Participatory approaches to science and decision making, including stakeholder engagement, are in... more Participatory approaches to science and decision making, including stakeholder engagement, are increasingly common for managing complex socio-ecological challenges in working landscapes. However, critical questions about stakeholder engagement in this space remain. These include normative, political, and ethical questions concerning who participates, who benefits and loses, what good can be accomplished, and for what, whom, and by who. First, opportunities for addressing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion interests through engagement, while implied in key conceptual frameworks, remain underexplored in scholarly work and collaborative practice alike. A second line of inquiry relates to research–practice gaps. While both the practice of doing engagement work and scholarly research on the efficacy of engagement is on the rise, there is little concerted interplay among ‘on-the-ground’ practitioners and scholarly researchers. This means scientific research often misses or ignores ...
Studies of how consumers acquired food provisions during the COVID-19 lockdown indicate that some... more Studies of how consumers acquired food provisions during the COVID-19 lockdown indicate that some US consumers and institutional provisioners pivoted to locally produced food. In some locations local food system organizations, along with state governments, created the infrastructure to enable this pivot. Research on this phenomenon—what we call “the local pivot”—has been extensive. However, evidence collected so far has mostly been reports of case studies looking at particular communities. Using Google Trends and Twitter data, we examine whether “the local pivot” was evident as a general trend in the US during the depth of the COVID-19 food supply crisis in 2020, and whether places with high local food infrastructure allowed more people to pivot to local food provisioning. Our Google Trends analysis indicated a temporary rise in searches for local food. However, we found very little discussion of local food systems on Twitter. We then compared three states with a “high,” “medium,” a...
This study examined the expected returns and risks for traditional row crop production systems in... more This study examined the expected returns and risks for traditional row crop production systems in comparison to a new experimental sod-based rotation system in the Southeastern Gulf Coast region of Alabama. The sod-based rotation system involved a rotation sequence of two years of Bahiagrass with cattle grazing followed by peanuts then cotton. A Target Minimization of Total Absolute Deviations (MOTAD) model was developed to examine the return-risk relationships of six enterprise alternatives. The results of this study indicated that a sod-based rotation system was more risky and produced less returns than the traditional peanut-cotton rotations in the study region.
Agrifood scholars working within a political economy framework increasingly draw upon the concept... more Agrifood scholars working within a political economy framework increasingly draw upon the concept of governance to analyze the regulation of global agricultural and food systems. An important limitation of this approach is that it fails to explain how governance strategies are legitimated. Drawing on three diverse cases that span three continents, our paper examines how standards makers appeal to technoscientific norms and values to establish both credibility for their standards and their authority in constructing them. These cases explore the development and implementation of a standard requiring complete elimination of a tart cherry insect pest in the United States; the process of establishing and maintaining red meat hygiene standards in the processing and retail sectors of South Africa; and the role of GLOBALGAP standards for pesticide residues in protecting worker health and safety in the Chilean fresh fruit export sector. These cases illustrate how appeals to technoscience mas...
PurposeThe purpose of this research paper is to segment US consumers based on their attitudes tow... more PurposeThe purpose of this research paper is to segment US consumers based on their attitudes towards food safety and to demographically characterize each segment so that effective risk communication strategies and outreach programs may be developed to target vulnerable groups.Design/methodology/approachFactor analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis were applied to data on consumer food safety attitudes of a probability sample of US adults, collected by telephone questionnaires (n=1,014).FindingsThe diversity of consumer attitudes was based on five factors; concern, trust, desire for a high level of regulation, acceptance for the number of people who are ill, hospitalized or die from foodborne illness, and preference for the right to purchase foods that are not guaranteed to be safe. The consumer segments identified on the bases of these factors can be classified as “confident,” “independent”, “trusting”, “cautious”, or “apprehensive” consumers. Socio‐demographic characteristics;...
A collaborative research project was developed for a multidisciplinary class of advanced undergra... more A collaborative research project was developed for a multidisciplinary class of advanced undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in Sociology of Natural Resources and the Environment. The goals of the project were to determine the feasibility of offering an experiential learning opportunity and to explore its usefulness in enhancing students' thinking about the social constructedness of natural resource and environmental (NRE) problems. The context was the Mobile Bay watershed, which is the site of a variety of concerns such as land use, pollution, and habitat destruction. To explore these types of problems, students completed a series of assignments including a media analysis, an annotated bibliography, several peer reviews, and a poster. Evaluation found that the project was not entirely successful for teaching and learning about the role of the media in shaping and defining NRE problems, but it was very successful for teaching and learning about rural sociology more broa...
Agrifood scholars working within a political economy framework increasingly draw upon the concept... more Agrifood scholars working within a political economy framework increasingly draw upon the concept of governance to analyze the regulation of global agricultural and food systems. An important limitation of this approach is that it fails to explain how governance strategies are legitimated. Drawing on three diverse cases that span three continents, our paper examines how standards makers appeal to technoscientific norms and values to establish both credibility for their standards and their authority in constructing them. These cases explore the development and implementation of a standard requiring complete elimination of a tart cherry insect pest in the United States; the process of establishing and maintaining red meat hygiene standards in the processing and retail sectors of South Africa; and the role of GLOBALGAP standards for pesticide residues in protecting worker health and safety in the Chilean fresh fruit export sector. These cases illustrate how appeals to technoscience mas...
