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Update on ag-gag laws
An October 2022 posting from Sentient Media provided an update we are adding to the ACDC collection. Author Hemi Kim briefly described “state and federal laws that make it a crime for people to take photos or videos inside animal agriculture operations.” The description included:
- features and origins of the laws
- free speech issues and risks they involve
- S. states that currently have them in place
You can read the commentary here.
Unique ethical issues for rural and remote communities in the COVID-19 pandemic
“Rural healthcare must overcome misinformation and fear among residents,” a team of Canadian and U.S. medical specialists emphasized in a 2020 issue of The American Journal of Bioethics.
“Reliance on larger clinical and academic institutions can be both valuable and ethically challenging. While policies and processes during a pandemic can be shared across institutions, often the smaller rural clinical sites and agencies that are treating the most vulnerable of populations are note well-informed, typically do not have a collaborative presence during deliberations about best practices and shared policies, and the socio-cultural aspects of rural populations are often ignored.”
You can read this article by open access here.
Edible insects – Some sampling in Portugal
A recent study published in Food investigated the knowledge, attitudes, consumption habits, and degree of acceptability of edible insects among a sample of 213 Portuguese consumers. Investigators found:
- Surveyed consumers tended to have correct perceptions about the sustainability issues associated with insects as alternative sources of protein
- Level of knowledge and overall perception of the nutritive value of insects was low
- Few of the surveyed consumers had already eaten them
- Most consumers were reluctant to consume whole insects
- Potentials exist for starting with foods that incorporate edible insects
You can read this article here.
Drought information falling short on the ranch
We are adding to the ACDC collection a 2018 Climate Risk Management article in which researchers highlighted existence and penalties of inadequate, unreliable climate information for ranch management.
Authors reviewed related literature to draw out the drought management options as well as the tools and products for drought monitoring and early warning. They found a large gap between the information needs of ranchers and the information that is available.
You can read the article here.
Addressing ethical relations in a rural Japanese hospital
Researchers Ryuichi Ohta and Chiaki Sano used a planned approach to help a rural hospital address an ethical dilemma often encountered in medicine. It involved the relationship between resident physicians and pharmaceutical company representatives. As reported in Cureus, the researchers used evidence-based learning to overcome challenges presented by conflicts of interest.
You can read the article here.
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.
November 1-2, 2023
“Level up: Reaching all communities” Association for Communication Excellence (ACE) virtual conference. Information: https://aceweb.org/event-5367868
November 14-16, 2023
“Looking to the future” Australasia Pacific Extension Network (APEN) international conference in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.
Information: https://www.apen.org.au/events/conference
November 15-17, 2023
“Homecoming.” 80th Annual Convention of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) in Kansas City, Missouri.
Information: https://nafb.com/events/nafb-convention
November 17, 2023
Agricultural Writers SA Awards, Capetown, South Africa
Information: https://www.agriculturalwriterssa.co.za/event/agricultural-writers-sa-awards-evening/
How we learn
We close this issue of ACDC News with a Norwegian proverb about how we learn:
“What mother and father don’t teach, the world teaches”
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 welcome 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