Month: January 2006

Are nano-foods a great hope? Or a next round of the “frankenfood” debate?

Nano-rice, nano-cheese and hundreds of other food and nutrition products containing microscopic-scale additives are in the research stage, according to a report by John Feffer of AlterNet, a project of the Independent Media Institute. He examined potentials of this new science, including possibilities for stirring public distrust over health and safety concerns.

“… with often unlabeled products in a largely unregulated environment, nano might fall into the same trust gap.”

Title: The evolution of frankenfoods?
Posted at: http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/23534

On images: “Frankenfood” most clever. “Factory farming” most powerful.

In a recent column, Dan Murphy observed that the phrase “factory farming” has entered the popular lexicon, “becoming in some journalistic quarters an ill-informed synonym for all of modern agriculture.” He offered two suggestions for U.S. livestock breeders, feeders, packers and processors:

•  Evolve toward more “enlightened” technologies related to livestock.
•  Change the terminology, perhaps to “managed production” as a better way to encompass the science, technology and animal husbandry inherent in raising cattle, pigs or chickens for food.

Title: Tearing down the “factory farm” fallacy
Archived 1/20/2006, at: http://archives.foodsafetynetwork.ca/animalnet-archives.htm

When the government contracts for information services.

A recent issue of ACDC News reported some concerns about government agencies (U.S. Department of Agriculture among them) hiring ghostwriters and freelancers. This matter touches on a related subject of contracts awarded by government agencies to public relations and advertising firms. You can see a list of USDA contracts/purchase orders awarded to public relations and advertising firms during 2001-2005 at:

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_10B?contentidonly=true&contentid=foia_orders.xml

“I feel that we as taxpayers are best served when the programs that have been funded for our public good are effectively utilized,”

Observed Warren Clark of CCI Marketing in a note to the Center. He called attention to case examples involving support for programs of the USDA rural development agency, including a branding effort, expansion of broadband and Internet service, and expansion of ethanol production in rural America. For your information, here are reports of two USDA media relations programs supported through contracts with commercial firms:

Branding change: USDA Rural Development battles lack of awareness
Posted at: http://www.agrimarketing.com/show_story.php?id=32042

Horizon Organic USDA organic standards media relations program
Posted at: http://www.accesspr.com/horizonorganic.html

USDA guidelines for quality of information.

You can view current USDA policy statements, including references to use of commercial sources, at sites such as:

USDA Quality of Information Guidelines
Posted at: http://www.ocio.usda.gov/qi_guide/index.html

Broadcast Media and Technology Policy
Posted at: http://www.ocio.usda.gov/directives/files/dr/DR1490-001.htm

How governments can help harness information for development.

A 1996 proposal to the World Bank by Eduardo Talero and Philip Gaudette identified five areas in which governments can help harness information technologies in developing countries:

•  Improve government efficiency, including better flows of information.
•  Set fair rules of the game.
•  Act as a catalyst in infrastructure projects to overcome barriers and meet the information needs of their societies.
•  Push the education agenda.
•  Jump start the private sector.

The authors cited examples of such efforts in nine countries.

Title: Harnessing information for development
Posted at: http://www.worldbank.org/html/fpd/harnessing/index.html

We face intimidating language barriers.

The Agricultural Communications Documentation Center contains information about agriculture-related communicating in more than 100 countries. However, most of the information is in English. We are sensitive, then, to the huge gaps in our coverage. Vikas Nath has described some of the language barriers facing efforts to close such gaps.

“Every day over two million pages are added to the Internet but there is very small content representation on the Net in the vernacular languages of the Southern countries. Statistics point out that over 85 percent of the content on the Net is in English, fewer than one in 10 people worldwide speak that language.”

Title: Heralding ICT enabled knowledge societies
Posted at: http://www.cddc.vt.edu/knownet/articles/heralding.htm

Communicator activities approaching

March 6-8, 2006
“Practice change for sustainable communities.” Conference of the Australasia-Pacific Extension Network (APEN) in Beechworth, Victoria, Australia.
Information: http://www.apen.org.au/

March 23-25, 2006
Spring meeting of the Agricultural Relations Council in Memphis, Tennessee.
Information: Jeri Mattix Omernik of Rocky Mountain Marketing Communications at: jmo@rmmc.biz

April 19-21, 2006
“Jazzed!” Agri-Marketing Conference and Trade Show sponsored by the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) in Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
Information: http://www.nama.org/amc

Opera-loving sheep grow golden fleeces.