Historically, the rules governing red meat food safety in the U.S. were driven as much by global ... more Historically, the rules governing red meat food safety in the U.S. were driven as much by global trade and industry rationalization as by food safety. Contemporary and historical documents, statutes, and regulations; a survey of producer and farmers' market representatives; and key informant interviews show that these rules, and their implementation, have affected the current development of niche marketing opportunities. Three significant issues arise from this research: a) the elimination of the state meat inspections limits producer access to slaughter; b) the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) rule limits producer access to processing; and c) uncertainty at the local level limits producer access to direct markets. We conclude that the accumulated rules affect producers' quality of life; and they raise several issues about the relationship between sustainability and policy including barrier mitigation, balancing competing qualities, and the effects of the ...
Agrifood scholars and food movement advocates act on assumptions about what alternative food syst... more Agrifood scholars and food movement advocates act on assumptions about what alternative food systems are and what qualities should be promoted in order to bring about progressive transformation in food production such as sustainability, social justice, and improved on-farm animal well-being. However, a case study of the Michigan specialty beef sector challenges currently held views of alternative and conventional value chains, as well as the perceived outcomes of supporting particular qualities. The context and the findings ...
Following the Reasoned Action Approach, the aim of this study was to explore consumers' t... more Following the Reasoned Action Approach, the aim of this study was to explore consumers' top-of-mind food safety beliefs about local beef. Beef consumers recruited from farmers' markets (N = 101) and grocery stores (N = 174) across the state of Alabama participated in face-to-face intercept surveys. The survey included closed- and open-ended questions designed to elicit consumers' food safety beliefs about local beef. Results indicate that beef safety was not a top-of-mind concern for a majority of participants, however of the total number of participants familiar with the term "local beef" (n = 168, 61%), a majority (n = 105, 63%) associated local beef with improved food safety. Content analysis of verbatim text revealed that consumers believed local beef was safer because they possess greater knowledge about the product and less shipping was involved. Respondents also believe that locally processed meat is derived from small-scale operations which provided the assurance that local beef is more likely to meet U.S. regulatory standards and therefore be safer. Consumers believe they have more oversight of local beef due to both their relationships with supply chain actors and proximity which also provided food safety assurances.
Participatory approaches to science and decision making, including stakeholder engagement, are in... more Participatory approaches to science and decision making, including stakeholder engagement, are increasingly common for managing complex socio-ecological challenges in working landscapes. However, critical questions about stakeholder engagement in this space remain. These include normative, political, and ethical questions concerning who participates, who benefits and loses, what good can be accomplished, and for what, whom, and by who. First, opportunities for addressing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion interests through engagement, while implied in key conceptual frameworks, remain underexplored in scholarly work and collaborative practice alike. A second line of inquiry relates to research–practice gaps. While both the practice of doing engagement work and scholarly research on the efficacy of engagement is on the rise, there is little concerted interplay among ‘on-the-ground’ practitioners and scholarly researchers. This means scientific research often misses or ignores ...
Studies of how consumers acquired food provisions during the COVID-19 lockdown indicate that some... more Studies of how consumers acquired food provisions during the COVID-19 lockdown indicate that some US consumers and institutional provisioners pivoted to locally produced food. In some locations local food system organizations, along with state governments, created the infrastructure to enable this pivot. Research on this phenomenon—what we call “the local pivot”—has been extensive. However, evidence collected so far has mostly been reports of case studies looking at particular communities. Using Google Trends and Twitter data, we examine whether “the local pivot” was evident as a general trend in the US during the depth of the COVID-19 food supply crisis in 2020, and whether places with high local food infrastructure allowed more people to pivot to local food provisioning. Our Google Trends analysis indicated a temporary rise in searches for local food. However, we found very little discussion of local food systems on Twitter. We then compared three states with a “high,” “medium,” a...
This study examined the expected returns and risks for traditional row crop production systems in... more This study examined the expected returns and risks for traditional row crop production systems in comparison to a new experimental sod-based rotation system in the Southeastern Gulf Coast region of Alabama. The sod-based rotation system involved a rotation sequence of two years of Bahiagrass with cattle grazing followed by peanuts then cotton. A Target Minimization of Total Absolute Deviations (MOTAD) model was developed to examine the return-risk relationships of six enterprise alternatives. The results of this study indicated that a sod-based rotation system was more risky and produced less returns than the traditional peanut-cotton rotations in the study region.
