This study analyzed newspaper coverage of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) across 19 countries from 2004-2014. It coded 274 articles for tone (favorable, unfavorable, balanced) and direction to calculate a "Media Vector" score for each paper. Most papers (11 of 19) had unfavorable coverage. Correlations found countries with higher poverty, less access to water, more agricultural land, and higher fertility rates had more favorable GMO coverage. A regression found poverty level accounted for 24.2% of coverage variance, and agricultural land accounted for another 4.7%, supporting the hypothesis that countries with more vulnerable populations have media that reflect their interests rather than elites.
A framing analysis of newspaper coverage of genetically modified crops in KenyaTezira Lore
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Agricultural & Food Information on 16 April 2013, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/10496505.2013.774277
To cite this article: Tezira A. Lore , Jasper K. Imungi & Kamau Mubuu (2013): A Framing Analysis of Newspaper Coverage of Genetically Modified Crops in Kenya, Journal of Agricultural & Food Information, 14:2, 132-150
This document discusses a content analysis of news media coverage of agricultural biotechnology in Ghana. It finds that coverage was overwhelmingly negative, focused on food safety and security issues, and cited industry and government sources. This negative coverage has contributed to public sentiment against GMOs in Ghana. The document calls for improving science communication strategies to enhance public understanding of this issue and foster more informed debate.
Cross National Newspaper Coverage of Coastal Contamination: A Community Struc...Rebecca Mamrosh
This document summarizes a study that analyzed newspaper coverage of coastal contamination in 19 countries over 9 years. The study coded 218 relevant news articles for prominence and whether they framed the issue as the government or society's responsibility. Most articles (84%) framed it as the government's responsibility. Statistical analyses found correlations between media emphasis on government responsibility and factors like a country's aquaculture production and vulnerability to coastal pollution. Measures of privilege like GDP and healthcare access correlated with less emphasis on government responsibility. The analyses support the idea that media coverage reflects a country's vulnerabilities.
On farm & market diversity positively associated with dietary diversityMauricio R. Bellon
This research article examines the relationships between on-farm diversity (the variety of plant species households grow), market diversity (the variety of foods purchased), and dietary diversity (the variety of foods consumed) among rural mothers in southern Benin. The study finds:
1) Households grow over 65 plant species and purchase over 70% of consumed foods from local markets.
2) Both on-farm diversity and market diversity are positively associated with greater dietary diversity among mothers, even after controlling for other factors.
3) The results suggest that production for self-consumption and food purchases complement each other in contributing to dietary quality, rather than markets replacing on-farm production as a source of dietary diversity as conventional theories predict
This document provides a literature review on breeding approaches for resistance to Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN) disease in Ethiopia. MLN is caused by a synergistic infection of two viruses, Maize chlorotic mottle virus and Sugarcane mosaic virus, and emerged as a major threat to maize production in Ethiopia in 2014. The review summarizes research on the distribution of MLN, maize response to the disease, conventional breeding methods like backcrossing used to develop resistant varieties, and molecular breeding approaches including marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, transgenesis, and genome editing. It concludes that combining conventional and molecular breeding methods is an important new strategy for developing improved maize genotypes with
This document discusses managing food price volatility and outlines a framework for understanding food security issues. It notes that in 2003, agricultural protectionism and subsidies in developed countries limited growth and increased poverty in developing nations by keeping prices low. In 2008, rapidly rising food prices threatened global food security. The document proposes helping households cope with price risks, stabilizing domestic prices with minimal impact on global markets, and treating stable prices as a "good" rather than a "bad" through coordinated food reserve policies.
The National Microbiome Initiative (NMI) was created in 2016 through the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and various federal agencies and private investors to further research on microbiomes. The NMI has three main goals: 1) supporting research to answer fundamental questions about microbiomes in diverse ecosystems, 2) developing technologies to generate insights and enhance data sharing, and 3) expanding the microbiome workforce. Several federal agencies are involved in funding, including NIH, NASA, DOE, and NSF. The initiative aims to advance understanding of microbiome functions, composition, dynamics, and relationships through large-scale collaborative research efforts.
A framing analysis of newspaper coverage of genetically modified crops in KenyaTezira Lore
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Agricultural & Food Information on 16 April 2013, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/10496505.2013.774277
To cite this article: Tezira A. Lore , Jasper K. Imungi & Kamau Mubuu (2013): A Framing Analysis of Newspaper Coverage of Genetically Modified Crops in Kenya, Journal of Agricultural & Food Information, 14:2, 132-150
This document discusses a content analysis of news media coverage of agricultural biotechnology in Ghana. It finds that coverage was overwhelmingly negative, focused on food safety and security issues, and cited industry and government sources. This negative coverage has contributed to public sentiment against GMOs in Ghana. The document calls for improving science communication strategies to enhance public understanding of this issue and foster more informed debate.
Cross National Newspaper Coverage of Coastal Contamination: A Community Struc...Rebecca Mamrosh
This document summarizes a study that analyzed newspaper coverage of coastal contamination in 19 countries over 9 years. The study coded 218 relevant news articles for prominence and whether they framed the issue as the government or society's responsibility. Most articles (84%) framed it as the government's responsibility. Statistical analyses found correlations between media emphasis on government responsibility and factors like a country's aquaculture production and vulnerability to coastal pollution. Measures of privilege like GDP and healthcare access correlated with less emphasis on government responsibility. The analyses support the idea that media coverage reflects a country's vulnerabilities.
On farm & market diversity positively associated with dietary diversityMauricio R. Bellon
This research article examines the relationships between on-farm diversity (the variety of plant species households grow), market diversity (the variety of foods purchased), and dietary diversity (the variety of foods consumed) among rural mothers in southern Benin. The study finds:
1) Households grow over 65 plant species and purchase over 70% of consumed foods from local markets.
2) Both on-farm diversity and market diversity are positively associated with greater dietary diversity among mothers, even after controlling for other factors.
3) The results suggest that production for self-consumption and food purchases complement each other in contributing to dietary quality, rather than markets replacing on-farm production as a source of dietary diversity as conventional theories predict
This document provides a literature review on breeding approaches for resistance to Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN) disease in Ethiopia. MLN is caused by a synergistic infection of two viruses, Maize chlorotic mottle virus and Sugarcane mosaic virus, and emerged as a major threat to maize production in Ethiopia in 2014. The review summarizes research on the distribution of MLN, maize response to the disease, conventional breeding methods like backcrossing used to develop resistant varieties, and molecular breeding approaches including marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, transgenesis, and genome editing. It concludes that combining conventional and molecular breeding methods is an important new strategy for developing improved maize genotypes with
This document discusses managing food price volatility and outlines a framework for understanding food security issues. It notes that in 2003, agricultural protectionism and subsidies in developed countries limited growth and increased poverty in developing nations by keeping prices low. In 2008, rapidly rising food prices threatened global food security. The document proposes helping households cope with price risks, stabilizing domestic prices with minimal impact on global markets, and treating stable prices as a "good" rather than a "bad" through coordinated food reserve policies.
The National Microbiome Initiative (NMI) was created in 2016 through the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and various federal agencies and private investors to further research on microbiomes. The NMI has three main goals: 1) supporting research to answer fundamental questions about microbiomes in diverse ecosystems, 2) developing technologies to generate insights and enhance data sharing, and 3) expanding the microbiome workforce. Several federal agencies are involved in funding, including NIH, NASA, DOE, and NSF. The initiative aims to advance understanding of microbiome functions, composition, dynamics, and relationships through large-scale collaborative research efforts.
Using Community Gardens to Augment Food Security
`
For more information, Please see websites below:
`
Organic Edible Schoolyards & Gardening with Children
http://scribd.com/doc/239851214
`
Double Food Production from your School Garden with Organic Tech
http://scribd.com/doc/239851079
`
Free School Gardening Art Posters
http://scribd.com/doc/239851159`
`
Companion Planting Increases Food Production from School Gardens
http://scribd.com/doc/239851159
`
Healthy Foods Dramatically Improves Student Academic Success
http://scribd.com/doc/239851348
`
City Chickens for your Organic School Garden
http://scribd.com/doc/239850440
`
Simple Square Foot Gardening for Schools - Teacher Guide
http://scribd.com/doc/239851110
This document summarizes a presentation given by Simon Ndungu Nyokabi at the Euroleague for Life Sciences Scientific Student Conference 2014 on bio-security risks, perceptions, and control of zoonotic diseases along meat and milk value chains. The presentation discusses the importance of zoonotic diseases, defines biosecurity, outlines the livestock value chain, presents a case study of Bura sub-county in Kenya, and considers future trends and implications. Key findings from the case study include poor sanitation, lack of biosecurity measures, high disease prevalence, and low knowledge of transmission risks. Recommendations include improved surveillance, climate change adaptation, and a one health approach to control zoonotic diseases.
The document summarizes the conclusions and recommendations from a report on sustainable agricultural systems. It finds that while U.S. agriculture has greatly increased productivity, it has also led to unintended negative environmental and social consequences. It recommends that agriculture must substantially accelerate progress toward four goals to be sustainable: meeting food/fuel needs, enhancing the environment, ensuring economic viability, and improving quality of life. It also stresses the need for indicators to measure progress toward sustainability and research to reduce tradeoffs among the goals.
BACTERIOPHAGE THERAPY IN AQUACULTURE – FRIEND OR FOEAusPhage
This document discusses the potential for using bacteriophages (phages) as an alternative to antibiotics in aquaculture to control pathogenic bacteria. Phages are viruses that infect and kill specific bacteria. They have been used therapeutically in Eastern Europe for over 60 years with proven success. The growth of aquaculture is limited by infectious disease outbreaks caused by bacteria like Vibrio and Aeromonas. While vaccines and management practices have helped, antibiotic resistance is a major concern. Phages offer a natural solution as they can target antibiotic-resistant bacteria and replicate at the infection site. The document reviews phage biology and therapy approaches, noting that virulent phages are best for killing pathogens without transferring genes. It compares advantages
The food system is the greatest driver of environmental degradation on Earth. It relies on a low-cost model that does not reflect the true social and environmental costs of food production. This has led to widespread malnutrition and hunger despite high overall food production. The industrial food system produces an overabundance of unhealthy, cheap calories but fails to provide adequate nutrition to nearly 1 billion people. At the same time, food-related diseases are a leading cause of death globally and one-third of all food is wasted. The current industrial model of global food governance is unsustainable and alternative paradigms are needed that place social and environmental values above low prices and corporate profits.
2. richard a. levao, technopolis address 2016 4 0Rizal Pahlevi
1) A keynote address discusses the complex and unintended consequences that can arise from development decisions. While benefits may be immediate, damaging consequences may be long-term or impact those in other locations.
