What drives consumer purchase of green products
A recent article in the International Journal of Communication reported on beliefs and objectives that underlie green purchasing by Americans. Researchers used the term “green purchasing” to refer to the purchase and use of products that are less harmful to the natural environment or climate. Examples cited included solar panels, organic foods, and organic nonfood products. The study involved a structural model of climate change consumer activism.
Results supported the perspective that people who are motivated to take action on climate change believe it is real, human caused, dangerous, and solvable.” Findings suggested that these same beliefs underlie consumer activism. “Communication that creates concern about global warming and enhances beliefs about the power of consumer action is likely to stimulate green consumption.”
You can read the article here
Tracking consumers as promiscuous grocery shoppers
Undergraduate students at the University of Georgia got a first-hand look at food stores and shopping patterns in a recent class research project. A study reported in the Journal of Food Distribution Research (March 2016) described how class members gathered information from more than 3,000 food shoppers. Among the findings and conclusions:
- “Food shoppers are promiscuous in their willingness to try many different grocers”
- “For overall shopping experience, regional chains scored the highest CSI [consumer satisfaction index] and convenience stores the lowest CSI.”
- “The significance of the survey is for students to learn smarter shopping and understand how goods are priced and marketed.”
You can read the abstract of this journal article (“Is being big better?”) here
Finding balance in society
Thanks to Hugh Maynard of Qu’anglo Communications and Consulting, Quebec, Canada, for this insight. It comes from a French extension movie on fertilizing walnut trees:
“Except for the whiz bang of technology, things haven’t changed much in a century.”
It fits a broader perspective that any sustainable society needs two dimensions. One involves experimentation and innovation. They help the society adapt to change. The other (just as important) involves a foundation of “what’s known and been found to work,” for stability over time.
“Five ways to cover the honey industry as a business reporter”
That is the title of a recent article by Debbi G. McCullough in the National Center for Business Journalism website. Citing information from the National Honey Board, the author touches on where most honey is produced in the U.S., varied uses of honey, crops dependent on honey, trends in honey importing and instances of honey fraud.
You can read the article here
When women weren’t broadcasting about agriculture
A useful professional reminder came to our attention recently when Colleen Callahan – first woman president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (2002) – was recognized in Illinois as one of 10 pioneering women. She explained:
“I was lucky enough to get an interview at Channel 3 in Champaign, even though the job was in Peoria. During the interview, I was asked one question I’d anticipated : ‘What will farmers think when they hear a woman talking about agriculture?’ I said I’d use my dad as a model listener. I already know what he expects – if I can present the material in a clear, concise manner, it shouldn’t make any difference whether it’s a man, a woman, or a dog barking out the information. They took a chance and it worked out for Midwest Television and me for 32 years.”
A decade of service: ICT in Agriculture
Congratulations to co-editors Ehud Gelb and Andy Offer, authors, and sponsors who are observing a remarkably-successful decade for their public domain e-book, ICT in Agriculture .
“Our e-Book’s ultimate goal was and remains an encouraging reference tool specifically geared for would-be ICT in Agriculture policy-makers, hands on and conceptual developers, extension, agents of change, disseminators, ICT producers, and their product’s end users,” explains Dr. Gelb of Hebrew University, Rehovot, Israel.
You can see 10-year statistics of the continuing use of this resource throughout the world here
Communicator activities approaching
February 15-18, 2017
“Innovative approaches to Extension for upliftment of poor and tribal farmers.” 6th International Conference of the International Society of Extension Education (INSEE) in Dawn, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.
Information: http://www.inseeworld.com/seminars.htm
April 2-8, 2017
2017 World Congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) in Gauteng and the West Cape, South Africa.
Information: http://www.ifaj-congress.org
April 22-29, 2017
33rd Annual Conference of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education (AIAEE) in Minneapolis, Minnesota USA.
Information: http://www.aiaee.org
April 26-28, 2017
“Go big” 2017 Agri-Marketing Conference of the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) in Dallas, Texas USA.
Information: http://nama.org/amc/schedule
June 20-22, 2017
Annual meeting of the Agricultural Relations Council (ARC) in Sacramento, California USA.
Information: http://www.agrelationscouncil.org/events/2017-arc-meeting-sacramento-ca
Another example of “missed signals” in communicating
We close this issue of ACDC News with an example of “missed signals” in rural travel:
Customer: “I want a ticket to New York City.”
Airline agent: “By Buffalo?”
Customer: “I guess that’s OK, if the saddle is comfortable.”
Best wishes and good searching
Please pass along your reactions, suggestions and ideas. Feel free to invite our help as you search for information. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @ACDCUIUC . And please suggest (or send) agricultural communications documents we might add to this unique and valuable collection. We welcome them in hard copy (sent to Ag Comm Documentation Center, Room 510, 1101 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801) or in electronic format sent to docctr@library.illinois.edu
2017-02-10