1,721,047 research outputs found
Consumer preferences and willingness to pay for fresh and frozen vegetables
Full text linkAmericans' vegetable consumption is below the recommended levels, contributing to obesity and other health issues. While increased intake is recommended, many obstacles still impede Americans from reaching vegetable intake goals. Recommendations typically focus on promoting fresh vegetable consumption, although other forms, namely frozen, are less expensive, store longer, and are considered nutritionally equivalent to fresh. Using an online choice experiment, this study examined consumer preferences and willingness to pay for fresh and frozen vegetables. Additionally, we examined whether providing accurate nutrition information on fresh and frozen vegetables influenced preferences. Results revealed that consumers strongly preferred fresh vegetables to frozen and that information about the nutrition content of fresh and frozen vegetables did not significantly alter preferences. We found that most consumers steam vegetables, so convenient features like steamable packaging are highly valued in purchasing decisions. Finally, we found that higher levels of nutrition knowledge lessen the aversion towards frozen vegetables; however, knowledge varied across socio-demographic subgroups. Men, younger respondents, and food insecure respondents exhibited significantly lower knowledge levels. Increasing nutrition knowledge could make these groups more willing to purchase frozen vegetables.Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'U of I Access', the embargo will last until 2018-05-01The student, Pamela Heinrichs, accepted the attached license on 2015-12-15 at 12:03.The student, Pamela Heinrichs, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2015-12-17 at 17:54.This Thesis was approved for publication on 2015-12-18 at 16:39.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #9023 on 2016-07-07 at 13:48:03Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-07T20:26:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2
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Previous issue date: 2015-12-18Embargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 93058
Lift date: 2018-07-07T20:28:14Z
Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemEmbargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 93058
Lift date: 2018-07-07T20:35:34Z
Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemU of I Only Restriction Lifted for Item 93058 on 2018-07-08T09:15:09Z
Building capacity of rural youth and extension workers in agriculture as a business: evidence from a field experiment in Malawi
Full text linkThis thesis examines the effects of agri-business entrepreneurship training on the business skills, entrepreneurial propensity, and expected wages of youth in rural Malawi. Historically, the role of youth in agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa has been severely limited due to a variety of political, social, and economic factors. In general, youth have limited access to land, capital, political influence, and agricultural inputs, which are often controlled by governments, private industry, or village elders. This project implemented a learning program in the East Lilongwe district testing the effects of a 10 week agricultural entrepreneurship course that attempted to equip youth with the skills necessary to start a low cost business. Participants were selected in groups at the village level, and by completion of the course expected to have formed a semi-formal business plan. Increasing rural youth’s entrepreneurial knowledge and expectations about the viability and wages of agricultural employment will be a crucial factor in incentivizing extension systems to adopt sustainable training practices as a means of advisory service.Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'U of I Access', the embargo will last until 2019-08-01The student, Ryan Highfill, accepted the attached license on 2017-06-15 at 10:01.The student, Ryan Highfill, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2017-06-15 at 10:04.This Thesis was approved for publication on 2017-06-16 at 12:51.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #11225 on 2017-09-29 at 10:45:52Made available in DSpace on 2017-09-29T17:45:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2
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Previous issue date: 2017-06-16Embargo set by: Colleen Fallaw for item 103494
Lift date: 2019-09-29T17:48:06Z
Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemEmbargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 103494
Lift date: 2020-03-02T19:56:41Z
Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemEmbargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 103494
Lift date: 2020-03-02T19:59:52Z
Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemEmbargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 103494
Lift date: 2020-03-02T20:02:46Z
Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemU of I Only Restriction Lifted for Item 103494 on 2020-03-03T10:15:38Z
Farmers' attitudes and barriers towards the production of cellulosic bioenergy crops in the Midwestern U.S.
Full text linkDSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #15708 on 2020-10-02 at 15:52:13Made available in DSpace on 2020-10-07T22:50:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2
LEIBENSPERGER-THESIS-2020.pdf: 4153496 bytes, checksum: 398fde2bc0b7df5f29a9c4dbc9689427 (MD5)
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Previous issue date: 2020-07-23Embargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 116356
Lift date: 2022-10-07T22:50:13Z
Reason: Author requested closed access (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemAuthor requested closed access (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemWhile understanding individual stakeholders’ perspectives on the adoption and conversion to a biofuel-based landscape has been the subject of many previous studies, there has been relatively little attention given to understanding the many stakeholders involved in biofuel development, and how the interaction between these stakeholders could help influence the widespread adoption of biofuel production. This thesis analyzes the key stakeholder interactions involved in biofuel development utilizing various data sources including survey results and empirical and theoretical analyses. We review a number of surveys, research papers, and literature reviews on different aspects of biofuel development such as land use choices, biorefinery and transportation, infrastructure development, consumer priorities, environment impacts, etc. Following that, we apply a stakeholder synergy approach that synthesizes typical responses of stakeholders, such as producers, consumers, biorefineries, rural communities, and the government and how these responses influence the decisions of multiple stakeholders and the overall system performance. Based on the findings of inadequate stakeholder synergy, we conduct a new survey among farmers in the Midwestern US that incorporates additional aspects on farmer relationships with other key stakeholders. Following that, this thesis applies logistical regression analysis of survey results to determine the correlation between farmer characteristics and preferences, as well as their willingness to adopt bioenergy crops in practice. We find that farmers are still largely unfamiliar with perennial grasses as a form of bioenergy, and therefore, communication through preferred channels is crucial to disseminate valuable information on the benefits of bioenergy crops. Additionally, we find that higher levels of perceived community support of energy crops are linked to higher levels of willingness to grow perennial grasses like switchgrass, miscanthus, and sorghum. These findings will help spur policy developments to generate synergy between stakeholders for biofuel development.Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'Closed Access', the embargo will last until 2022-08-01The student, Carrie Leibensperger, accepted the attached license on 2020-07-21 at 11:16.The student, Carrie Leibensperger, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2020-07-21 at 11:36.This Thesis was approved for publication on 2020-07-23 at 09:22.Limite