2) The example is given of a policy change in the 1970s US to encourage increased corn production, which led to excess corn being used in cattle feed. This allowed for larger cattle farms but also caused health issues in cows due to a carb-rich diet.
3) To address the health issues, antibiotics were added to cattle feed but this contributed to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, posing risks for human health. The example illustrates how local development decisions can have unforeseen global impacts through complex chains
Food insecurity and poverty trends, Association between food insecurity and poverty, causes and effects, food insecurity and poverty in the Ugandan context.
This study evaluated the direct and indirect protective effects of malaria interventions ITNs and IRS using data from 7 countries in Africa. A crude analysis found that ITN use significantly decreased odds of malaria in 2 countries and increased odds in 2 others, while IRS use significantly decreased odds in 1 country and increased odds in another. An adjusted analysis found no indirect protection for non-ITN users as coverage increased, but indirect protection was offered to ITN users as coverage increased in their neighborhood. IRS use did not provide individual or community-level protection against malaria. The contradictory findings highlight a need for further research on mechanisms driving these observed patterns.
This presentation summarizes a reading on the roles and values of wild foods in agricultural systems. It discusses how wild foods provide nutritional and cultural benefits but are threatened by climate change, land degradation, and loss of local knowledge. The presentation provides the local example of wild rice harvesting in Manitoba, which is only permitted for First Nations peoples. It poses two questions for consideration around how to balance food access and human rights in wild foods policy. Finally, it recommends a handout on wild food initiatives and the documentary Red Gold as discussing themes from the reading.
This document summarizes a study that evaluates the effectiveness of government policy interventions in improving food security in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. The study analyzes food security at the regional and household levels from 2000-2008. At the regional level, the results of food balance sheets indicate that government interventions have helped improve regional food self-sufficiency. At the household level, empirical analysis using a logit model found that interventions like water harvesting schemes, employment programs, and technology promotion significantly increased the likelihood of household food security. The findings suggest government interventions have been effective in improving food security in Tigray at both household and regional scales.
perception towards family planning and its implication to environmental susta...IJEAB
This study was conducted aiming at to assess perception of couples towards family planning and its relevance to environmental sustainability and to identify factors hindering family planning practice. Sample respondents for study comprises 90 couples in rural and 28 in urban. Data was collected by using random systematic and simple random sampling methods. The instruments used for data collection were interview and focus group discussion. The research found that there is promising level of awareness on family planning and main source of information were health extension agents. Reported reasons in sought of large number of children were old age support, son or daughter preference, considering children as a wealth, and labor support, religious prohibition. Nearly half of respondent couples approve contraceptives with more approval of women in both settings. Most of the respondents showed positive attitude towards family planning. Furthermore, half of the rural and nearly less than half of the urban respondents approve the importance of family planning for environmental sustainability. During the study period 23.2% of urban and 18.9% of rural couples were using some method of family planning; among which 21.4 of urban and 16.7% of rural women were using modern methods, hence, awareness level and practice in family planning showed a gap in both urban and rural. In general, urban showed more favorable attitude and practice than rural couples in family planning. Despite of their lower practice in family planning, rural respondents likely showed more favorable attitudes towards relevance of family planning for environmental sustainability.
50 breakthroughs: inspiration for FoED SymposiumAlice Marks
The 50 Breakthroughs from LIGTT represent breakthroughs that with have significant impact on the lives of those in developing countries. I turned the list into illustrated slides designed to provide inspiration for attendees of the RAEng Frontiers of Engineering for Development Symposium, November 2016.
Livelihood Vulnerability Assessment in context of drought hazard; a case stud...John Kapoi Kapoi
This document summarizes a study that assessed population vulnerability to drought in Baringo County, Kenya. Socioeconomic data from 2009 on livelihoods, poverty rates, and population density were analyzed using geographic information systems and an analytical hierarchy process. The results showed that 27.87% of those with marginal livelihoods and 25.62% of pastoral livelihoods had high vulnerability. In general, marginal, pastoral, and agro-pastoral livelihoods were found to be highly vulnerable to drought due to high poverty rates and population pressures undermining resilience. The study concluded these groups would benefit from government poverty reduction and improved infrastructure projects.
Examining the Impact of Structural Racism on Food Insecurity: Implications fo...Jim Bloyd, DrPH, MPH
Food insecurity is defined as "a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food." While, levels of food insecurity in the United States have fluctuated over the past 20 years; disparities in food insecurity rates between people of color and whites have continued to persist. There is growing recognition that discrimination and structural racism are key contributors to disparities in health behaviors and outcomes. Although several promising practices to reduce food insecurity have emerged, approaches that address structural racism and discrimination may have important implications for alleviating racial/ethnic disparities in food insecurity and promoting health equity overall. Authors: Angela Odoms-Young, M. A. Bruce
Feeding People In Hard Times: What Does Permaculture Have To OfferFayme4q
This document discusses the growing food crisis facing many populations in the US and globally. It notes that 35 million people in the US rely on food aid and that food prices rose significantly in 2007. The author argues that permaculture offers solutions through decentralized local food production that empowers communities and increases food security. Permaculture aims to create sustainable human habitats through working with nature to build productive ecosystems that meet human needs.
One of the most controversial aspects of our food system is the role of genetically engineered crop varieties. While proponents argue GE crops can increase yields to feed a growing population, critics warn that reliance on this single technological solution cannot address the root causes of global hunger. The problems with our food system lie deeper than issues of production, as evidenced by the paradox of food waste amidst hunger even in countries like the US where GE crops are most widely used. True solutions require addressing inefficiencies and inequalities across the entire food system through sustainable, locally-adapted policies and behaviors rather than promises of any single "golden ticket."
Access to essential medicines remains a challenge globally. Over 2 billion people still lack regular access to medicines. Ensuring access to medicines can reduce conflict by decreasing inequalities and increasing trust in government institutions. Providing a basic package of essential medicines to developing countries would cost $77-152 billion annually but could be purchased for as little as $13-25 per person per year. Rotary can play a role in improving access through supporting local ownership, incentives for equitable distribution, institutional partnerships, and operating within existing legal and ethical rules to serve as a link between health and peace.
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Soil-transmitted Helminthiasis among Students ...Premier Publishers
Despite efforts and interventions to control Soil-transmitted Helminths infections, World Health Organization estimated 70.0% school aged children worldwide at risk of infection with at least one Soil-transmitted Helminths species, with 22% occurring in Africa; Soil-transmitted Helminths infections therefore still remain prevalent especially in developing countries. An epidemiological study was conducted to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of Soil-transmitted helminthiasis among Students of Government Day Secondary School Gidan Igwe Area, Sokoto State, Nigeria. A total of 90 faecal samples were collected and analyzed using wet preparation method to detect the ova of soil-transmitted helminths. Information on risk factors of STHs was obtained from the students through a structured questionnaire. Binary Logistic Regression was used to determine the risk factors of Soil-transmitted Helminthiasis in the study area. Out of the 90 faecal samples examined, 54(60.0%) were found to be infected with at least one species of STHs or the other. Species of STHs encountered during the study in order of occurrence were; Ascaris lumbricoides (35.56%), Trichuris trichiura (16.67%), and Hookworm (7.77%). Results of Binary Logistic Regression indicated being 11-16 years old, farming activity, using well as a source of drinking water, walking barefooted, and not washing hands before and after meals as the major risk factors for the spread of soil-transmitted helminthiasis among the students. Therefore, public health attention is highly needed to control soil-transmitted helminthiasis among the study subjects in the area.
The document is about a donation program called "Together we can make it" that started on December 1st to raise 700,000 SEK to finance fire safety requirements for the main building and festival areas of Angsbacka. It asks for help reaching the fundraising goal and provides information on donating directly through their website or by email. All profits from Angsbacka, which is owned by an economic association of over 500 members, are invested in continuing and developing its work and projects to benefit many people.
The letter summarizes Wren's experience and abilities as a student of architecture. Over three years of studio courses, Wren has consistently taken risks to explore design possibilities and develop ambitious urban infrastructure projects driven by program. He led a design team that developed a coherent proposal for the annual four-day Charrette competition among 120 students. The letter concludes by recommending Wren as a valuable asset for architectural design teams based on his big-scale thinking, ability to communicate through drawing, and team-building skills.
Using Community Gardens to Augment Food Security
`
For more information, Please see websites below:
`
Organic Edible Schoolyards & Gardening with Children
http://scribd.com/doc/239851214
`
Double Food Production from your School Garden with Organic Tech
http://scribd.com/doc/239851079
`
Free School Gardening Art Posters
http://scribd.com/doc/239851159`
`
Companion Planting Increases Food Production from School Gardens
http://scribd.com/doc/239851159
`
Healthy Foods Dramatically Improves Student Academic Success
http://scribd.com/doc/239851348
`
City Chickens for your Organic School Garden
http://scribd.com/doc/239850440
`
Simple Square Foot Gardening for Schools - Teacher Guide
http://scribd.com/doc/239851110
This document summarizes a presentation given by Simon Ndungu Nyokabi at the Euroleague for Life Sciences Scientific Student Conference 2014 on bio-security risks, perceptions, and control of zoonotic diseases along meat and milk value chains. The presentation discusses the importance of zoonotic diseases, defines biosecurity, outlines the livestock value chain, presents a case study of Bura sub-county in Kenya, and considers future trends and implications. Key findings from the case study include poor sanitation, lack of biosecurity measures, high disease prevalence, and low knowledge of transmission risks. Recommendations include improved surveillance, climate change adaptation, and a one health approach to control zoonotic diseases.
The document summarizes the conclusions and recommendations from a report on sustainable agricultural systems. It finds that while U.S. agriculture has greatly increased productivity, it has also led to unintended negative environmental and social consequences. It recommends that agriculture must substantially accelerate progress toward four goals to be sustainable: meeting food/fuel needs, enhancing the environment, ensuring economic viability, and improving quality of life. It also stresses the need for indicators to measure progress toward sustainability and research to reduce tradeoffs among the goals.
BACTERIOPHAGE THERAPY IN AQUACULTURE – FRIEND OR FOEAusPhage
This document discusses the potential for using bacteriophages (phages) as an alternative to antibiotics in aquaculture to control pathogenic bacteria. Phages are viruses that infect and kill specific bacteria. They have been used therapeutically in Eastern Europe for over 60 years with proven success. The growth of aquaculture is limited by infectious disease outbreaks caused by bacteria like Vibrio and Aeromonas. While vaccines and management practices have helped, antibiotic resistance is a major concern. Phages offer a natural solution as they can target antibiotic-resistant bacteria and replicate at the infection site. The document reviews phage biology and therapy approaches, noting that virulent phages are best for killing pathogens without transferring genes. It compares advantages
The food system is the greatest driver of environmental degradation on Earth. It relies on a low-cost model that does not reflect the true social and environmental costs of food production. This has led to widespread malnutrition and hunger despite high overall food production. The industrial food system produces an overabundance of unhealthy, cheap calories but fails to provide adequate nutrition to nearly 1 billion people. At the same time, food-related diseases are a leading cause of death globally and one-third of all food is wasted. The current industrial model of global food governance is unsustainable and alternative paradigms are needed that place social and environmental values above low prices and corporate profits.