Agrifood scholars working within a political economy framework increasingly draw upon the concept... more Agrifood scholars working within a political economy framework increasingly draw upon the concept of governance to analyze the regulation of global agricultural and food systems. An important limitation of this approach is that it fails to explain how governance strategies are legitimated. Drawing on three diverse cases that span three continents, our paper examines how standards makers appeal to technoscientific norms and values to establish both credibility for their standards and their authority in constructing them. These cases explore the development and implementation of a standard requiring complete elimination of a tart cherry insect pest in the United States; the process of establishing and maintaining red meat hygiene standards in the processing and retail sectors of South Africa; and the role of GLOBALGAP standards for pesticide residues in protecting worker health and safety in the Chilean fresh fruit export sector. These cases illustrate how appeals to technoscience mas...
PurposeThe purpose of this research paper is to segment US consumers based on their attitudes tow... more PurposeThe purpose of this research paper is to segment US consumers based on their attitudes towards food safety and to demographically characterize each segment so that effective risk communication strategies and outreach programs may be developed to target vulnerable groups.Design/methodology/approachFactor analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis were applied to data on consumer food safety attitudes of a probability sample of US adults, collected by telephone questionnaires (n=1,014).FindingsThe diversity of consumer attitudes was based on five factors; concern, trust, desire for a high level of regulation, acceptance for the number of people who are ill, hospitalized or die from foodborne illness, and preference for the right to purchase foods that are not guaranteed to be safe. The consumer segments identified on the bases of these factors can be classified as “confident,” “independent”, “trusting”, “cautious”, or “apprehensive” consumers. Socio‐demographic characteristics;...
A collaborative research project was developed for a multidisciplinary class of advanced undergra... more A collaborative research project was developed for a multidisciplinary class of advanced undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in Sociology of Natural Resources and the Environment. The goals of the project were to determine the feasibility of offering an experiential learning opportunity and to explore its usefulness in enhancing students' thinking about the social constructedness of natural resource and environmental (NRE) problems. The context was the Mobile Bay watershed, which is the site of a variety of concerns such as land use, pollution, and habitat destruction. To explore these types of problems, students completed a series of assignments including a media analysis, an annotated bibliography, several peer reviews, and a poster. Evaluation found that the project was not entirely successful for teaching and learning about the role of the media in shaping and defining NRE problems, but it was very successful for teaching and learning about rural sociology more broa...
Agrifood scholars working within a political economy framework increasingly draw upon the concept... more Agrifood scholars working within a political economy framework increasingly draw upon the concept of governance to analyze the regulation of global agricultural and food systems. An important limitation of this approach is that it fails to explain how governance strategies are legitimated. Drawing on three diverse cases that span three continents, our paper examines how standards makers appeal to technoscientific norms and values to establish both credibility for their standards and their authority in constructing them. These cases explore the development and implementation of a standard requiring complete elimination of a tart cherry insect pest in the United States; the process of establishing and maintaining red meat hygiene standards in the processing and retail sectors of South Africa; and the role of GLOBALGAP standards for pesticide residues in protecting worker health and safety in the Chilean fresh fruit export sector. These cases illustrate how appeals to technoscience mas...
Historically, the rules governing red meat food safety in the U.S. were driven as much by global ... more Historically, the rules governing red meat food safety in the U.S. were driven as much by global trade and industry rationalization as by food safety. Contemporary and historical documents, statutes, and regulations; a survey of producer and farmers' market representatives; and key informant interviews show that these rules, and their implementation, have affected the current development of niche marketing opportunities. Three significant issues arise from this research: a) the elimination of the state meat inspections limits producer access to slaughter; b) the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) rule limits producer access to processing; and c) uncertainty at the local level limits producer access to direct markets. We conclude that the accumulated rules affect producers' quality of life; and they raise several issues about the relationship between sustainability and policy including barrier mitigation, balancing competing qualities, and the effects of the ...
Agrifood scholars and food movement advocates act on assumptions about what alternative food syst... more Agrifood scholars and food movement advocates act on assumptions about what alternative food systems are and what qualities should be promoted in order to bring about progressive transformation in food production such as sustainability, social justice, and improved on-farm animal well-being. However, a case study of the Michigan specialty beef sector challenges currently held views of alternative and conventional value chains, as well as the perceived outcomes of supporting particular qualities. The context and the findings ...
Following the Reasoned Action Approach, the aim of this study was to explore consumers' t... more Following the Reasoned Action Approach, the aim of this study was to explore consumers' top-of-mind food safety beliefs about local beef. Beef consumers recruited from farmers' markets (N = 101) and grocery stores (N = 174) across the state of Alabama participated in face-to-face intercept surveys. The survey included closed- and open-ended questions designed to elicit consumers' food safety beliefs about local beef. Results indicate that beef safety was not a top-of-mind concern for a majority of participants, however of the total number of participants familiar with the term "local beef" (n = 168, 61%), a majority (n = 105, 63%) associated local beef with improved food safety. Content analysis of verbatim text revealed that consumers believed local beef was safer because they possess greater knowledge about the product and less shipping was involved. Respondents also believe that locally processed meat is derived from small-scale operations which provided the assurance that local beef is more likely to meet U.S. regulatory standards and therefore be safer. Consumers believe they have more oversight of local beef due to both their relationships with supply chain actors and proximity which also provided food safety assurances.
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