An Australian flock of merino sheep has produced a bale of the world’s finest wool, with help from opera. According to a recent Reuters news report, an Italian designer bought the bale for $232,500 (Australian) – or 357 times the normal market price for wool. Is that what one could call “value-added?”

According to the report, this special flock in New South Wales is kept mostly indoors in small groups. The sheep listen to music, including Italian opera and recordings of Italian singer Andrea Bocelli. They are fed a secret diet of grains and specially grown hay.

Title: Operatic Aussie sheep
Archived 1/26/2006 at: http://archives.foodsafetynetwork.ca/animalnet-archives.htm

Best regards, good searching – and keep singing.

When you see interesting items you cannot find locally or online, get in touch with us at docctr@library.uiuc.edu. Tell us the titles and/or document numbers. We will help you gain access.

Please pass along your reactions, suggestions and ideas for the Agricultural Communications Documentation Center. Feel free to invite our help as you search for information. And please suggest (or send) agricultural communication documents we might add to this unique collection. We welcome them in hard copy (sent to Ag Com Documentation Center, 510 LIAC, 1101 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801) or electronic form at docctr@library.uiuc.edu.

February, 2006

On farmers knowing less and less. 

Industrialization of agriculture and other forces are boosting concerns about farmers knowing less and less in the scheme of things. For example, concerned observers note that increasingly, producers understand less about a total process and become more dependent on the few who understand it as a whole.

A growing body of literature about this issue often speaks in terms of the “deskilling” of farmers and loss and underuse of “traditional knowledge.” You can track some of this interaction by conducting Subject searches in the ACDC database, using terms such as deskilling and traditional knowledge. Here are a few sample documents that include references to farmer deskilling:

The impact of agricultural biotechnology on social cohesion
Posted at: http://www.genomecanada.ca/ge3ls2005/proceedings/06_03.asp

Biotechnology and agricultural skilling in India
Posted at: http://law.wustl.edu/centeris/confpapers/stone.html

Opening spaces through relocalization: locating potential resistance

“I am at a loss about where to begin.” 

This college student who contacted us recently was preparing a speech on the topic: “Agriculture and the media: how should our story be told?” We may have overwhelmed her with suggestions because rural-urban communicating and media coverage of agriculture are strong suits in the ACDC collection.

Here are some of the terms we suggested for an online Subject search, using the Database Search page of the ACDC Web site:
“rural-urban communication”
“media effectiveness”
“media relations”

Are we blowing food safety out of proportion?

Jon Bell, chief executive of the Food Standards Agency, United Kingdom, recently said he does not believe so. Presenting the Society of Food Hygiene Technology Annual Lecture, he used three case studies to illustrate how the Agency is approaching food safety issues:

• BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) or mad cow disease in cattle
• Sudan 1, a non-approved red azo dye that has turned up in some imported spices and oils
• South Wales E.coli outbreak

Title: Are we blowing food safety out of proportion?
Posted at: http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/societyhygienelecture2005.pdf

Clear Channel defends remote news.

That headline topped an event summary we added recently from the Institute of Rural Journalism and Community Issues, University of Kentucky. The summary covered a panel discussion at the 2005 annual convention of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Two executives of Clear Channel Communications and a University of Colorado faculty member took part.

The discussion touched on a 2004 instance in which the central production hub system used by Clear Channel resulted in late coverage of important local news (including forest fires and weather warnings) by an unnamed Clear Channel radio station. Executives of the group placed blame not on the system but on poor program execution at the station. One executive noted that “any one of the company’s 900-plus local program directors can decide what stories go on the air.” They also cited advantages of the hub concept.

Title: Clear Channel defends remote news
Posted at: http://www.uky.edu/CommInfoStudies/irjci/ruralradio.htm

Agricultural journalism has come of age in the Philippines

According to a news report we added recently, Reporter Rudy A. Fernandez cited examples of ways in which agricultural journalism has become “a big plus factor in the country’s efforts to push farther the frontiers of national development.” A professional organization, the Philippine Agricultural Journalists Inc., has contributed in this process, according to the report.