2. richard a. levao, technopolis address 2016 4 0Rizal Pahlevi
1) A keynote address discusses the complex and unintended consequences that can arise from development decisions. While benefits may be immediate, damaging consequences may be long-term or impact those in other locations.
2) The example is given of a policy change in the 1970s US to encourage increased corn production, which led to excess corn being used in cattle feed. This allowed for larger cattle farms but also caused health issues in cows due to a carb-rich diet.
3) To address the health issues, antibiotics were added to cattle feed but this contributed to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, posing risks for human health. The example illustrates how local development decisions can have unforeseen global impacts through complex chains
Food insecurity and poverty trends, Association between food insecurity and poverty, causes and effects, food insecurity and poverty in the Ugandan context.
This study evaluated the direct and indirect protective effects of malaria interventions ITNs and IRS using data from 7 countries in Africa. A crude analysis found that ITN use significantly decreased odds of malaria in 2 countries and increased odds in 2 others, while IRS use significantly decreased odds in 1 country and increased odds in another. An adjusted analysis found no indirect protection for non-ITN users as coverage increased, but indirect protection was offered to ITN users as coverage increased in their neighborhood. IRS use did not provide individual or community-level protection against malaria. The contradictory findings highlight a need for further research on mechanisms driving these observed patterns.
This presentation summarizes a reading on the roles and values of wild foods in agricultural systems. It discusses how wild foods provide nutritional and cultural benefits but are threatened by climate change, land degradation, and loss of local knowledge. The presentation provides the local example of wild rice harvesting in Manitoba, which is only permitted for First Nations peoples. It poses two questions for consideration around how to balance food access and human rights in wild foods policy. Finally, it recommends a handout on wild food initiatives and the documentary Red Gold as discussing themes from the reading.
This document summarizes a study that evaluates the effectiveness of government policy interventions in improving food security in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. The study analyzes food security at the regional and household levels from 2000-2008. At the regional level, the results of food balance sheets indicate that government interventions have helped improve regional food self-sufficiency. At the household level, empirical analysis using a logit model found that interventions like water harvesting schemes, employment programs, and technology promotion significantly increased the likelihood of household food security. The findings suggest government interventions have been effective in improving food security in Tigray at both household and regional scales.
perception towards family planning and its implication to environmental susta...IJEAB
This study was conducted aiming at to assess perception of couples towards family planning and its relevance to environmental sustainability and to identify factors hindering family planning practice. Sample respondents for study comprises 90 couples in rural and 28 in urban. Data was collected by using random systematic and simple random sampling methods. The instruments used for data collection were interview and focus group discussion. The research found that there is promising level of awareness on family planning and main source of information were health extension agents. Reported reasons in sought of large number of children were old age support, son or daughter preference, considering children as a wealth, and labor support, religious prohibition. Nearly half of respondent couples approve contraceptives with more approval of women in both settings. Most of the respondents showed positive attitude towards family planning. Furthermore, half of the rural and nearly less than half of the urban respondents approve the importance of family planning for environmental sustainability. During the study period 23.2% of urban and 18.9% of rural couples were using some method of family planning; among which 21.4 of urban and 16.7% of rural women were using modern methods, hence, awareness level and practice in family planning showed a gap in both urban and rural. In general, urban showed more favorable attitude and practice than rural couples in family planning. Despite of their lower practice in family planning, rural respondents likely showed more favorable attitudes towards relevance of family planning for environmental sustainability.
50 breakthroughs: inspiration for FoED SymposiumAlice Marks
The 50 Breakthroughs from LIGTT represent breakthroughs that with have significant impact on the lives of those in developing countries. I turned the list into illustrated slides designed to provide inspiration for attendees of the RAEng Frontiers of Engineering for Development Symposium, November 2016.
Livelihood Vulnerability Assessment in context of drought hazard; a case stud...John Kapoi Kapoi
This document summarizes a study that assessed population vulnerability to drought in Baringo County, Kenya. Socioeconomic data from 2009 on livelihoods, poverty rates, and population density were analyzed using geographic information systems and an analytical hierarchy process. The results showed that 27.87% of those with marginal livelihoods and 25.62% of pastoral livelihoods had high vulnerability. In general, marginal, pastoral, and agro-pastoral livelihoods were found to be highly vulnerable to drought due to high poverty rates and population pressures undermining resilience. The study concluded these groups would benefit from government poverty reduction and improved infrastructure projects.
Examining the Impact of Structural Racism on Food Insecurity: Implications fo...Jim Bloyd, DrPH, MPH
Food insecurity is defined as "a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food." While, levels of food insecurity in the United States have fluctuated over the past 20 years; disparities in food insecurity rates between people of color and whites have continued to persist. There is growing recognition that discrimination and structural racism are key contributors to disparities in health behaviors and outcomes. Although several promising practices to reduce food insecurity have emerged, approaches that address structural racism and discrimination may have important implications for alleviating racial/ethnic disparities in food insecurity and promoting health equity overall. Authors: Angela Odoms-Young, M. A. Bruce
Feeding People In Hard Times: What Does Permaculture Have To OfferFayme4q
This document discusses the growing food crisis facing many populations in the US and globally. It notes that 35 million people in the US rely on food aid and that food prices rose significantly in 2007. The author argues that permaculture offers solutions through decentralized local food production that empowers communities and increases food security. Permaculture aims to create sustainable human habitats through working with nature to build productive ecosystems that meet human needs.
One of the most controversial aspects of our food system is the role of genetically engineered crop varieties. While proponents argue GE crops can increase yields to feed a growing population, critics warn that reliance on this single technological solution cannot address the root causes of global hunger. The problems with our food system lie deeper than issues of production, as evidenced by the paradox of food waste amidst hunger even in countries like the US where GE crops are most widely used. True solutions require addressing inefficiencies and inequalities across the entire food system through sustainable, locally-adapted policies and behaviors rather than promises of any single "golden ticket."
Access to essential medicines remains a challenge globally. Over 2 billion people still lack regular access to medicines. Ensuring access to medicines can reduce conflict by decreasing inequalities and increasing trust in government institutions. Providing a basic package of essential medicines to developing countries would cost $77-152 billion annually but could be purchased for as little as $13-25 per person per year. Rotary can play a role in improving access through supporting local ownership, incentives for equitable distribution, institutional partnerships, and operating within existing legal and ethical rules to serve as a link between health and peace.
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Soil-transmitted Helminthiasis among Students ...Premier Publishers
Despite efforts and interventions to control Soil-transmitted Helminths infections, World Health Organization estimated 70.0% school aged children worldwide at risk of infection with at least one Soil-transmitted Helminths species, with 22% occurring in Africa; Soil-transmitted Helminths infections therefore still remain prevalent especially in developing countries. An epidemiological study was conducted to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of Soil-transmitted helminthiasis among Students of Government Day Secondary School Gidan Igwe Area, Sokoto State, Nigeria. A total of 90 faecal samples were collected and analyzed using wet preparation method to detect the ova of soil-transmitted helminths. Information on risk factors of STHs was obtained from the students through a structured questionnaire. Binary Logistic Regression was used to determine the risk factors of Soil-transmitted Helminthiasis in the study area. Out of the 90 faecal samples examined, 54(60.0%) were found to be infected with at least one species of STHs or the other. Species of STHs encountered during the study in order of occurrence were; Ascaris lumbricoides (35.56%), Trichuris trichiura (16.67%), and Hookworm (7.77%). Results of Binary Logistic Regression indicated being 11-16 years old, farming activity, using well as a source of drinking water, walking barefooted, and not washing hands before and after meals as the major risk factors for the spread of soil-transmitted helminthiasis among the students. Therefore, public health attention is highly needed to control soil-transmitted helminthiasis among the study subjects in the area.
The document is about a donation program called "Together we can make it" that started on December 1st to raise 700,000 SEK to finance fire safety requirements for the main building and festival areas of Angsbacka. It asks for help reaching the fundraising goal and provides information on donating directly through their website or by email. All profits from Angsbacka, which is owned by an economic association of over 500 members, are invested in continuing and developing its work and projects to benefit many people.
The letter summarizes Wren's experience and abilities as a student of architecture. Over three years of studio courses, Wren has consistently taken risks to explore design possibilities and develop ambitious urban infrastructure projects driven by program. He led a design team that developed a coherent proposal for the annual four-day Charrette competition among 120 students. The letter concludes by recommending Wren as a valuable asset for architectural design teams based on his big-scale thinking, ability to communicate through drawing, and team-building skills.
This document provides an introduction to the facilitator, Courtney King, and an overview of the ELI 184 Online writing course. Courtney has taught writing and ESL courses for several years and is pursuing a Master's in TESOL. The course focuses on four writing genres: expository, summary/response, cause/effect, and argumentative. Students will write formal papers in each genre as well as complete timed writings, quizzes on grammar and APA style, error logs, and discussion board posts. Academic integrity, late work, and communication policies are also outlined.
Salome Lellouche is a French communications professional born in 1990. She holds a Master's degree in Communication & Media from EFAP in Paris and has over 5 years of experience in public relations, social media management, and web content production for fashion and lifestyle brands. Her experience includes internships at media and PR agencies where she organized events, wrote press materials, and managed social media accounts and website content.
Dokumen memberikan instruksi langkah demi langkah untuk membuat akun hosting dan blog gratis menggunakan Hostinger, mulai dari mencari Hostinger di Google, membuat akun, mengonfirmasi email, membuat database MySQL, menginstal WordPress menggunakan autoinstaller, hingga blog selesai dibuat.
The document provides information on MHC-3000 series ultrasonic flow meters, including four models (MHC-3000B, MHC-3000G, MHC-3000H, MHC-3000P). It describes the key features and specifications of each model such as type, principle, functions, portability, transducers, power supply, outputs, applications, and optional components. Various transducer options are also detailed including specifications for plug-in, clamp-on, and inline sensor types. Ordering information is provided at the end to customize orders based on selected components.