Consumer perceptions of and willingness to pay for lettuce from different agricultural production systems
Full text linkVertical farming is a technologically advancing agricultural production method with the potential to change the way lettuce (and other produce) is grown. However, less is known about how consumers will react to this new technology in the marketplace. In this study, we examine consumers’ perceptions of and willingness to pay (WTP) for lettuce produced in three different production systems: vertical farm, greenhouse and field farm. Additionally, we assess whether providing information on the three production systems alters perceptions and/or WTP, particularly in the case of vertical farming. We conducted Becker-DeGroot-Marschak revealed preference auctions with over 100 participants to determine WTP, where participants were randomly assigned to receive (or not receive) information on the three production systems. Results suggest that consumers generally perceive vertical farming favorably and at comparable levels to greenhouse and field farm production systems for attributes such as safety, quality and cost expectations, yet is viewed as less natural and less likely to be purchased by the average consumer. Further, we find that consumer WTP for vertically farmed lettuce was not significantly different than lettuce produced by either a greenhouse or a field farm, but WTP was lower for participants who received the information treatment.Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2018-08-14 without embargo termsThe student, Bradford Coyle, accepted the attached license on 2017-07-13 at 17:14.The student, Bradford Coyle, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2017-07-13 at 17:24.This Thesis was approved for publication on 2017-07-17 at 08:36.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #11460 on 2018-08-14 at 15:55:19Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-14T21:34:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2
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Previous issue date: 2017-07-1
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Influencers of surplus food donation at institutions of higher education
Full text linkIn recent years significant policy attention has been given to reducing food waste, including the practice of donating surplus food. The most recent of these policies was the 2018 Farm Bill which dedicated new funding and public positions to research and reduce the quantity of food waste. Policies come in response to a climate of both waste and hunger in the U.S. In this study, we examine the factors that influence surplus food donation at institutions of higher education (IHE). IHE hold an interesting position in the economy, as they receive both direct and indirect benefits from public services or “doing good”. Like any food service provider (e.g. a restaurant), donating may reduce direct costs through reducing waste disposal, or generate direct funding through tax breaks or grants. But, distinct from other food service providers, IHE may also receive indirect benefits as food donation attracts students, faculty, and staff which in-turn affect institutional goals including revenue generation. These indirect benefits may make them more likely to donate surplus food. Research on food waste in IHE has primarily focused on plate waste. While this is a significant source of waste, it does not address pre-consumer waste or its management. Thus, this study contributes to the literature by considering pre-consumer waste, and in particular, how it may be diverted via food donation at IHE. Institutions from the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) were surveyed on a series of characteristics including goals, liability and sustainability and waste management practices, including food donation. Results of the study show that not paying to dispose of waste, liability concern and being located in a town as compared to a city are correlated with a decrease in an institution’s likelihood to donate. Being aware of a nonprofit organization that accepts excess food donations increases the likelihood of donation. The findings support the need for attention to liability concerns as purported by others in the literature.Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2019-11-26 without embargo termsThe student, Samantha Forrest, accepted the attached license on 2019-07-12 at 11:52.The student, Samantha Forrest, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2019-07-12 at 12:03.This Thesis was approved for publication on 2019-07-15 at 16:56.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #14303 on 2019-11-26 at 12:53:34Made available in DSpace on 2019-11-26T20:35:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2
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Previous issue date: 2019-07-1
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Are they lemons? Unobservable quality, information, and mineral fertilizer demand
Full text linkThis Thesis was approved for publication on 2017-07-21 at 08:23.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #11489 on 2017-09-29 at 11:31:00Made available in DSpace on 2017-09-29T17:56:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2
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Previous issue date: 2017-07-21Though the record is clear that small farmers throughout Sub-Saharan Africa use mineral fertilizer at rates that are detrimentally low, an explanation circulating in these farming communities has not been verified. Producers in the region have voiced suspicion that fertilizer available to them in local shops, often acquired in small quantities from open bags rather than from bulk packages sealed by the manufacturer, has been diluted or adulterated; but their concerns are founded in hearsay rather than backed by reliable evidence. In this paper, we collect and test the quality of more than 800 mineral fertilizer samples acquired from 160 Tanzanian farmers and 225 agricultural input shops. Results from fertilizer nutrient content tests of these samples are combined with farmer and input dealer survey data. We find that mineral fertilizer is, on average, missing about 10% of advertised nitrogen. In addition, we find that more than 25% of purchased fertilizer exhibit observable quality problems such as caking, clumping, and powdering.
Our results suggest the presence of an important quality inference problem in the market as we find that these observable mineral fertilizer quality characteristics misrepresent actual unobserved quality; in particular, observable physical quality characteristics do not predict missing nitrogen. Nevertheless, we find that farmers rely on observable characteristics to assess unobservable quality and that they are unwilling to purchase substandard-looking (but agronomically acceptable) mineral fertilizer unless it is sold well below the prevailing market price. Given the prevalence of suspicious-looking mineral fertilizer in the market, our results suggest that (1) quality degradation from poor supply chain management is likely at least as important as adulteration in these markets and (2) because of problems of incomplete information about quality, small-scale farmers may be purchasing and utilizing fertilizer at lower rates than optimal production requires.Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2017-09-29 without embargo termsThe student, Anna Fairbairn, accepted the attached license on 2017-07-17 at 10:04.The student, Anna Fairbairn, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2017-07-17 at 10:18
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