An Extension Specialist's Reflections from the Field: Discovering Ag of the Middle in the Shift from Direct Sale to Wholesale Vegetable Production

Thompson, Jennifer Jo; Gaskin, Julia W.

doi:10.1111/cuag.12220

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…This finding is supported by the results of earlier research, which show that more farmers are producing organically certified food due to the growing local demand for it (Thompson and Gaskin, 2018). Farmers have been prompted to accept organic certification to market their tea due to the strong demand for organic tea among the Chinese population as a sign of their status (James et al , 2019).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 76%

Thematic analysis: factors of food safety certification adoption among farmers in Malaysia

Omar,

Yusuf,

Cheng

2023

JITLP

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Purpose This study aims to identify the factors to food safety certification adoption among farmers in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach This study was conducted qualitatively using a method of interviewing with unstructured questions. To identify the factors that influence and prevent the adoption of food safety certification among Malaysian farmers, nine (n = 9) agricultural industrial experts were randomly chosen. Findings Based on data analysis using thematic analysis, the respondent highlighted 14 factors to food safety certification. Specifically, the most frequent determinant highlighted by the respondent is enforcement (12). Additionally, it has been proven that the identified factors aligned with existing theories: technology, organization and environment (TOE) framework and eco-innovation theory. These theories help researchers to create effective strategies and produce significant findings from their research. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to investigate food safety certification adoption among farmers in the Malaysian agriculture industry using the integration of the TOE framework and eco-innovation theory. The stakeholder is expected to receive the benefits of creating efficient campaigns to encourage more farmers to obtain food safety certification. This study provides further knowledge by improving the understanding of the processes involved in certification adoption, providing context-specific insights, best practices, policy guiding development and emphasizing the effects of certification on sustainability and competitiveness.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 76%

Thematic analysis: factors of food safety certification adoption among farmers in Malaysia

Omar,

Yusuf,

Cheng

2023

JITLP

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“…This is smaller than mid-scale production for fruits and vegetables in California of 8–101 ha (20–250 acres) for which production is year-round (Minor and Bond, 2017; Esquivel et al, 2021). Mid-scale fruit and vegetable production in our study area would be closer to the range of 4–20 ha (10–49 acres) used to characterize mid-scale production in the state of Georgia (Thompson and Gaskin, 2018). Urban expansion could likely necessitate buffering from roads and other surrounding infrastructure by 2050, an important consideration for future projections.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mid-scale production of table foods could support environmentally beneficial practices as well as economic benefits for producers (Thompson and Gaskin, 2018). Environmentally, mid-scale agricultural producers in the USA more readily include ecological diversification and adopt conservation practices that could enhance ecosystem services which support increased social benefits (Esquivel et al, 2021).…”

Section: Spatial Visualization Of Peri-urban Food Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

What would it look like? Visualizing a future US Corn Belt landscape with more table food production

Stone,

Thompson,

Zimmerman

et al. 2024

Renew. Agric. Food Syst.

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Most farmland in the US Corn Belt is used to grow row crops at large scales (e.g., corn, soybean) that are highly processed before entering the human food stream rather than specialty crops grown in smaller areas and meant for direct human consumption (table food). Bolstering local table food production close to urban populations in this region through peri-urban agriculture (PUA) could enhance sustainability and resilience. Understanding factors influencing PUA producers' preferences and willingness to produce table food would enable supportive planning and policy efforts. This study combined land use visualization and survey data to examine the potential for increased local table food production for the US Corn Belt. We developed a spatial visualization of current agricultural land use and a future scenario with increased table food production designed to meet 50% of dietary requirements for a metropolitan population in 2050. A survey was administered to row crop (1360) and specialty crop (55) producers near Des Moines, Iowa, US to understand current and intended agricultural land use and factors influencing production. Responses from 316 row crop and 25 specialty crop producers were eligible for this analysis. A future scenario with increased table food production would require less than 3% of available agricultural land and some additional producers (approximately 130, primarily for grain production). Survey responses indicated PUA producers planned small increases in table food production in the next three to five years. Producer plans, including land rental for table food production, could provide approximately 25% of residents' fruit, vegetables, and grains, an increase from the baseline of 2%. Row crop producers ranked food safety regulations, and specialty producers ranked labor concerns as strong influences on their decision-making. Both groups indicated that crop insurance and processing facilities were also important. Increasing table food production by clustering mid-scale operations to increase economies of scale and strengthening supply chains and production infrastructure could provide new profitable opportunities for farmers and more resilient food systems for growing urban regions in the US Corn Belt. Continuing to address producer factors and landscape-scale environmental impacts will be critical in considering food system sustainability challenges holistically.

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“…Jablonski et al (2022) reported similar findings, noting that direct marketing is quite labor-intensive. In a proof-of-concept project intended to evaluate the economic feasibility of shifting from a diversified direct-market cropping system to one tailored for wholesale accounts (fewer crops and more mechanization), Thompson and Gaskin (2018) demonstrated that small growers could feasibly produce for a wholesale market on small acreage and without sacrificing environmental production values. On a more qualitative level, Silva et al (2015) found that farmers selling in intermediated markets are more satis-fied with their profitability than those selling into direct-market channels.…”

Section: Introduction and Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Untitled

2023

J. Agric. Food Syst. Community Dev.

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left, and Nicola Inglefield, right, kneel with their farmer-researcher sign in a pepper patch that was part of Rebecca's multifarm sweet pepper breeding project in cooperation with the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario's (EFAO) Farmer-Led Research Program. Rebecca and Nicola also conducted a trial in cooperation with EFAO testing different methods for cabbage seed production. See more in the article in this issue, "Farmer knowledge as formal knowledge: A case study of farmer-led research in Ontario, Canada."

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An Extension Specialist's Reflections from the Field: Discovering Ag of the Middle in the Shift from Direct Sale to Wholesale Vegetable Production

Abstract: Although consumer demand for local and organic food continues to grow, some direct market outlets have tightened.

Cited by 9 publications

References 11 publications

Thematic analysis: factors of food safety certification adoption among farmers in Malaysia

Thematic analysis: factors of food safety certification adoption among farmers in Malaysia

What would it look like? Visualizing a future US Corn Belt landscape with more table food production

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