El documento resume la filosofía epicúrea. Epicuro enseñaba que la felicidad se logra evitando el dolor y buscando placeres simples. Dividió su filosofía en conocimiento, física y ética. Su ética buscaba la tranquilidad del alma a través de rechazar los miedos a los dioses, la muerte y el fracaso, y disfrutando de placeres moderados en comunidad con amigos.
Teks tersebut membahas tentang pelajaran Pendidikan Agama Khonghucu dan Budi Pekerti untuk kelas X di SMK. Teks tersebut menjelaskan kompetensi inti, kompetensi dasar, materi pembelajaran, kegiatan pembelajaran, penilaian, alokasi waktu, dan sumber belajar untuk mata pelajaran tersebut.
This document contains the resume of Ayyalappa S B. He has over 9 years of experience in system administration and project management. Currently, he works at IBM India Pvt Ltd as a Technical Services Specialist in Active Directory support. He has expertise in Windows Server 2003/2008/2012 and Exchange server administration, troubleshooting, and management. He is seeking a position in server support within the IT industry where he can utilize his skills and experience.
This document discusses various programs and initiatives to address school attendance issues. It mentions Aeries dashboards, Attention2Attendance software, truancy letters, parenting classes, SARB committees, PBIS, and partnerships with organizations like Attendance Works and local government agencies. The goal is to prevent truancy through monitoring, outreach, and interventions, with the hope that students can be successfully reintegrated into regular school attendance.
This deck is about what it takes to build a natural foods brand; entrepreneurs need both passion and performance management leadership and long-term planning. I share examples throughout the natural foods industry.
I originally shared this deck with a class at Cornell University's Johnson Graduate School of Management back in April 2013 (I'm an alumn). I have shared it at a few OSC2 gatherings since.
A Little Learning In Dangerous The Influence Of Agricultural Literacy And Ex...Angie Miller
This study examined how college students' levels of agricultural literacy and experience influence their perceptions of television news stories about agriculture. Researchers surveyed students about their agricultural knowledge and background. Students also viewed images from a news story about antibiotic use in livestock and reported their reactions. Statistical analysis found students with agricultural experience reacted differently than those without, suggesting those with little exposure may have outdated views of farming. Agricultural literacy also predicted reactions, indicating it can shape perceptions. The researchers recommend promoting literacy initiatives and hands-on learning to help close knowledge gaps between agricultural producers and consumers.
International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (IJHSSI)inventionjournals
International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (IJHSSI) is an international journal intended for professionals and researchers in all fields of Humanities and Social Science. IJHSSI publishes research articles and reviews within the whole field Humanities and Social Science, new teaching methods, assessment, validation and the impact of new technologies and it will continue to provide information on the latest trends and developments in this ever-expanding subject. The publications of papers are selected through double peer reviewed to ensure originality, relevance, and readability. The articles published in our journal can be accessed online
A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF MULTHUSIAN THEORY OF POPULATION AND FOOD INSECURITY IN...Yasmine Anino
This document provides an abstract for a study that examines Thomas Malthus' theory of population in the context of population growth and food insecurity in Nigeria. The study aims to analyze whether Malthus' theory applies to Nigeria's situation. Malthus' theory argues that population grows exponentially while food production increases arithmetically, inevitably leading to imbalance. The findings of the study reveal that Malthus' theory addresses the issues of increasing population and food insecurity in Nigeria. Population is growing rapidly while factors like neglect of agriculture limit food production growth. The methodology uses primary and secondary sources to analyze Malthus' theory in relation to Nigeria's population and food issues.
1. While global food production is enough to feed the world's population, hunger persists with nearly 870 million people experiencing hunger between 2010-2012.
2. Food security is defined by the UN and related institutions as people having access to enough food to meet their needs, but this definition is criticized for ignoring power dynamics in food systems and focusing on trade.
3. Multiple factors are putting pressure on global food systems, including population growth, urbanization, rising consumption, and climate change, making food security a major challenge of the 21st century.
Population growth implications for environmental sustaintabilityarmandogo92
This document discusses the implications of population growth in Nigeria for environmental sustainability. It notes that rapid population growth and increasing demand for natural resources is disrupting natural ecosystems and undermining their ability to support populations at current levels. The carrying capacity of the environment is exceeded when populations grow too large relative to available resources. Problems caused by Nigeria's growing population include soil erosion, land degradation, and habitat loss due to increasing agricultural and development pressures on the land. For sustainable development, population size and growth must be balanced with the environment's productive capacity.
Briding the divide between genomic science and indigenous peoplesDr Lendy Spires
This document discusses the challenges of conducting genomic research with indigenous communities and developing countries. While genomic research could help address health issues in these groups, past unethical practices have eroded trust. Some communities have declined participation in genomic research as a result. However, opportunities exist to bridge this divide by developing new policies with input from these communities to ensure their interests and sovereignty are respected and they share in the benefits of any research. The Navajo Nation's moratorium on genetic research until their guidelines are updated offers one such opportunity for collaborative education and partnership building.
Target Organization List
Organization
Web address
Mission statement
Company 1
Company name:
Contact name (if available):
Description of what the company does:
Location(s):
Web address:
Phone number:
Type of position that you are interested in:
How to apply:
Three things that you learned about the company (this may be mission statement, size, growth potential, community involvement, etc.):
How would this company and job support your career goals?
Company 2
Company name:
Contact name (if available):
Description of what the company does:
Location(s):
Web address:
Phone number:
Type of position that you are interested in:
How to apply:
Three things that you learned about the company (this may be mission statement, size, growth potential, community involvement, etc.):
How would this company and job support your career goals?
Company 3
Company name:
Contact name (if available):
Description of what the company does:
Location(s):
Web address:
Phone number:
Type of position that you are interested in:
How to apply:
Three things that you learned about the company (this may be mission statement, size, growth potential, community involvement, etc.):
How would this company and job support your career goals?
1
Article 35
The Price of Progress
John Bodley
In aiming at progress… you must
let no one suffer by too drastic a
measure, nor pay too high a price
in upheaval and devastation, for
your innovation.
Maunier, 1949: 725
UNTIL RECENTLY, GOVERNMENT
planners have always considered eco-
nomic development and progress benefi-
cial goals that all societies should want to
strive toward. The social advantage of
progress—as defined in terms of in-
creased incomes, higher standards of liv-
ing, greater security, and better health—
are thought to be positive, universal
goods, to be obtained at any price. Al-
though one may argue that tribal peoples
must sacrifice their traditional cultures to
obtain these benefits, government plan-
ners generally feel that this is a small
price to pay for such obvious advantages.
In earlier chapters [in Victims of
Progress, 3rd ed.], evidence was pre-
sented to demonstrate that autonomous
tribal peoples have not chosen progress
to enjoy its advantages, but that govern-
ments have pushed progress upon them
to obtain tribal resources, not primarily
to share with the tribal peoples the bene-
fits of progress. It has also been shown
that the price of forcing progress on un-
willing recipients has involved the
deaths of millions of tribal people, as
well as their loss of land, political sover-
eignty, and the right to follow their own
life style. This chapter does not attempt
to further summarize that aspect of the
cost of progress, but instead analyzes the
specific effects of the participation of
tribal peoples in the world-market econ-
omy. In direct opposition to the usual in-
terpretation, it is argued here that the
benefits of progress are often both illu-
sory and detrimental to ...
Chapter 1
Introduction:
The Environment at Risk
Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter the reader will be able to:Describe how environmental health problems influence our livesDescribe the potential impacts of population growth upon the environmentState a definition of the term environmental healthList at least five major events in the history of environmental healthIdentify current issues in the environmental health fieldDescribe employment opportunities in the environmental health field
Environmental Quality
Maintaining environmental quality is a pressing task for the 21st century.
Healthy People 2010 GoalsGoal Number 8, Environmental Health: “Promote health for all through a healthy environment.”
Healthy People 2010 Goals (continued)Goal Number 8 Objectives include:Outdoor Air QualityWater QualityToxics and WastesHealthy Homes & Healthy CommunitiesInfrastructure and SurveillanceGlobal Environmental Health
Environmental Health ThreatsTrash that fouls our beachesHazardous wastes (including radioactive wastes) leaching from disposal sites Continuing episodes of air pollution in some areasExposures to toxic chemicalsDestruction of the land through deforestation
Population and Environment: The Three P’s
Pollution Principal DeterminantsPopulation of Health WorldwidePoverty
Pollution
Combustion of fossil fuels (e.g., petroleum and coal) that disperse greenhouse gases into atmosphere may cause
Global warming
Change in distribution of insect vectors
Population
Overpopulation in developing nations is leading to the human population exceeding the carrying capacity of the planet.World population of 10-12 billion during 21st century?Related to urban crowding
Infectious disease epidemics: A consequence of crowding?Avian influenza A (H5N1) virus: outbreaks on poultry farms in Asia
-Health officials were concerned that the virus might mutate, enabling human-to-human transmission and a resulting pandemicSwine flu (H1N1 influenza): spread through North America to other parts of the globe.
-The WHO declared a pandemic.
Swine Flu (H1N1 2009 Virus)Concern that a large proportion of the population might be susceptible to infection with the virusSeasonal influenza vaccine H1N1 strain might not provide protection. During the summer and fall months of 2009, influenza activity peaked.Week ending October 24, 2009—49 of 50 states reported geographically widespread disease.Worldwide (as of 31 January 2010) more than 209 countries and overseas territories or communities reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including at least 15174 deaths.
PovertyLinked to population growthOne of the well-recognized determinants of adverse health outcomes
Significance of the Environment for Human HealthExposure to potentially hazardous agents accounts for many of the forms of environmentally associated morbidity and mortality.Examples of hazardous agents are:MicrobesToxic chemicals and m ...
Role of socio cultural factors influence towards food choices among household...oircjournals
This study focused on factors influencing households’ behavior and attitudes towards food choices in Kiambaa sub-county, Kiambu County. Therefore, this study explored socio-cultural factors on household food choices. Structural functionalism and social learning theory provided the theoretical understanding to discuss the relationship between variables. This study employed descriptive design to randomly select a sample of 138 households. Data was collected using interview schedule on a sample of 138 respondents living in Kiambaa sub-county. Data was analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively, quantitative data using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Ms-excel computer software to generate frequencies and percentages which were presented discussed and interpreted in line with the study objectives. The findings established statistically significant between social cultural factors and food choices in Kiambaa Sub County. Social interactions at 86% which include the nature of interpersonal relationships, social status at 70% and traditions at 78% in households provided an important set of interpersonal relationships in influencing food choice. This study findings shows majority of women at 86% are actively involved in decision making especially on the food to be eaten at home therefore become the burden carrier of the household activity and balancing other roles as homemaker, mother and income earners. This study concludes that factors influencing food choices are positive and negative therefore it is importance to consider sociological approach to food choices. This study recommends policy and strategic approach to food choices, household target in proper utilization of research findings and further study on assessment of influence of work on behaviour towards food choices.
