Click here for a printer-friendly PDF of this issue
Significant misinformation about GMOs in mainstream and online news media
A new addition to the ACDC collection involves a research article about media information related to genetically modified crops and food (GMOs), internationally. Researchers assessed information in the mainstream and online news media over a two-year period. They found an overall falsehood rate of 9% with a potential global readership of 250 million.
“We conclude that misinformation about GMOs in the mainstream media is still a significant problem and outranks the proportion of misinformation in other comparable debates such as COVID-19 and vaccines.”
You can read “Misinformation in the media: Global coverage of GMOs 2019-2021” in GM Crops and Food by open access.
Consumers quite uninformed, hesitant about regenerative agriculture
A recent Purdue University survey among 1,200 U.S. consumers examined their food spending, satisfaction and values, support of food policies, and trust in sources for food information.
“Around 43% of survey respondents said they were “not at all familiar” with the term “regenerative agriculture” and another 28% … only “slightly familiar.” … “While consumers say they generally support regenerative agriculture initiatives, the level of support goes down when given additional information about the cost.”
Findings also revealed that respondents placed highest priority on the taste and price of food, followed by nutrition and social/environmental sustainability.
You can read “Many consumers are not familiar with regenerative agriculture, survey says” in The Packer by open access.
Return on investment in beef promotion
A recent economic analysis indicated that each dollar invested through the U.S. national beef checkoff program created a $13.41 return on investment for the producers and importers who pay for the program. Findings suggested that the beef checkoff added an incremental $3.3 billion to the beef industry in 2023.
“…positive indirect effects on the broader U.S. economy included increases in:
- U.S. employment by almost 47,000 people
- U.S. employment income by $2 billion
- Total value added to the U.S. economy of $4.1 billion
- U.S. GDP by nearly $9.5 billion”
You can read “National Beef Checkoff dollar returns $13.41 to producers, importers” by open access
Boosting demand for imperfect fresh produce
A recent study published in Psychology and Marketing reported how a team of researchers tested three ways to make irregular-appearing fruits and vegetables more attractive to shoppers. The techniques involved anthropomorphizing – attributing human form or personality to imperfect produce:
- Placing googly eyes on it
- Giving human names to it
- Identifying produce as coming from corporate farms – or local farms
You can read “Making ugly produce more attractive with ‘google eyes’” by open access.
Welcome to the ACDC staff
We are delighted to welcome Yanling Liu as a new graduate assistant in the Agricultural Communications Documentation Center. She studied developmental psychology as an undergraduate here at the University of Illinois. As a current master’s degree candidate in the School of Information Sciences, Yanling brings research, outreach, event planning, and reference experience to the Center.
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.
October 11, 2024
Deadline for submitting research papers for the 2025 National Agricultural Communications Symposium (NACS) held in Irving, Texas, during February 2-3, 2025.
October 14-16, 2024
Fall conference, National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
October 18, 2024
Deadline for submitting posters and professional development proposals for the 2025 National Agricultural Communications Symposium (NACS) held in Irving, Texas, during February 2-3, 2025.
October 18, 2024
Deadline for expressing interest in sharing ideas at an idea incubator session during the 2025 National Agricultural Communications Symposium (NACS) held in Irving, Texas, during February 2-3, 2025.
October 22-24, 2024
“Transparency in action” Transparency Summit sponsored by the Center for Food Integrity in Chicago, Illinois.
November 6-7, 2024
“Level up: Sparking innovation.” Fall Virtual Conference of the Association for Communication Excellence (ACE).
November 13-15, 2024
“A voice for agriculture” 81st convention of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) in Kansas City, Missouri.
Being peaceful
We close this issue of ACDC News with this Dutch proverb:
“Better keep peace than make peace.”
A friendly reminder:
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 Agricultural Communications 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