Who Eats Seaweed? An Australian Perspective

Abstract

Current seaweed consumption and attitudes and preferences toward seaweed food products in a Western society are investigated to inform the seaweed industry regarding product development and marketing strategies. A national survey of 521 Australian consumers was conducted. About 75% of respondents had eaten seaweed; however, only 37% had consumed seaweed regularly over the past 12?months. Key drivers include health and nutritional benefits, taste, being natural, safe, and fresh. Critical barriers are lack of knowledge and familiarity, and the perception that seaweed is expensive. Females and younger, health-conscious consumers with higher household incomes and levels of education, who are more adventurous with food (neophilic), and who tend to snack and assign symbolic value to food are more likely to consume seaweed. Recommendations for the emerging seaweed industry in terms of target markets and relevant marketing strategies are presented and areas of further research proposed.     

Does It Matter Who Verifies Production‐Derived Quality?

Food quality attributes arising from farming methods are of increasing interest to many Canadians, examples include environmentally sustainable production practices, humane animal treatment, organic, etc. The credence nature of these attributes necessitates some form of quality assurance to provide credible signals to consumers that these attributes are present. This paper examines trust in private, third‐party, and government organizations to provide credible quality signals for attributes that derive from on‐farm production methods, or “production‐derived” quality attributes. A nationwide survey reveals that farmer, third‐party, and government organizations are similarly trusted to provide accurate information about farming methods, while government standards relating to environmental sustainability were perceived as most effective. Data from a discrete choice experiment are used to explore attitudes toward pesticide‐free and environmentally sustainable quality claims in a bread product, and in particular whether it matters who verifies those quality claims. Results obtained using a latent class multinomial logit model reveal a distinct pattern of heterogeneity in consumer attitudes toward production‐derived quality attributes and toward the verification of those attributes. Those respondents who most value production‐derived food quality also receive the highest utility from government verification and significant negative utility from supermarket or third‐party verification. This segment of Canadian consumers has a clear preference for a more proactive government role in facilitating credible quality assurances for production‐derived quality attributes. In contrast, the source of quality verification was far less important to those consumers holding weaker preferences for production‐derived quality. Les attributs de qualité des aliments liés aux pratiques agricoles, telles que les pratiques de production écologiquement viable, le traitement sans cruauté des animaux, l’agriculture biologique, etc., intéressent de plus en plus de nombreux Canadiens. Comme ces attributs reposent sur la croyance des consommateurs, une certaine forme d’assurance de la qualité est nécessaire pour envoyer aux consommateurs des signaux crédibles sur la présence de ces attributs. Le présent article examine la confiance dans la capacité des organismes privés, des tierces organisations et des organismes gouvernementaux à fournir des signaux de qualité crédibles pour des attributs liés aux pratiques de production à la ferme, c’est‐à‐dire des attributs de qualité dérivés de la production. Dans un sondage pancanadien, les producteurs agricoles, les tierces parties et les organismes gouvernementaux ont obtenu un degré de confiance similaire dans leur capacitéà fournir de l’information précise sur les pratiques agricoles, tandis que les normes gouvernementales visant à assurer la viabilité de l’environnement ont été perçues comme étant les moyens les plus efficaces. Nous avons utilisé des données tirées de la méthode des choix discrets pour analyser les points de vue concernant les allégations de qualité«sans pesticides et production écologiquement viable» accordées à un produit panifié et pour déterminer si le type d’organisme chargé de vérifier ces allégations revêt une importance ou non. Les résultats obtenus à l’aide d’un modèle logit multinomial à classes latentes ont révélé une hétérogénéité marquée des points de vue des consommateurs concernant les attributs de qualité dérivés de la production et la vérification de ces attributs. Les répondants qui appréciaient le plus les attributs de qualité dérivés de la production ont également indiqué qu’ils retiraient la plus grande utilité de la vérification effectuée par un organisme gouvernemental et une utilité significativement négative de la vérification effectuée par des supermarchés et des tierces organisations. Ce segment de consommateurs canadiens a montré une préférence marquée en faveur d’un rôle plus proactif du gouvernement pour donner une assurance crédible des attributs de qualité dérivés de la production. En revanche, le type d’organisme chargé de la vérification de la qualité avait une moindre importance pour les consommateurs qui ont montré de faibles préférences pour la qualité dérivée de la production.     