This document summarizes a research project exploring the relationship between people and primates in Western Uganda and how it impacts disease transmission. The project examines how human reliance on forest resources and interactions with primates have changed over 50 years, current human perceptions of primates, and beliefs about zoonotic diseases. Preliminary findings show people's continued reliance on forests, unchanged perceptions of primates as pests, and knowledge that diseases can transmit between animals and humans. Understanding the human-primate relationship will help design interventions to protect human and primate health.
Food security is a multifaceted and manifold paradox that includes social,
biological, nutritional and economic aspects. Food is not only related to dietetic
sources but also plays numerous roles in social life and is closely linked to cultural
differentials. Despite its multi-dimensional approach, food security has been
molded in a number of ways since its dawn. However, food security was
transformed from a micro to a macro level during the World Food Conference of
1974. Food security exists “when all people at all times have physical, economic
and social access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food, essential for meeting their
dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”. The present
study was conducted in light of a sociological perspective in the district of Torghar,
Northern Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Pakistan to assess the household food security
status. A sample of 379 household head was selected out of 26464 as per the
proportional allocation method. Moreover, descriptive and inferential statistics was
further used at descriptive and bivariate analysis. With regards to demographic
profile of the respondents 37% of household heads were between the ages of 46-
55, with 42% of illiterates, 70% of household heads were part of a joint family
system, and 84 percent were waiting for rain to irrigate their agricultural area.
An Examination Of Millennials Attitudes Toward Genetically Modified Organism...Sandra Valenzuela
This document summarizes a study that examines millennials' attitudes toward genetically modified foods. It provides background on GMO foods and debates around their safety and benefits. The study aims to understand how millennials perceive GMO foods in terms of attributes like health, safety, and environmental friendliness. A survey was administered to college students to gather data on their perceptions as a representative sample of millennials. The findings will help marketers effectively address millennials' concerns about GMOs.
Guidelines article review 1) please select one article from thoreo10
This document provides guidelines for writing a paper reviewing a peer-reviewed article on a topic discussed in the course. The paper must be 5 pages long, excluding the cover page and references page. It must be formatted in APA style. The paper requires summarizing the key points of the selected article in 2 pages, identifying the relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals addressed in 1 page, and discussing implications and barriers/opportunities for achieving the goals based on the article in 2 pages with at least 2 citations.
Cameron, L., Erkal, N., Gangadharan, L., Meng, X. (2013). Little emperors: Behavioral impacts of China's one-child policy. Science, 339, 953-957. doi: 10.3886/ICPSR34521.v1.
This article investigated the effect of China’s one-child policy on different behaviors, comparing behavioral trends in people who were born in the years just before and just after the implementation of the one-child policy. One of the more notable results was that participants born under the one-child policy scored higher in neuroticism and lower in contentiousness in comparison with those born before the policy. The study concluded that the observed behavioral differences between those born just before and just after the one-child policy would greatly magnify as time went on, due to very limited extended family and living in a world of predominantly only children. This article provides valuable insight into the behavioral changes of the average person in China as a result of the one-child policy. The authors were able to use data that was actively generated for this article, rather than piecing together already-existing data like many other studies on the subject, which was very refreshing to see. This article would provide a solid resource to use as it presents a very data-based approach to this aspect of the one-child policy.
Huang, W., Lei, X., Zhao, Y. (2016). One-child policy and the rise of man-made twins. Review of Economics and Statistics, 98(3), 467-476. doi: 10.1162/REST_a_00567
The authors of this study examined the correlation between China’s one-child policy and China’s sharp increase of reported twin births. The authors found that although China’s fertility rate was already decreasing before the advent of the policy, the number of reported twins had increased by one third in the last 30 years, sharply rising in 1979 when the one-child policy was fully implemented. The data suggested that there was a strong correlation between reported twin births and areas of China with higher fines for having more children than allowed. One of the key indicators used by the authors to determine fake twins was height differences between the children. Some of the limitations of this study included that the evidence for fake twins was merely suggestive, as the authors could not observe instances of fake twins directly. Additionally, the data used for the study was the largest pool to be found on height data, but the research was still limited by the sample size. This article is a good starting point for researching this unintended effect of the one-child policy and adding supplementary information, but does not provide enough thorough research to be used as a core resource.
Min, J., Xue, H., Wang, VHC., Li, M., Wang, Y. (2017). Are single children likely to be more overweight or obese than those with siblings? The influence of China's one-child policy on childhood obesity. Preventative Medicine, 103, 8-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypme d.2017.07.018
The purpose of this re ...
Deadly diets geographical reflections on the global food.docxpoulterbarbara
Deadly diets: geographical reflections on the global food system
Author(s): E. M. Young
Source: Geography, Vol. 95, No. 2 (Summer 2010), pp. 60-69
Published by: Geographical Association
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/20789350
Accessed: 07-05-2020 19:54 UTC
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide
range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and
facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]
Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at
https://about.jstor.org/terms
Geographical Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access
to Geography
This content downloaded from 132.174.254.116 on Thu, 07 May 2020 19:54:45 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
Geography Vol 95 Part 2 Summer 2010 @ Geography 2010
Deadly diets:
geographical
reflections on
the global food
system
Deadly diets:
geographical
reflections on
the global food
system
E.M. Young
ABSTRACT: This article considers the contemporary
food system and suggests that it is deadly in several
respects. The most blatant failure of the current
system is that it fails to feed approximately one
billion people adequately each year yet manages to
overfeed approximately 800 million people
worldwide. This binare contradiction, or 'Our Big Fat
Contradiction' (Patel, 2007, p. 1), is detailed at the
outset The system also fails to protect the
environment upon which we all depend for
sustainable food production; the second deadly
drawback the article considers. The final deadly
trend lies at the production and distribution end of
the food chain. Here power is being concentrated,
poor people are being marginalised and choice is
being eroded.
A?er detailing the most glaring problems the article
examines how the food system is organised, and
what ideologies and structures help sustain and
promote its diffusion across the globe. The core
question is, given its multiple failings, why is the
contemporary system of food production not
challenged more successfully and changed? The
answer points to the powerful vested interests that
profit from its operations, a few of which are also
considered. The article concludes that the system is
ethically suspect and unsustainable, and closes with
an evaluation of the efforts made by various
individuals and communities to implement a more
enlightened food system.
Introduction
and perhaps worst of all, our food is increasingly
bad for us, even dangerous' (Walsh, 2009, p. 1).
In August 2009, Time magazine, not noted for
its radical politics or environmentalism, ran a
cover story about the problems associated with
the global food system. In recent years, popular
and academic boo.
Deadly diets geographical reflections on the global food.docxgertrudebellgrove
Deadly diets: geographical reflections on the global food system
Author(s): E. M. Young
Source: Geography, Vol. 95, No. 2 (Summer 2010), pp. 60-69
Published by: Geographical Association
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/20789350
Accessed: 07-05-2020 19:54 UTC
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide
range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and
facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]
Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at
https://about.jstor.org/terms
Geographical Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access
to Geography
This content downloaded from 132.174.254.116 on Thu, 07 May 2020 19:54:45 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
Geography Vol 95 Part 2 Summer 2010 @ Geography 2010
Deadly diets:
geographical
reflections on
the global food
system
Deadly diets:
geographical
reflections on
the global food
system
E.M. Young
ABSTRACT: This article considers the contemporary
food system and suggests that it is deadly in several
respects. The most blatant failure of the current
system is that it fails to feed approximately one
billion people adequately each year yet manages to
overfeed approximately 800 million people
worldwide. This binare contradiction, or 'Our Big Fat
Contradiction' (Patel, 2007, p. 1), is detailed at the
outset The system also fails to protect the
environment upon which we all depend for
sustainable food production; the second deadly
drawback the article considers. The final deadly
trend lies at the production and distribution end of
the food chain. Here power is being concentrated,
poor people are being marginalised and choice is
being eroded.
A?er detailing the most glaring problems the article
examines how the food system is organised, and
what ideologies and structures help sustain and
promote its diffusion across the globe. The core
question is, given its multiple failings, why is the
contemporary system of food production not
challenged more successfully and changed? The
answer points to the powerful vested interests that
profit from its operations, a few of which are also
considered. The article concludes that the system is
ethically suspect and unsustainable, and closes with
an evaluation of the efforts made by various
individuals and communities to implement a more
enlightened food system.
Introduction
and perhaps worst of all, our food is increasingly
bad for us, even dangerous' (Walsh, 2009, p. 1).
In August 2009, Time magazine, not noted for
its radical politics or environmentalism, ran a
cover story about the problems associated with
the global food system. In recent years, popular
and academic boo.
Towards synergies between food security and biodiversity conservation: an out...joernfischer
- production focus is too narrow
- need to look at other issues, e.g. female education
- even better, use a systems approach
- systems have leverage points (sensu Meadows 1999)
- the most influential points of intervening in systems are changing the system goals and questioning the paradigms underpinning the systems
- it follows that we ought to challenge the global systems for food security and biodiversity conservation -- they are based on paradigms that are not achieving either of these two goals very well
Food insecurity status at household level in Kamukunji estate, Uasin Gishu C...inventionjournals
International Journal of Business and Management Invention (IJBMI) is an international journal intended for professionals and researchers in all fields of Business and Management. IJBMI publishes research articles and reviews within the whole field Business and Management, new teaching methods, assessment, validation and the impact of new technologies and it will continue to provide information on the latest trends and developments in this ever-expanding subject. The publications of papers are selected through double peer reviewed to ensure originality, relevance, and readability. The articles published in our journal can be accessed online.
On July 1, 1665, the lordmayor and aldermen of thecity of Lo.docxvannagoforth
On July 1, 1665, the lordmayor and aldermen of the
city of London put into place a set
of orders “concerning the infec-
tion of the plague,” which was
then sweeping through the popula-
tion. He intended that these
actions would be “very expedient
for preventing and avoiding of
infection of sickness” (1).
At that time, London faced a
public health crisis, with an inade-
quate scientific base in that the
role of rats and their fleas in dis-
ease transmission was unknown.
Nonetheless, this crisis was faced
with good intentions by the top
medical and political figures of
the community.
Daniel Defoe made an observation that could apply to
many public health interventions then and today, “This
shutting up of houses was at first counted a very cruel and
unchristian method… but it was a public good that justi-
fied a private mischief” (1). Then, just as today, a complex
relationship existed between the science of public health
and the practice of public health and politics. We address
the relationship between science, public health, and poli-
tics, with a particular emphasis on infectious diseases.