Title: Agri journalism in RP comes of age 
Posted at: http://www.newsflash.org/2004/02/ht/ht005599.htm

How you can gain access to documents. 

When you search the ACDC collection you should be aware that it often can serve you mainly as an alert system – a starting point. For a variety of reasons, citations often will not give you full-text electronic access. For example, they may have been published under copyright or prior to digital formatting. So here are some strategies you can use to gain access to documents you identify through your ACDC searches:

• Check the “Notes” section of the citation. Sometimes/Increasingly we can provide URLs that link you to the full-text document.
• Check to see if your local library or reference center subscribes to the journal involved or has the book or report on the shelf.
• Try title searches on search engines such as Google.

No luck finding them locally or online? 

Please send us the titles and document numbers. All are available here in the Center or elsewhere within the University of Illinois Library, so we can help you gain access to them. Depending on the number and size of documents, copyright regulations and other factors, we may be able to scan them for electronic transmission or photocopy them for delivery to you by mail or fax. Services such as these are available on a cost-recovery basis. You may be able to borrow books of interest through interlibrary loan services.

Communicator activities approaching

February 15-16, 2006
“Food Labelling Conference 2006” in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Organized by the Dutch Ministry for Health, Welfare and Sport and the Food Standards Agency ( United Kingdom ) with support of the European Commission. Features presentations from the food manufacturing, food retail, consumer and small business perspectives.
Information: http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/foodlabelling/rotterdam/

March 1, 2006
Registrations due for the 2006 conference of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education in Clearwater, Florida, May 14-17, 2006.
Information: http://www.aiaee.org/pdf/2006announce.pdf

March 6-8, 2006
“Practice change for sustainable communities.” Conference of the Australasia-Pacific Extension Network (APEN) in Beechworth, Victoria, Australia.
Information: http://www.apen.org.au/

March 23-25, 2006
Spring meeting of the Agricultural Relations Council in Memphis, Tennessee.
Information: Jeri Mattix Omernik of Rocky Mountain Marketing Communications at: jmo@rmmc.biz

Some rural computer language.

We close this issue of ACDC News with a few computer terms featuring rural definitions that roam the Web.

Download: Getting the firewood off the pickup
Mega Hertz: When you are not careful downloading
Hard drive: Getting home in mud seasons
Byte: What black flies do
Main frame: The part of the barn that holds the roof up

Title: Humor 153: rural computer language
Posted at: http://www.ptg.org/pipermail/humor/1997-July/000062.html

Best regards and good searching.

Please pass along your reactions, suggestions and ideas for the Agricultural Communications Documentation Center. Feel free to invite our help as you search for information. And please suggest (or send) agricultural communication documents we might add to this unique collection. We welcome them in hard copy (sent to Ag Com Documentation Center, 510 LIAC, 1101 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801 ) or electronic form at docctr@library.uiuc.edu.

February, 2006

The fog started to burn off.

Robert Derham observed that phenomenon several months ago during the BioValley Green Biotech Event in France.

The auditorium vibrated with exciting research reports and proposals, Derham explained, while subdiscussions broke out about concerns, such as how transgenic research was being misunderstood and politicians were not helping. Nothing cleared the fog, however, until one of the speakers “offered a paradigm shift.”

“You have to take the time to communicate to the public,” said the speaker. “If we don’t, the activists will.”

“And with that,” Derham observed, “people settled back into their chairs and side conversations almost immediately ceased – the fog of doubt and disbelief had abruptly cleared the room.”

Citation: Communicate to the public
Archived October 24, 2005, at: http://archives.foodsafetynetwork.ca/agnet-archives.htm

Update on U.S. public sentiment about genetically modified (GM) food.

During November the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology reported results of the fourth (2005) comprehensive survey involving a national sample of American consumers. Among the findings:

• Americans continue to know relatively little about GM foods and biotechnology.
• Awareness of transgenic animals is quite low and people are opposed to research into genetic modification of animals.
• Consumers most strongly support GM uses designed to protect against disease.
• Although consumers know little about the potential importation of GM products from abroad, they favor American regulation.
• Consumers strongly believe that ethical and moral considerations should be part of the animal cloning regulatory equation.

