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Artisan food production: What makes food ‘artisan’?
Get PDFArtisan food is characterised as being made through creativity, passion, traditional methods and with traditional ingredients. John McKenna describes this as the quartet of place, product, passion, and personality of the producer with tradition being implicit rather than explicit in this description. This chapter considers the contemporary framing of artisan food and artisan producers, how the use of the term ‘artisan’ has evolved over time, and the emergent trends within the artisan food sector. The research question arising from these ideas is: Can artisan food be both innovative and traditional at the same time? The chapter discusses three food producers and critically evaluates the extent to which they fit within existing definitions of ‘artisan food’. The term ‘artisan’ can be said to be socially constructed i.e. the meaning is constantly reconstructed as new innovations are adopted and associated with place, product and producer. Artisan food needs to stand out in some contemporary way from more mass produced food, especially as it often has higher costs of production or includes an embedded environmental or social value that the purchaser must be willing to pay for
Comparison of the Purchasing Behaviour of Polish and United Kingdom Consumers in the Organic Food Market during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Get PDFThe main objective of the study was to compare young consumer purchasing behaviour towards organic food in Poland (PL) and the United Kingdom (UK), countries with different levels of organic market maturity. The study was conducted by means of an online survey questionnaire during the COVID-19 pandemic between December 2020 and February 2021. The sample consisted of 862 PL and 161 UK consumers. 31% of PL respondents and 58.4% of UK respondents indicated they purchase organic products. Descriptive statistics, the Mann–Whitney U test and the two proportion Z test were used for statistical analyses. The results indicate that young consumers pay particular attention to the freshness and quality of consumed products. Concern for their own health and that of their loved ones, as well as the desire to eat better-quality products were the main motivations for the respondents to purchase organic products. Organic vege-tables and fruits, eggs, dairy products, and meat and meat products, were among the most frequently purchased products in the studied cohorts. Experts (e.g., a dietitian, physician) were declared to be the first source of information concerning food products for young consumers. Next, family members were indicated. Social media content (PL respondents) and information from websites managed by institutions (UK respondents) were mentioned as the third source. UK consumers preferred short supply chains. The present study can be used by government bodies and companies to select the most effective communication channels for education and advertising and to develop effective commercial strategies aimed at young consumers
Coring, profiling, and trenching: Archaeological field strategies for investigating the Pleistocene-Holocene-Anthropocene continuum
Get PDFArchaeologists have long emphasized the importance of large-scale excavations and multi-year or even decades-long projects at a single site or site complex. Here, we highlight archaeological field strategies, termed coring, profiling, and trenching (CPT), that rely on relatively small-scale excavations or the collection of new samples from intact deposits in previously excavated trenches (aka test units or pits). Examples from multiple sites in Africa, Asia, and North America demonstrate that CPT is highly effective for obtaining high-resolution archaeobiological and geoarchaeological samples (e.g., faunal and botanical remains, sediments) and artefacts from areas that have seen limited or no archaeological research, little systematic application of archaeological science methods, or research only on a relatively narrow time period or geographic scale. Designed to complement large-scale excavations at single sites, CPT is ideal for multi-scalar research that works in tandem with remote sensing techniques, providing samples for detailed laboratory analyses and offering a bridge between surface surveys and large-scale excavation. Given the threats facing archaeological sites around the world from climate change and human development, as well as financial, training and infrastructure constraints, and concerns from many Indigenous communities about large excavations, we argue that CPT is an important method for addressing 21st century human-environmental research questions
Archaeology and television at Fishmonger’s Swallet
Get PDFThe archaeological investigations which were carried out during filming at Fishmonger’s Swallet by Time Team and National Geographic are described. The key finding of the former was a series of Iron Age postholes to the south of the cave; the latter carried out a Strontium isotope analysis of rodent bones and a newly recovered human tooth which showed that the owner of the tooth lived locally
Developing the Use of Wool Rope within Aquaculture—A Systematic Review
Get PDFTo date, wool is an underutilised sustainable resource that has the potential to reduce the use of plastic within the environment. Wool can be manufactured as rope, but is this a viable innovation? To gain a comprehensive understanding of the economic viability of utilising wool rope in seaweed aquaculture, a systematic literature review was undertaken. The review focuses on wool, rope, natural and man-made fibres and seaweed farming, and used bibliometric and content analysis of peer-reviewed papers, with no timeframe requirements. It is important to explore alternative materials to reduce marine rope pollution; ghost gear, microplastics from abrasion and plasticrusts are now believed to be significant ecological problems. To date, the production of wool rope is limited, and its strength and durability within the fishing industry remain untested. It is important to understand whether wool rope is a useful alternative: does it have the same tensile strength, and can it be used within the industry without the risk of damage to the environment? There is currently a lack of research on natural rope fibres, resulting in limited access to commercial rope alternatives being used within the industry. This systematic review shows that there has been a large gap in wool research, with limited publications in recent years; however, the drive to increase sustainability (particularly within the marine environment) has increased. This is the first paper that combines both topics within one research study. Further research is needed to identify whether wool rope will provide a feasible alternative to polypropylene in terms of strength and durability, and how wool rope will perform, the length of time it can provide optimum service and within which seaweed farming practice it can offer a practical alternative to polypropylene
Public willingness to make trade-offs in the development of a hydrogen industry in Australia
Get PDFHydrogen is attracting increasing attention and investment in the low carbon energy transition. However, it is
expected that any transition to hydrogen at a meaningful scale or rate, will be dependent on the industry
obtaining a social licence, underpinned by public acceptance. This study analyses responses from a public survey
that asked 1,824 residents of South Australia and Victoria (Australia) to indicate how important six characteristics of a hydrogen industry would be in their decision to support the development of such an industry, namely:
(1) safety; (2) climate change mitigation; (3) affordability; (4) reliability; (5) accessibility; and (6) job creation.