Science, public health, and politics are not only com-
patible, but all three are necessary to improve the public’s
health. The progress of each area of public health is relat-
ed to the strength of the other areas. The effect of politics
in public health becomes dangerous when policy is dictat-
ed by ideology. Policy is also threatened when it is solely
determined by science, devoid of considerations of social
condition, culture, economics, and public will.
When using the word “politics,” we refer not simply to
partisan politics but to the broader set of policies and sys-
tems. Although ideology is used in many different ways, in
this case, it refers to individual systems of belief that may
color a person’s attitudes and actions and that are not nec-
essarily based on scientific evidence (2).
Public Health Achievements
Science influences public health decisions and conclu-
sions, and politics delivers its programs and messages.
This pattern is obvious in many of public health’s greatest
triumphs of the 20th century, 10 of which were chronicled
in 1999 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) as great public health achievements, and several of
which are presented below as examples of policy affecting
successes (3). These achievements remind us of what can
be accomplished when innovation, persistence, and luck
converge, along with political will and public policy.
Vaccination
Childhood vaccinations have largely eliminated once-
common, terrible diseases, such as polio, diphtheria,
measles, mumps, and pertussis (4). Polio is being eradicat-
ed worldwide. The current collaboration between the
World Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s
Fund, CDC, and Rotary International is a political as well
as biological “tour de force,” and eradication of polio in
Nigeria has been threatened by local political struggles and
decisions. ...
Running head global health case study analysis1 global healtDIPESH30
This research proposal examines how conformity and obedience are impacted by group size and anonymity. It hypothesizes that conformity will increase as group size increases, but decrease when anonymity is removed. The study would randomly assign participants to small or large groups to rate line lengths under anonymous or identifiable conditions. Results could help understand how social influence is impacted by these factors.
Running head: THE EFFECTS OF GROUP SIZE AND ANONYMITY ON CONFORMITY
The Effects of Group Size and Anonymity on Conformity
Introduction
Conformity and obedience to authority are well
Similar to Cross-National Coverage of GMOs Final copy (20)
The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure will be held on October 4, 2015 at Six Flags Great Adventure. It is the 22nd annual Race for the Cure event to raise money for breast cancer research and support. Participants can walk or run in the race to help find a cure for breast cancer.
The document provides an overview of activities within the Communication Studies department at The College of New Jersey. It summarizes that Professor Lorna Johnson-Frizell and student Folake Ayiloge presented a video collaboration at the University of Pennsylvania on community engagement work. It also discusses professors and students attending and presenting at various conferences, including two professors presenting in Oxford, England and students attending the National Communication Association annual convention in Las Vegas.
1) A TEDx event was held at TCNJ in May 2015 called TEDx TCNJ. It was organized by a TCNJ student to spark creativity and positive change.
2) 12 speakers presented on topics ranging from organizational communication to interdisciplinary learning. Speakers included TCNJ students, faculty, and community members.
3) The event aimed to ignite ideas about improving the world and spread inspiration across campus. It was well-attended and an unforgettable experience for those involved.
The Susan G. Komen Central and South Jersey Race for the Cure will take place on October 4, 2015 at Six Flags Great Adventure. Participants can walk or run to help fundraise for breast cancer research and support breast cancer survivors and those who lost their battle to the disease. More information about registering as an individual, team member, or volunteer can be found on the organization's website.
The document provides fundraising tips for the 22nd Annual Susan G. Komen Central and South Jersey Race for the Cure from A to Z. It suggests various ways to raise money such as asking friends and family for donations, hosting events like bake sales, competitions, and parties, utilizing social media, and getting creative by doing activities like nail art, workout classes, or selling merchandise. It also gives an example of how to raise $250 in a week through small donations from asking employers, doctors' offices, family, neighbors, and skipping daily coffee purchases.
The Komen Kolor 5K is a colorful 5K run/walk or 2-mile walk taking place on June 20, 2015 at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey to benefit the Susan G. Komen foundation. Participants will receive a t-shirt, bag of pink powder to wear during the event, and admission to the theme park after completing the course, which includes musical entertainment and a pre-race party. Individuals can register to participate or volunteer.
2015 Team Captain Handbook Use this oneKrysti Peitz
This document is a handbook for team captains participating in the 22nd Annual Susan G. Komen Central and South Jersey Race for the Cure. It provides information about the event, fundraising tips, and a checklist for team captains. In its 20+ years, the Race for the Cure has raised over $17 million for breast cancer education, screening, and research. Team captains play an important role in recruiting team members and motivating fundraising efforts to support this cause.
Olympic PR conducted research to help the Career and Community Studies (CCS) program at The College of New Jersey increase awareness and mentor participation. They found that only 50% of students were aware of CCS, though most supported a program for students with disabilities. Additionally, there is a lack of male mentors in CCS, with only 5 of 70 being male. The research aims to help CCS increase overall awareness, mentor participation, and the number of male mentors.
1. Comparing Coverage of Genetically Modified Organisms:
A Cross-national Community Structure Approach
Krysti Peitz
Elizabeth Watson
John C. Pollock
Cara Esposito
Phil Nichilo
James Etheridge
Department of Communication Studies
Undergraduate
The College of New Jersey
2000 Pennington Road, Ewing, New Jersey 08618
Key words: genetically modified organisms, cross-national coverage, newspapers, Media Vector,
vulnerability
2. 2
Abstract
Using a community structure approach to compare cross-national coverage of genetically
modified organisms with variations in national-level demographics, all relevant articles of 250+
words were collected from an approximately ten-year period – January 1, 2004 through
November 1, 2014 – in nineteen newspapers worldwide, one per nation, including leading or
database accessible papers in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Egypt, Germany,
India, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, Thailand, United
Kingdom, United States, and Uganda.
The resulting 274 articles were coded for editorial “prominence” and “direction”
(“favorable,” “unfavorable,” or “balanced/neutral”) and then combined to yield a composite
“Media Vector” score for each newspaper ranging from .7382 to -.3994 (range = 1.1376). A
majority of eleven of 19 (58%) of Media Vectors reflected unfavorable coverage of genetically
modified organisms, with the minority (eight of 19, or 42%) registering favorable coverage.
Hypotheses were clustered in three major umbrella categories:
Violated Buffer Hypothesis. The “buffer hypothesis” expects that the greater the
proportion of privileged residents in a country, the more likely major media will report favorably
on several human rights claims (Pollock, 2007, p. 52). By contrast, the “violated buffer
hypothesis” suggests that “issues viewed as imperiling either privileged groups or a relatively
stable, secure way of life will be regarded as threatening by privileged sectors and will be
associated with relatively ‘resistant, unfavorable reporting” (Pollock, 2007, p. 53). Privilege as
mentioned in this context can be measured cross-nationally through various indicators, including
gross domestic product (GDP), literacy rate, life expectancy, and healthcare access. It can be
assumed that among populations of more privileged countries, GMO usage in foods will be seen
as a threat to “a cherished way of life”, consistent with the violated buffer hypothesis.
Vulnerability Hypothesis. The vulnerability hypothesis proposes that, contrary to
assumptions that media often reinforce the interests of political and economic elites (the “guard
dog” hypothesis), newspapers can reflect the interests of vulnerable populations including the
poor, the unemployed (Pollock, 2007, p. 137), the undernourished, and areas with high fertility
rates, high population proportions under 14, limited access to uncontaminated water, and high
levels of agricultural dependency. It can be assumed that countries with high vulnerability
characteristics will manifest more favorable media coverage towards GMO usage in foods, as
genetically modified foods contain fundamental vitamins and minerals at more affordable prices
and year round availability. These benefits of GMOs are valuable in countries that have
difficulty producing or obtaining enough food to feed their populations.
Stakeholder Hypothesis. The higher the percentage of issue stakeholders in a community,
the more likely newspaper coverage will report favorably on their interests (Pollock, 2007, p.
172). For example, an examination of sub-Saharan Anglophone African newspaper coverage of
AIDS found that the higher the prevalence of AIDs victims within a nation paralleled greater
media support for government intervention to fight the crisis (Pollock, D’Angelo, et al., 2010).
3. 3
Regarding GMO stakeholders, indicators of female empowerment, energy
production/consumption and infrastructure, and media access and penetration were tested.
Pearson correlations revealed the strength of four significant indicators, all associated
with favorable coverage of GMOs, all linked to measures of national “vulnerability”: “poverty
level,” (r = .492, p = .019) “percentage of population without access to improved water sources,”
(r = .466, p = .022) “percent of agricultural land,” (r = .441, p = .029) and “fertility rate,” (r =
.404, p = .043). All four indicators are linked to favorable coverage of GMOs. A regression
analysis revealed the strong impact of a nation’s poverty level on the coverage of genetically
modified foods (24.2% of variance). A nation’s percentage of agricultural land followed,
accounting for 4.7% of the variance, also connected to a favorable coverage by newspapers,
collectively accounting for 28.9% of the variance. Findings demonstrated that vulnerability
indicators are prominent demographics associated with favorable media coverage of GMOs. The
significance of vulnerability indicators is consistent with previous research on multi-city US
coverage of GMOs by Pollock, Maltese-Nehrbass, Corbin and Fascanella (2010). Contrary to
conventional assumptions that media typically act as “guard dogs” reinforcing the interests of
political and economic elites, systematic research on national demographics linked to cross-
national variations in GMO coverage reveals that media can “mirror” the interests of a society’s
most “vulnerable” inhabitants.
References
Pollock, J.C., (2007). Titled Mirrors: Media alignment with political and social change- A
community structure approach. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Pollock, J.C., D’Angelo, P., Kiernicki, K., Burd, A., & Raudenbush, J. (2010, June). African
newspaper coverage of AIDS: Comparing new models of press-state relations and
structural factors in sub-Saharan Anglophone Africa. Paper presented at the annual
conference of the International Communication Association, Singapore.
Pollock, J.C., Maltese-Nehrbass, M., Corbin, P., & Fascanella, P.B. (2010, octubre). Nationwide
newspaper coverage of genetically-modified food in the United States: A community
structure approach. Ecos de la Comunicación, 3(3), 51-75.
4. 4
Introduction
With the world population increasing exponentially every year, an equally growing
concern has emerged regarding the ability to produce a sustainable food supply. Consequentially,
scientists have developed genetically modified organisms (GMOs), or crops engineered to
contain superior characteristics in an effort to improve yield. The agricultural world initially
embraced the new seeds, which were designed with resistance to insects, disease, cold, and even
droughts. By 1999, over 100 million acres worldwide were planted with genetically engineered
seeds, and biotechnological companies such as Monsanto have expanded into worldwide
monopolies (Woosley, 2012).