Citation: Public sentiment about genetically modified food: November 2005 update
Summary posted at: http://pewagbiotech.org/research/2005update

Communicating about avian flu. 

Given the global threat of avian/bird flu, we are beginning to actively scout for documents about public perceptions, media coverage and other communication aspects of this issue. You can monitor the ACDC collection by using the Subject search term, avian flu. Here are samples of documents being added to the collection:

Infectious diseases
Posted at: http://www.pollingreport.com/health3.htm

Avian flu pandemic could be massive disaster and few are noticing
Posted at: http://www.jsonline.com/bym/invest/may05/322853.asp?format=print

Superb flu pandemic risk communication: a role model from Australia
Posted at: http://www.psandman.com/col/abbott.htm

Consumer group calls on federal government to calm fears, criticizes animal rights groups for fueling needless panic
Posted at: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?acct=104&story=/www/story/11-08-2005/0004210594&edate=

Legacy of farming methods comes home to roost
Posted at: http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/legacy-of-farming-methods-comes-home-to-roos/2005/12/04/1133631143093.html

To help strengthen this new and important part of the ACDC collection, please send us documents about the communication aspects of avian flu, or refer us to them. Thank you.

Covering the meth epidemic in rural America.

A special report from the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues describes efforts by nearly two dozen newspapers and broadcast stations to report on the complexity, severity, and personal and social fallout of methamphetamine abuse in rural areas. One reporter was cited as adding to her coverage with a poem titled “Ms. Crystal Meth.” It concluded:

Now that you’ve met me
What will you do?
Will you try me or not?
It’s all up to you.
I can show you more misery
Than words can tell.
Come, take my hand.
Let me lead you to Hell.

Citation: Special report: Covering the meth epidemic in rural America
Posted at: http://www.uky.edu/CommInfoStudies/IRJCI/reports/reportsmeth.htm

Communicator activities approaching

March 1, 2006
Registrations due for the 2006 conference of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education in Clearwater, Florida, May 14-17, 2006.
Information: http://www.aiaee.org/pdf/2006announce.pdf

March 6-8, 2006
“Practice change for sustainable communities.” Conference of the Australasia-Pacific Extension Network (APEN) in Beechworth, Victoria, Australia.
Information: http://www.apen.org.au/

March 23-25, 2006
Spring meeting of the Agricultural Relations Council in Memphis, Tennessee.
Information: Jeri Mattix Omernik of Rocky Mountain Marketing Communications at: jmo@rmmc.biz

“Things my mother taught me.”

In closing, we pass along to you these food-and-farm insights from Annabelle who posted them on Fortune City:

My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT.
“If you don’t eat your vegetables, you’ll never grow up.”

My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
“Shut your mouth and eat your supper.”

My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
“Close that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?”

Reference: http://members.fortunecity.com/panforum/compend/c050118.html

Best regards and good searching.

When you see interesting items you cannot find locally or online, get in touch with us at docctr@library.uiuc.edu. Tell us the titles and/or document numbers. We will help you gain access.

Please pass along your reactions, suggestions and ideas for the Agricultural Communications Documentation Center. Feel free to invite our help as you search for information. And please suggest (or send) agricultural communication documents we might add to this unique collection. We welcome them in hard copy (sent to Ag Com Documentation Center, 510 LIAC, 1101 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801) or electronic form at docctr@library.uiuc.edu .

 January, 2006

Happy New Year.

Welcome to this first 2006 issue of news from the Agricultural Communications Documentation Center. If you are new to ACDC News, we hope you find it interesting and useful.

Our basic mission continues:

Work hard to be a valuable resource for better communicating about agriculture, food, natural resources and related endeavors of societies worldwide.

Mixed messages about tomatoes-for-health claims.

How is this for a mixed message, pointed out in a recent Boston Globe article?

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently ruled that food companies can tell consumers that eating as little as one-half cup of tomatoes and tomato-based products weekly reduces the risk of prostate cancer.
• However, companies must also tell consumers the FDA does not believe the science behind that message.