Who Owns Guaraná? Legal Strategies,Development Policies and Agricultural Practices in Brazilian Amazonia

This paper offers a historical perspective on the interactions between legal standards and agricultural practices relating to guaraná, an energy‐inducing Amazonian plant that is in increasing demand. Guaraná is managed in a number of socio‐technical contexts, ranging from the fizzy drink industry to alternative agro‐ecological farming systems, and is subject to a great many legal rules that determine the conditions for its use and appropriation. The paper shows how, in guaraná's native region of Maués, Brazilian Amazonia, various stakeholders including the indigenous population, associations of smallholdings and multinationals use legal standards in order to gain prerogatives over the plant and/or win a share of a growing market. In spite of the fact that the plant has been domesticated by the Sateré‐Mawé and that traditional knowledge has been recognized in Brazil, to a certain extent history has dispossessed them of their rights to guaraná. New political and economic circumstances have favoured those actors committed to strategies of agricultural modernization and industrial processing. On the other hand, the ecologization of agriculture and the increasing numbers of instruments for differentiating production (such as fair trade, organic farming and geographical indications) seem to be favouring diversification in the methods of managing guaraná, as well as a certain re‐appropriation of the plant by local communities.     

Who are Advisory Services Leaving Out? A Critical Reflection on ‘Hard to Reach’ Farmers

Although the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union has broadened its objectives to integrate social issues, several hard-to-reach groups of farmers and workers continue to be ignored by advisory services and associated policies. Connecting with these groups has a strong potential to increase the economic and social cohesion of European agricultures. We interviewed over 1,000 farmers across Europe and identified features of these groups that are often overlooked by advisory services. We critically reflected on the social cohorts omitted from advisory services and how they could be better reached; they include farm labourers, new entrants or ‘career changers’, and later adopters. We clarify the different types of advisors in the advisory landscape, distinguishing between those who are linked to or independent from sales of inputs or technologies. We make concrete recommendations about how to engage advisors with hard-to-reach groups, with approaches suited to different national contexts of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS); thus contributing to the ‘AKIS dimension of National Strategic Plans of the next Common Agricultural Policy, 2023–2027. We argue for the more effective use of advances in the social sciences through a better understanding of advice as social interaction which can bolster the inclusiveness of public policies.     

Who determines the trade-offs between agricultural production and environmental quality? An evolutionary perspective from rural eastern China

We explore the evolutionary nature of interactions between government policy, farm decision-making and ecosystem services in Shucheng County, Anhui Province, 1950–2015. Analyses of ecological, social and economic trends are complemented by interviews with local farmers. Since the Household Responsibility System started in 1980, there has been a trade-off between rising levels of provisioning services and falling levels of regulating services with evidence that critical thresholds have been passed for water quality. Using a Framework for Ecosystem Service Provision, we argue that farmers have acted only as ecosystem service providers and have not influenced the policies that have brought about the trade-offs. Over the period, ecological degradation is best described as an example of ‘creeping normalcy’ where cumulative conventional actions by individual farmers produce unsustainable losses in regulating services. The Chinese government should act to balance the various ecosystem services through valuation and national policy. In this respect, there is a need for agencies that can provide place-based advice to farmers that will allow them to maintain productivity levels while pursuing restorative actions. Even with new policies, the draw of urban employment, high production costs and an ageing population threaten the viability of farming in these marginal agricultural areas.     

饭前?饭后?

<正>饭后吃水果助消化,饭后喝茶清清口腔……这些平时很多人都在饭后做的事情,如果掌握不好,很容易伤身。吃水果:餐前一小时或餐后两小时传统观点认为,饭后吃水果可帮助消化。但近年来研究提出异议:饭后吃进的水果会被正餐中的食物阻滞在胃内,停留时间过长将引起腹胀和便秘等症状。而且餐后立即吃水果会加重胰腺负担,使得餐后血糖更高。因此,科学的吃法是在饭后2~3小时或餐前1小时吃。当然,     

人乎?事乎?

一些没有事做的人尽闹事,让做事的人做不成事,做不好事,简单的事变成复杂的事,短时间能做完的事变成长时间做的事,甚至能做成的事变成做不成的事。 一些事没有人做,一些人没有事做。     

邮政储蓄银行:对手?伙伴?

2005年7月份,国务院第99次常务会议原则通过《邮政体制改革方案》。按照《方案》要求,邮政储蓄改革的主要内容是,在继续依托邮政网络经营的基础上,邮政储蓄业务与邮政业务实行分账核算,独立经营,并按照金融机构改革的方向,加快成立由中国邮政集团控股的中国邮政储蓄银行,所有邮政金融业务划归邮政储蓄银行管理,实现金融业务规范化管理。这标志着酝酿多年的邮政储蓄银行终于即将破茧而出。邮政储蓄银行的成立时于理顺我国邮政管理体制,防止农村资金过度流失,     

是侵占罪?还是贪污罪?

是侵占罪？还是贪污罪？刘翔玲【案例】被告人王某，捕前在某县农村信用社任会计工作。１９９６年１０月１４日因侵吞集体财产被监视居住，同年１１月１４日被取保候审，开除公职。县人民检察院于１９９７年２月１９日以被告人王某犯侵占罪向县人民法院提起公诉。指控：（...     