Yet, not all are in agreement regarding the benefits of GMOs, as many have speculated
about the health-risks involved. A study in 2011 found that toxins implanted in GM food crops
were found in the bloodstreams of pregnant women, as well as in 93% of the women’s fetuses
(Poulter, 2011). Still, there is limited evidence of long-term health implications of GMO foods.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) noted,
“very little is known about the potential long-term effects of any foods, and identification of such
effects may be very difficult, if not impossible” (Kuiper, Kleter, Noteborn & Kok, 2001, p. 505).
Though some gray area remains regarding the effects of GMOs, a stark contrast is
apparent in ways journalists have “framed” this global debate using newspaper media. The first
frame favors the production of GMOs as part of the effort to end world hunger by producing
larger quantities of food, which can be modified to contain vital nutrients to promote health.
These crops can also be grown and maintained with easier farming practices, rendering planting
and growing such organisms and foods in developing countries more practical. The contrary
side of this debate is a frame arguing that the production of genetically modified foods is
5. 5
unacceptable as major health risks may be involved in the consumption of the chemicals found
within these foods. Not only do GMOs pose a potential health threat to those who consume
them, they are extremely expensive to produce. Nearly 15 billion dollars are put into the
production of GMO crops each year (Turow, 2014).
As this debate has risen to the forefront of international controversy, newspapers continue
to play a vital role in the coverage of GMOs for multiple reasons. Primarily, newspapers are
read by the well educated and by political and economic leaders who seek insight and
information on current global events. These papers are also known to be inter-media agenda
setters for other media channels such as television, radio, and the Internet. In addition,
newspapers serve as community forums to facilitate discussion on critical issues on a regional,
nationwide, and global scale.
Typically, scholars have theorized that media are a vehicle for shaping public opinion
based on the perspective in which the news content is portrayed. Conversely, this study analyses
how society affects media coverage through use of the community structure approach, in which
variations in media prominence and framing reflect different cross-national demographics and
characteristics (Pollock, 2007). The community structure model was initiated in 1922 by Robert
Park, who urged scholars to study a “reverse” perspective of society’s own influence on media.
This approach prompted Tichener, Donohue and Olien (1973, 1980) to expand upon Park’s
previous findings through “structured pluralism,” a research viewpoint finding that newspapers
in large, culturally diverse metropolitan areas are more receptive to radical ideas for development
compared to papers in smaller, homogeneous communities. These communication theorists later
developed the guard dog hypothesis, in which local media often function less as watchdogs and
more as guard dogs protecting the interest of elites (Olien, Donohue & Tichenor, 1995).
6. 6
However, Hindman (1999) continued to build upon the ongoing relationship between
mass media variations and structural characteristics through his research, which found that larger
proportions of ethnic groups in a community were linked to coverage favoring their interests.
Furthermore, McLeod and Hertog (1999) found that the size of protest groups was directly
proportional to favorable coverage of their concerns. Demers and Viswanath (1999) enhanced
these previous findings by exploring the role of the media as agent of both social control and
social change. The current accessibility of information through use of Internet databases has
further solidified the foundation of the community structure model by expanding the scope of
research, and consequentially providing the gateway to study systematic news reports of critical
events in communities across the nation (Pollock and colleagues, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1994-2002,
2005, 2007, 2008).
Recognizing newspapers’ prominence in discussing critical cross-national issues, Pollock
et. al. utilized this powerful communication channel in the first nationwide studies across various
cities. These studies not only included article content, but also incorporated editorial evaluation
of article prominence within their respective publications by combining both into a cohesive,
single score. The conclusions sometimes challenge the “guard dog” hypothesis by reflecting the
interests of marginal and vulnerable stakeholders (Pollock, 2007, p. 24). Through use of the
community structure approach, this study will examine cross-national media framing of the
usage of GMOs in newspaper coverage. This theory will be used to address two main research
questions to investigate connections between international characteristics and newspaper
coverage of GMO usage.
RQ1: How much variation exists in cross-national coverage of GMO usage?
7. 7
RQ2: How closely linked is that coverage variation to differences in national
characteristics?
Various community characteristics, such as wealth and infant mortality, can affect the
media coverage of GMO usage. For example, it is expected that in countries with a higher GDP,
coverage of GMO usage will be more unfavorable. This prediction can be made, as wealthy
countries will be more concerned with the health risks associated with the foods they eat than is
the case in developing countries. Wealthier countries are also more likely to contain more well
educated populations and to have a better understanding of GMOs and its potential
risks. Conversely, the higher the infant mortality rate in a country, the more favorable the
expected coverage of GMOs. The populations of developing countries do not have access to a
reliable food supply, resulting in less concern with the chemicals that may be in the food.
Newspaper coverage of GMO usage may be linked to other cross-national demographic
characteristics as well. This study will analyze the relationship between cross-national
demographic characteristics and GMO coverage in newspapers.
Literature Review
GMO usage has become a prevalent debate topic over the past two decades and is a
growing topic of interest in many fields of study. While media coverage of GMO usage would
appear relevant for communication studies research, the field has essentially neglected to
investigate this topic. Conversely, many other fields, including political science, biology,
business, and physical sciences have examined the controversy of GMOs and have given it
considerable attention. This study is intended to fill the gap in the communication field with an
understanding of the GMO controversy and its coverage throughout various countries.
8. 8
Searches of multiple terms in the Communication and Mass Media Complete database
included “genetically modified organism AND media coverage” and “genetically modified
organism AND newspapers”. “Genetically modified organism AND media coverage” yielded
122 hits through EBSCO, however, very little relevant information was found. Most of the
articles found focused more on the labeling and potential health risk of GMO foods rather than
on media coverage of GMO usage.
One relevant article was found using the search term “genetically modified organism
AND media coverage”, which was “Words of Mass Destruction: British Newspaper Coverage of
the Genetically Modified Food Debate, Expert and Non-expert Reactions.” This article reported
the results of a study conducted in 2003 regarding press coverage of the GMO debate in Great
Britain, as well as expert and non-expert reaction to these findings (Cook, Robbins & Pieri,
2006). While this study was specifically relevant to the current study, it was one of only two
articles on this subject in the communication field. “Nationwide Newspaper Coverage of
Genetically Modified Foods: A Community Structure Approach” was the second relevant article
found under this search term. Researchers in this study examined the US national coverage of
GMO usage in 20 major U.S. newspapers by using a “community structure approach,” finding
that higher levels of poverty and unemployment corresponded with more favorable coverage of
GMOs (Pollock, Maltese-Nehrbass, Corbin, & Fascanella, 2010).
Unlike the paucity of coverage of communication studies, the field of political science
showed advances in the debate of GMO usage cross-nationally. Research completed within the
PAIS International database yielded 185+ hits of the issue, a significantly higher number than
that of communication databases averaging 20 hits. The focal point of these political science
articles for GMO coverage centered on the legitimization of governance and the effect on policy
9. 9
of international organizations for GMOs. “Labeling of Genetically Modified Products: Strategic
Trade Policy Considerations for Canada” discussed in detail World Trade Organization rules
relevant to labeling (Chaitoo & Hart, 2000). In addition, “Policing Purity: Testing, Traceability,
and the Governance of Genetically Modified Organisms” studied a multitude of points for debate
putting emphasis on the need for a new authority to handle the distinctions between non-GMO
and GMO products through labeling while ensuring the stability of cross-national agriculture
production (Lezuan, 2004). Evidently, media coverage of GMO conflicts was staggeringly
higher within the area of political science than in communication studies.
Like political science, the field of biology yielded far more articles than communication
studies. The biology database EBSCO Biological & Agricultural Index Plus (H. W. Wilson)
yielded 440 results using the search term “GMO OR genetically modified organism.” Strikingly,
many of the articles for GMO coverage in the biology and agricultural field focused on ethical
issues associated with the production of GMOs. “Legal and Ethical Apprehensions Regarding
Relational Object: The Case of Genetically Modified Fish” outlined legal and ethical
considerations, specifically environmental ethics, prompted by the production of genetically
modified fish (Coutellec & Doussan, 2012). Additionally, “Genetically Modified Organisms: An
Indian Ethical Dilemma” discussed actions taken against the production of GMOs in India and
societies that condone such measures. The article emphasized the ethical argument against
production of GMOs (Kaur, Kohli, & Jaswal, 2012).
Even more than the disciplines of political science and biology, the field of business has
done more than communication studies to investigate the prevalence of GMOs in the worldwide
economy. Using the search engine Business Source Premier and the search term “GMO,” 1,477
results were yielded regarding genetically modified foods. The article “GMO Products Lower
10. 10
Prices, Raise Yields and Concerns” (GMO products lower prices…, 2014) explored the balance
of producing an affordable product that did not contain genetically modified crops. Though
many consumers prefer safe, quality foods that are GMO-free, the biotechnology responsible for
these foods has helped keep the prices of staple crops from 15% to 30% lower. Additionally, an
article by Gasparro (2014) discussed challenges corporations face when working to
accommodate customers in removing GM crops from food chains. Companies such as Ben &
Jerry’s, Cheerios, and Chipotle Mexican Grill have been gravitating towards the fast-growing
“Non-GMO” labeling trend to appease their customers. Though 64 countries have already
adopted GMO labeling, the transition is especially difficult for these corporations because
biotech companies are deeply ingrained in the American food chain (Gasparro, 2014). This
collection of research confirms that the fate of GMO foods has large implications for business
profitability.
Perhaps the research field yielding the most information is that of the physical
sciences. Using the Science Direct database, the search term “genetically modified organisms”
yielded over 20,000 results. To narrow this search the term “global” was added and the search
results decreased to just over 9,000. This yield strongly surpassed any research done in the
communication field pertaining to GMOs. Much of the information from these results focused
on production of these organisms as well as their regulation and distribution. “Detecting Un-
Authorized Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and Derived Materials” discussed different
actions jurisdictions take regarding GMOs. The European Union, specifically, has a legal
distinction between authorized (legal) and unauthorized (non-legal) GMOs (Holst-Jensen, et. al.,
2012). Similarly, “International Trade in Genetically Modified Product” examined the sales of
two types of organisms, traditional organisms and those genetically modified. The article found
11. 11
that import bans would benefit only those landowners growing GMO-free products (Choi,
2010). Coverage by scientific journals on genetically modified organisms was much stronger
than in communication studies.
It is evident that the communication studies field, unlike political science, biology,
business, and physical science, has not devoted significant scholarly attention to genetically
modified foods, particularly its media coverage. As a result, this study attempts to help bridge
this gap in the communication studies literature.
Hypotheses
A review of a variety of literature and previous findings in the community structure
approach yielded several hypotheses. These hypotheses were assembled into three umbrella
categories: violated buffer, vulnerability, and stakeholder.
