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Don’t call it “food waste”
“At least, don’t call it that when you’re talking about food that has to be discarded before it reaches the retail shelf or dining table. Instead, call it food loss.”
Independent food and agriculture consultant Lisa Johnson offered that advice in June to retail produce buyers, brokers and shippers at a Sustainable Produce Summit in California. She and other panelists offered solutions to food loss throughout all stages of the supply chain. They emphasized focusing on collaboration, innovation and technology.
You can read the summary article here.
How Brazilian citizens view farm animal production systems
This journal article in Animals explored the beliefs and attitudes of Brazilians not associated with livestock production. Overall, participants in the study expressed preference for more “natural” production systems. “They also expressed concerns with livestock production systems that limited the movement or expression of natural behaviours, particularly those associated with animal suffering or distress.”
Authors noted that Brazil’s current farm animal housing practices that are associated with restriction of movement “may not align with societal expectations.”
You can read this article here. The article title is: “Brazilian citizens’ opinions and attitudes about farm animal production systems”.
Why business reporters should take a second look at water quality reports in communities they serve
We are adding to the ACDC collection a 2021 article by Madeline Ackley. She said “Reports show that millions of Americans have been exposed to PFAS, a potentially cancer-causing family of chemicals.” She observed that previous studies have “dramatically underestimated” the scope of the problem.
The article also briefly describes water quality reports (required by law) and mentioned four tips to help journalists report about water quality in their local communities.
You can read this article here.
Learning first-hand about editorial independence
“Mentor puts employment on the line for ‘rookie’ writer.” This headline appeared in a recent issue of the Agricultural Communicators Network newsletter. Author Frank Lessiter shared one of his college-level experiences in relationships among agricultural reporters, publishers and advertisers. It involved a research article he wrote about storage structures for high-moisture corn. The editor shared it in draft form with the manufacturer and got a thumbs-down response, prompting the editorial board to address a thorny issue of editorial independence.
You can read the article here and learn how the magazine handled this dilemma.
Public perceptions of food waste and climate quality
A 2023 national Harris Poll survey of consumers on behalf of Flashfood revealed a sincere desire by U.S. adults to reduce food waste in the current climate challenge. For example:
- Nearly 9 in 10 American adults (88%) said managing food waste is important to them
- 77% said they are concerned about the environmental impact of food waste (e.g., on land, water, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity)
- 75% said they believe that reducing food waste is important for solving climate change
You can read the research summary here by open access. It contains a link to the full report.
Communicator events approaching
Here are event plans you may find helpful, with contact information you can use for details. We welcome suggestions or revisions for this calendar.
September 10-13, 2023
Annual general meeting of the European Network of Agricultural Journalists (ENAJ) in St. Malo, France.
Information:https://enaj.eu
November 15-17, 2023
80th Annual Convention of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) in Kansas City, Missouri.
Information:https://nafb.com/events/nafb-convention
Advice about leadership
We close this July issue of ACDC News with a career tip about being a boss. It comes from Letters from a self-made merchant to his son.
“A boss with a case of big head will fill an office full of sore heads”
Best regards and wishes
ACDC is a deep and open resource for you, so please feel free to invite our help as you search for information, local to global. You are welcomed to follow us on Twitter @ACDCUIUC. And please suggest (or send) agricultural communications documents we might add to this unique and valued international collection. We welcome them in hard copy (sent to Ag Comm Documentation Center, 510 ACES Library, 1101 S. Goodwin Avenue, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801) – or in electronic format sent to acdc@library.illinois.edu