefits of organic produce."
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 133 Document Number: D11392
Notes:
25 pages., Via online., "National survey by Pew Research Center, conducted March 27-April 9 among 2,541 adults, finds pockets of partisan agreement over expanding solar and wind power, though wide political divides remain over increasing fossil fuels through such methods as coal mining, hydraulic fracturing and offshore drilling for oil and natural gas, a pattern consistent with a 2016 Pew Research Center survey."
April 19 issue via online. 9 pages., "With the rise of legal marijuana across the country, the publishing industry is also seeing an increase in print magazines and new media brands focused on cannabis to meet growing demand for news and insight related to the upstart industry."
14 pages., Online via UI e-subscription, This critical review examined the role that country image and country of origin play in food retailing within the context of international trade in food. Authors developed a research agenda, highlighting several major avenues and methodological approaches with the aim of enhancing the relevance and validity of COO research in food retailing and promotion management.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D09233
Notes:
Research poster presented at the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association annual meeting, Chicago, Illinois, July 30-August 1, 2017. 2 pages., Findings indicate that online advertising of alcohol weakens the effectiveness of alcohol marketing restrictions.
Hellman, Kelly (author) and Mullins, Jamie (author)
Format:
Paper
Publication Date:
2017-07-30
Published:
Chile
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 172 Document Number: D09424
Notes:
Paper presented at the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois, July 30-August 1, 2017. 15 pages., Evidence of reduced mortality when public notices are provided about spikes in air pollution.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 168 Document Number: D08529
Notes:
Online via Agri Marketing Weekly. 1 page, Includes link to a letter (3 pages) to members of the U.S. House of Representatives,'"Support of legislative action to provide meaningful reform of checkoff program." Letter includes the list of groups (4+ pages).
USA: Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism, Arizona State University, Phoenix.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 166 Document Number: D11682
Notes:
2 pages., Via online article., Report on how local makers and crafting movements are unfolding for artisans, small-batch food producers, and other local makers. Identifies possible story angles for journalists.
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: 201 Document Number: D11700
Notes:
2 pages., Online from publisher website., Author discusses some business impacts of climate change and offers suggestions for coverage by business and science writers.
Taylor, Charles R. (author) and Sarkees, Matthew E. (author)
Format:
Book chapter
Publication Date:
2017
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D08833
Notes:
Pages 61-73 in Yoon, Sukki and Oh, Sangdo (eds.), Social and environmental issues in advertising. United Kingdom: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, London. 169 pages.
Alpmann, Jan (author), Bitsch, Vera (author), and Technical University of Munich, Chair Group Economics of Horticulture and Landscaping, Alte Akademie 16, Freising, Germany
Technical University of Munich, Chair Economics of Horticulture and Landscaping, Alte Akademie 16, Freising, Germany
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2017-01
Published:
Germany: Elsevier Ltd.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 162 Document Number: D08106