种粮臭皮匠?种粮诸葛亮?

最近,笔者到农村走了一趟。耳闻目睹了“臭皮匠”与“诸葛亮”之间一场无声的竞赛。今年,在中央1号文件鼓舞下,农民种粮积极性很高。令人难以置信的是,种粮大户备耕进度远远快于分散农户。细究后发现,种粮大户采取社会服务和科学种田方法,而分散农户多半采取常规耕作和自我服务方法。种粮大户一个电话,种子、化肥就有人送上门;种粮大户一阵联络,     

种什么?养什么?

假日里，笔者同几位农民兄弟闲聊起“今年种什么、养什么”的话题，憨厚的农民各抒己见。其中有位农民兄弟说了一句：“什么值钱种什么、什么赚钱养什么。”我接着问他：“什么值钱？什么赚钱？”他却始终笑而不语……为何笑而不语？笔者深知这个问题不好回答，也难以回答得好。时下，随着市场经济的发育完善，农业产业结构调整的步伐不断加快，农副产品已完全被推向市场，如今农业和农村经济问题主要就是产业结构调整的问题，其目的当然是让农民兄弟的腰包尽快鼓起来。但是调什么？怎么调？仍然是农民的一大困惑。就拿这位农民兄弟所说的“…     

拷问家长学校学堂?学童?

~~拷问家长学校学堂?学童?~~     

填海造地,福兮?祸兮?

21世纪是海洋的世纪,海洋经济正在成为我国经济和社会发展的重要产业和国民经济新的增长点.随着海洋开发领域的日益拓展,海域、海岸资源开发利用的强度和密度进一步加大,海洋开发和管理矛盾日益突出.我国近年来大规模填海造地改变和干扰了海域自然属性,给海洋生态环境和海洋可持续发展带来了负面影响,引起社会各方面的广泛关注,加强和规范围填海管理已刻不容缓.     

供求失衡?灾害事件?信息滞后?资本恶意炒作? 价格波动 谁在搅局

<正>猪肉价格还未完全走出接连跳水的跌势,陕西省一些市县又传来消息——芹菜、莴笋、甘蓝等蔬菜价格持续走低,有的甚至跌到几分钱一斤。今年"五一"期间,笔者朋友圈一条名为"帮帮菜农"信息转发较火:称陕西省三原县鲁桥镇惜字村及周边村的莴笋、莲花白大丰收,两种菜批发不到一毛钱,但却无人问津,严重滞销。与此同时,又有媒体报道周至芹菜滞销。伴随丰产而来的不是丰收,而是"卖难",这让处于农产品产业链条最底端的"靠天吃饭"的菜农们忧愁焦心。     

请问现在有养殖刺猬的吗?怎么养?能养吗?哪有种源?

答:刺猬是一种药用小兽,皮称异香、仙人衣,是传统中药材,人工养殖刺猬利润可观。一、饲养场的建造。刺猬喜静怕光,昼伏夜出,场地宜建在安静无人为干扰处。建一院落,墙高约0.8～1m,     

谁爱农地?谁来种地?

<正>春节期间,我先后调研了北京及河北的四个村庄,分别为:北京市通州区宋庄镇北寺庄村、河北省廊坊市三河市燕郊镇枣林村、高楼镇小高楼村以及庄户村,这一路所见所闻让我对农村、农地现状有了更加直观的了解,对"三农"相关问题有了更为深入的思考。     

何谓票据?票据具有哪些特点?

票据是由出票人签发的,约定由自己或委托他人于见票时或确定的日期,向持票人或是收款人无条件支付一定金额的有价证券。在我国,票据仅指汇票、本票和支票。票据有如下特点：     

高利贷:是神?是鬼?

“私人银行”在“崛起” 时代就象咆哮奔腾的黄河,波澜起伏,浪起浪落。十几年前,人们对金钱是那样的讳莫如深,仿佛金钱就是罪孽,是咀噬人的灵魂,断送人的政治前程的鬼怪。 如今人们可以在公共场合谈钱,可以相互打听挣钱的门路,可以施展挣钱的十八般武艺。可谓八仙过海,各显神通,人们从钱身上得到好处通过脸上或微笑或哗笑或冷笑……。     

牧情快报?

正据对全国500个县集贸市场的定点监测,2018年2月第1周(采集日为2月7日)生猪产品价格下降,禽类产品、牛羊肉、玉米价格上涨,生鲜乳价格持平。生猪价格。全国活猪平均价格14.64元/公斤,比前一周下降2.9%,与去年同期相比(简称同比,下同)下降18.1%。青海、宁夏活猪价格上涨,其余省份下降。西北地区活猪平均价格较高,为15.45元/公斤;东北地区较低,为13.26元/公斤。全国猪肉平均价格25.24元/公斤,比前一周下降0.8%,同比