Citation: It’s good for you, but …
Posted at: www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2005/11/30/its_good_for_you_but?mode=PF

Three new songs promote 4-H in Canada.

Three original songs by a country rock band are helping promote 4-H in Ontario, Canada, as part of a 90th anniversary celebration of the youth organization. These new songs reflect the “Learning To Do By Doing” motto of 4-H:
“I Am Home”
“Four Good Reasons”
“Giving Back”

All members of the group, called The GMOs, have either been 4-H members or associated with 4-H. “We all drew on our positive experiences to help bring the songs together,” explained GMO drummer and co-founder Len Kahn.

Citation: 4-H Ontario commissions three original songs
Posted at: http://www.4-hontario.ca/press2.cfm?documentid=3694

Empowering women farmers with information.

The Agricultural Communications Documentation Center recently added documents to its collection that highlight information programs for women farmers in Uganda and The Ukraine. These documents further enhance the extensive Center collection about communications in the lives and activities of women farmers globally.

In Uganda, women are using an interactive CD-Rom to become better farmers, according to the British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC). “The CD gives advice on ways to improve yields from crops and livestock, how to market what is produced, and helps the farmers think about new products they can make and sell.” The information tool is available in Uganda ‘s local languages.

Meanwhile, in The Ukraine, a project responds to women farmers “who identified lack of information as the major obstacle to becoming successful entrepreneurs in a new market economy.” The project provides the farmers with computer training and Internet access at eight “telecentres,” where they obtain a variety of agricultural information.

Citation: Ugandan women farmers go hi-tech 
Posted at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sci/tech/2078444.stm

Citation: A CD-Rom for Rural Women in Africa 
Posted at: http://www.wougnet.org/News/cdupdate.html

Citation: Sustaining women farmers in Ukraine
Posted at: http://www.undp.org/info21/pilot/pi-ukr.html

“My stab at a couple of new word/terms.” 

Thanks to Chuck Zimmerman of ZimmComm for sending these timely agri-terms:

Agriblogging – Posting agricultural information that includes links to various kinds of media content like audio, images, documents and video on a Weblog.

Farm podcasting – Making audio and/or video files that contain farm information available for Web access subscription via an RSS feed that allows the subscribers to capture the file on their computers and digital audio/video players.

ZimmComm is doing both agriblogging and farm podcasting on several sites, including AgWired at http://www.agwired.com

Encouraging words we appreciate.

Thanks to all who shared with us reactions such as these during recent months, along with suggestions about how to make the Center more useful:

• “I appreciate your quick response to my question.”
• “This is very helpful. Thank you!”
• “You have a tremendous database.”
• “Once again, thank you so much for the contacts.”
• “Thanks for producing ACDC News. A great service to agricultural communications.”
• “Your database has been a wonderful tool in my work.”
• “Have put your Web site in my Favorites file!”

Communicator activities approaching

February 1, 2006
The Agricultural Communicators in Education Research SIG issued a Call for Graduate Student Award Competitions (research proposal, outstanding thesis, and outstanding dissertation). The calls are located on the Research SIG Web site (http://www.aceweb.org/sigs/research/new.html ), which includes award submission guidelines, scoring rubrics, and direct links to all three online submission portals. Award winners will be announced at the ACE Annual International Meeting in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Please forward this information to colleagues and graduate students. 

February 4-8, 2006
Annual meeting and conference of the Agricultural Communications Section, Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists (SAAS), in Orlando, Florida.
Information: http://www.saasinc.org/orlando2006/orlando_mainpage.asp

March 1, 2006
Registrations due for the 2006 conference of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education in Clearwater, Florida, May 14-17, 2006.
Information: http://www.aiaee.org/pdf/2006announce.pdf

March 6-8, 2006
“Practice change for sustainable communities.” Conference of the Australasia-Pacific Extension Network (APEN) in Beechworth, Victoria, Australia.
Information: http://www.apen.org.au/

March 23-25, 2006
Spring meeting of the Agricultural Relations Council in Memphis, Tennessee.
Information: Jeri Mattix Omernik of Rocky Mountain Marketing Communications at: jmo@rmmc.biz

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