Overall, safety was rated as the most important characteristic, followed by climate change mitigation and
affordability. Fractional multinomial logit model estimates found socio-demographic (e.g. age, location) and
attitudinal characteristics (e.g. concern about climate change, hydrogen knowledge) statistically significantly
influenced individuals’ importance ratings of hydrogen industry characteristics. This research indicates the
trade-offs that individuals may—or may not be—willing to make in the transition to hydrogen energy. Such
information can be used to align policy and investment decisions with public expectations for the further
development of the hydrogen industry in Australia
Food safety governance and guardianship: the role of the private sector in addressing the EU ethylene oxide incident.
Get PDFSesame seeds within the European Union (EU) are classified as foods not of animal origin. Two food safety issues associated with sesame seeds have emerged in recent years, i.e. Salmonella contamination and then presence of ethylene oxide. Fumigation with ethylene oxide to reduce Salmonella in seeds and spices is not approved in the EU, so its presence in sesame seeds from India was a sentinel incident sparking multiple trans-European product recalls between 2020-2021. Following an interpretivist approach, this study utilises academic and grey sources including data from the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) database to inform a critical appraisal of current EU foods not of animal origin legislation and associated governance structures and sur-veillance programs. This is of particular importance as consumers are encouraged towards plant-based diets. This study shows the importance of collaborative governance utilizing data from company testing and audits as well as official regulatory controls to define the depth and breadth of a given incident in Europe. The development of reflexive governance supported by the newest technology (e.g. blockchain) might be of value in public-private models of food safety governance. This study contributes to the literature on the adoption of risk-based food safety regulation and the associated hybrid public-private models of food safety governance where both regulators and private organizations play a vital role in assuring public health
Veterinary communication can influence farmer Change Talk and can be modified following brief Motivational Interviewing training
Get PDFCurrent veterinary communication skills training often focuses on the strategies necessary to successfully transfer information and promote shared decision making rather than inspiring client motivation to engage in behaviour change(s). One evidence-based communication methodology with a specific focus on enhancing conversations about change is Motivational Interviewing (MI), which is perceived by veterinarians to be highly relevant to their profession. We examined whether veterinarians who experienced brief (4-5 hours) MI training (BMIT) were able to change their communication behaviours to be more MI consistent. Fourteen veterinarians recorded 31 veterinary herd health consultations before (n=15) and after (n=16) BMIT to allow pre-post intervention analysis of veterinarian and farmer verbal behaviour. Additionally, using a sequential linguistic analysis of 3885 veterinarian-farmer communication events within these consultations, the influence of veterinarians’ verbal behaviours on farmers’ response language was explored
State of the Art Review Supporting rural businesses NICRE SOTA Review No 4: July 2022
Get PDFThis review offers a concise overview of rural business support research from an academic viewpoint. As the concept of 'rural business’ is ill-defined, this review differentiates ’rural business’ - the business that is integrated into the rural socio-economic context via suppliers, staff and networks, from a business that is simply located in the rural without those links. ’Rural business support‘ denotes services provided to all rural businesses, that serve rural communities and beyond, from land-based to service businesses, although the rural economy is becoming less reliant on land-based businesses. Existing business support research findings implicitly claim general applicability, yet, are conducted nearly always in urban contexts. Hence, little research exists that identifies what is distinctive about rural business support and what is similar to services provided in urban contexts. Specific challenges business located in the rural face include the effect of fewer business and lower population densities, which reduce the abilities for rural businesses to access skilled workers and customers, and more limited infrastructure in terms of public transport and broadband.
Market failure applies both to rural and urban areas. Market failure denotes the condition when markets do not allocate resources efficiently, for example, due to lack of information, and many rural businesses struggle to access quality business support. Market failure in business support is most obvious in those rural areas where many bank branches have closed, only few business services remain and public business support services have difficulties in accessing remote locations, due to the higher cost of visiting. Integrated policies for rural economic development need to recognise the inter-dependencies between rural (embedded) businesses and communities. The review addresses research findings on business support excluding specialist advice to farms and large rural estates
Equine Behavioral Neuroscience: research goals for the next decade and beyond
No full textIn order for the horse to behave appropriately within a dynamic environment, information is gathered from sensory receptors, and is conveyed via the
peripheral nervous system to the brain. Following a process of cognition influenced by experience and innate genetic programming, a corresponding
motor response ensues. Given the requirement for domestic horses to assimilate taught associations and respond correctly to cues, an understanding of
cognitive neuroscience will no doubt bolster progressive training strategies. However, despite this putative linkage between brain function and training, few studies have sought to investigate the neural underpin of equine behavioural processes. As such, the primary aim of this paper is to firstly
summarise the current state of knowledge, and then, using data from better studied species, recommend future research goals. Given the logistical and
ethical dimensions of direct measurements of brain function, most equine studies have traditionally focussed on quantification of centrally released
neurotransmitters in the peripheral bloodstream. Such endeavours are characterised by lack of repeatability and vagaries of interpretation. More
recently, behavioural probes using cognitive testing approaches to analyse basal ganglia function have yielded higher quality data. Furthermore, other
indicators such as spontaneous eye blink rate could provide non-invasive measures of behaviourally important neurotransmitters, like dopamine for
instance. Finally, with an eye towards research horizons, genetic tests of brain function contain vast potential. For example, using genetic material
extracted from hair, we are on the verge of predicting learning potential, food intake, stress susceptibility and aggressive tendencies. When interpreted
carefully, this information could be used to direct breeding strategies, or to screen young stock such that bespoke management and training programmes can be implemented from an early age