Violated Buffer Hypothesis
Privilege. The buffer hypothesis indicates that with a greater proportion of privileged city
residents, it becomes more likely that a city’s major newspaper will report favorably on several
human rights claims (Pollock, 2007, p. 52). By contrast, the violated buffer hypothesis suggests
that “issues viewed as imperiling either privileged groups or a relatively stable, secure way of
life will be regarded as threatening by privileged sectors and will be associated with relatively
‘resistant, unfavorable reporting” (Pollock, 2007, p. 53). Privilege as mentioned in this context
can be measured cross-nationally through various indicators, including but not limited to gross
domestic product (GDP), literacy rate, and life expectancy. It can be assumed that GMO usage in
foods will be seen as a threat to “a cherished way of life” among populations of more privileged
countries, therefore complying with the violated buffer hypothesis.
12. 12
Previous community structure studies have confirmed the validity of the violated buffer
hypothesis. For example, Pollock, O’Grady, Hiller, Pannia, and Lutkenhouse found in a 2004
study that the violated buffer hypothesis was confirmed in relation to newspaper coverage of the
usage of GMOs in foods. Pearson correlations and regression analysis found that the “greater the
proportion of privileged groups ‘buffered’ from economic uncertainty, the less favorable the
coverage of GM foods (Pollock, O’Grady, Hiller, Pannia, & Lutkenhouse, 2004). In further
support, Pollock (2007) validated the significance of the violated buffer hypothesis, finding that
the higher the level of privilege in a city, the more unfavorable the newspaper coverage of
drilling in the arctic national wildlife refuge (p. 184-194).
Additionally, Pollock and Kohn found in a 2014 study that a country’s GDP per capita
attributed to a variance in media coverage of child labor, finding that the higher a country’s GDP
per capita, the less media emphasis on government responsibility in regards to eliminating child
labor. Also, a study discovered that the higher a nation’s literacy rate, the more newspaper
favored societal responsibility in regards to water handling (Wissel et. al., 2014). In accordance
with these previous findings, is likely that the coverage of GMO usage will align with the
violated buffer hypothesis, as privileged and well-educated individuals will be less trusting and
more concerned with the long term health effects of GMO consumption. Therefore, the
following hypotheses apply to coverage of GMO usage in foods:
H1: The higher a nation’s GDP, the less favorable the coverage of genetically modified foods
(Central Intelligence Agency [CIA], 2011).
H2: The higher a nation’s GDP per capita, the less favorable the coverage of genetically
modified foods (CIA, 2011).
13. 13
H3: The higher the literacy rate in a country, the less favorable the coverage of genetically
modified foods (CIA, 2011).
H4: The higher a nation’s male life expectancy at birth, the less favorable the coverage of
genetically modified foods (CIA, 2011).
H5: The higher a nation’s female life expectancy at birth, the less favorable the coverage of
genetically modified foods (CIA, 2011).
Healthcare access. Healthcare access can be measured by calculating the number of
hospital beds per 10,000 citizens and the number of physicians per 100,000 citizens. Individuals
living in communities with greater health care access will likely be more supportive of the use of
GMOs in food production as it does have health benefits, specifically by eliminating the need for
pesticides. A past study utilizing the community structure approach confirmed that health care
access had a definitive correlation with the coverage of GMO usage in newspapers, concluding
that the greater the amount of healthcare access in a city, the more favorable the coverage toward
GMO usage (Pollock, Maltese-Nehrbass, Corbin & Fascanella, 2010). As a result, it is
reasonable to assume that coverage of GM foods will be more favorable in countries with higher
health care access.
H6: The larger the number of physicians per 100,000, the more favorable the coverage of
genetically modified foods (United Nations Development Programme, 2011).
H7: The larger the number of hospital beds per 10,000, the more favorable the coverage of
genetically modified foods (United Nations Development Programme, 2011).
The Vulnerability Hypothesis
Though newspapers have the tendency to echo the opinions of privileged groups, the
vulnerability hypothesis foresees “media coverage that might reflect the interests of a wide range
14. 14
of groups and concerns, including the least economically advantaged” (Pollock, 2007, p.
54). The vulnerability hypothesis proposes that newspapers reflect the interests of vulnerable
populations including the poor, the unemployed, those that live in high-crime areas, and minority
communities (Pollock, 2007, p. 137). It can be assumed that countries with high vulnerability
characteristics will be more accepting and will have more favorable media coverage towards
GMO usage in foods, as genetically modified foods contain fundamental vitamins and minerals
at a more affordable price with the added benefit of year round availability. These benefits of
GMOs provide a large benefit to countries that have a difficult time producing or obtaining
enough food to feed the country’s population.
Countries with a higher poverty level and unemployment rate may seek food that is
affordable and easily accessible. Research conducted after the Roe v. Wade decision confirms
the expectation of wide-ranging media coverage. The Roe v. Wade decision found that coverage
favored legalization of abortion in cities with higher poverty levels (Pollock & Robinson, 1977;
Pollock, Robinson, & Murray, 1978). Likewise, a study on the national coverage of the Patients’
Bill of Rights found higher poverty levels corresponding to more favorable coverage (Pollock,
2007, p. 146–156). An additional study found higher unemployment levels associated with more
favorable media support for genetically modified food (Pollock, Maltese-Nehrbass, Corbin, &
Fascanella, 2010).
Nations with larger populations and higher fertility rates require a greater production of
food. GMOs allow nations to meet these needs by providing an abundance of food, both
affordable and accessible all year. A study by Mayer (2007) examined deficiency-related
diseases and mortality in children. These deficiencies lead to malnutrition, poverty, and
economic dependency (Mayer, 2007). “Golden rice” was synthetically made to address these
15. 15
problems. This type of rice is modified to contain a higher amount of vitamin A to help combat
the vitamin A deficiency in developing countries. An additional study regarding child labor
found that the higher the percentage of a nation’s population younger than 14, the greater the
media emphasis on government responsibility to reduce child labor (Kohn & Pollock,
2014). Therefore, the following can be expected:
H8: The higher a nation’s poverty level, the more favorable the coverage of genetically
modified foods (United Nations Statistics Division, 2011).
H9: The higher the unemployment level in a country, the more favorable the coverage of
genetically modified foods (County and City Extra, 2004).
H10: The greater the percentage of undernourished, the more favorable the coverage of
genetically modified foods (United Nations Statistics Division, 2011).
H11: The higher a nation’s fertility rate, the more favorable the coverage of genetically
modified foods (United Nations Statistics Division, 2011).
H12: The higher the percentage of a nation’s population younger than 14, the more favorable
the coverage of genetically modified foods (United Nations Statistics Division, 2011).
H13: The higher a nation’s happiness score, the less favorable the coverage of genetically
modified foods (CIA, 2011).
Access to health resources. Areas throughout the world lack access to clean and healthy
resources, particularly water, which is essential in living a healthy life. It has been found that
with higher percentages of lower income groups, there is greater media support for the
production of genetically modified organisms (Pollock et. al., 2010). An additional study found
that the percent of a country’s population that is satisfied with the water services attributed to a
variance in media coverage regarding responsibility for child labor, validating the significance of
16. 16
these variables (Kohn & Pollock, 2014). Because there is a strong correlation between the
income of groups and the access to clean resources, the following can be hypothesized:
H14: The greater percentage of a nation’s population without access to improved water
services, the more favorable the coverage of genetically modified foods (CIA, 2011).
H15: The higher the percentage satisfied with water services, the less favorable the coverage
of genetically modified foods (CIA, 2011).
Agricultural dependence. Agricultural dependence refers to the amount of a country’s
land and other resources that are used for agricultural purposes. It can be assumed that the more a
country focuses on agriculture, the less developed and industrialized the country will be, leading
to increased vulnerability. By contrast, it can also be assumed that the countries that depend
heavily on agriculture will view agricultural advancements, such as GMOs, positively.
Therefore, the following apply:
H16: The higher a nation’s percentage of agricultural land, the more favorable the media
coverage of genetically modified foods (World Bank, 2011).
H17: The greater the value added to a nation’s GDP from agriculture, the more favorable the
media coverage of genetically modified foods (World Bank, 2011).
H18: The greater the crop production index score in a nation, the more favorable the media
coverage of genetically modified foods (World Bank, 2011).
H19: The greater the food production index in a nation, the more favorable the media coverage
of genetically modified foods (World Bank, 2011).
H20: The higher a nation’s percentage of permanent cropland, the more favorable the media
coverage of genetically modified foods (World Bank, 2011).
17. 17
H21: The higher a nation’s percentage of rural population, the more favorable the media
coverage of genetically modified foods (World Bank, 2011).
H22: The higher a nation’s percentage of total deforestation, the more favorable the media
coverage of genetically modified foods (Mongabay, 2013).
H23: The greater the deforestation due to insect disturbances in a nation, the more favorable
the media coverage of genetically modified foods (Mongabay, 2013).
Stakeholder Hypothesis
A great number of stakeholders can be linked to favorable content regarding issues of
their concern within media. Previous research tells us that the higher the percentage of these
stakeholders in a community, the more likely newspaper coverage will report favorably on their
interests (McLeod & Hertog, 1999; Pollock, 2007, p. 172). For example, an examination of sub-
Saharan Anglophone African newspaper coverage of AIDS found that the higher the level of
AIDs victims within a nation paralleled a greater media support for government intervention to
fight the crisis (Pollock, D’Angelo, et. al., 2010).
Female empowerment. As women’s rights have become a larger point of focus on the
global scale, populations with higher levels of gender equality have become more outspoken and
involved in controversial issues. In this respect, research by Wissel et. al. (2014) noted that
women are critical stakeholders in the success of water sanitation improvements; when a nation’s
female population was empowered, media coverage demonstrated less emphasis on government
responsibility for water handling. In addition, another cross-national study found that the higher
the percent of females in the workforce, the media emphasis on government responsibility for the
fight against HIV/AIDS (Etheridge, et. al., 2014). These studies validate the importance of
female empowerment variables, and it can be assumed that these will prove significant in the
18. 18
case of GMO coverage as well. When discussing the significance of media coverage regarding
GMOs in a country, the following are offered:
H24: The higher a nation’s female literacy rate, the less favorable the coverage of genetically
modified foods (CIA, 2011).
H25: The greater the female school life expectancy, the less favorable the coverage of
genetically modified foods (CIA, 2011).
H26: The higher a nation’s percentage of women in the workforce, the less favorable the
coverage of genetically modified foods (United Nations Statistics Division, 2011).
H27: The higher a nation’s percentage of females who are satisfied with their freedom of
choice, the less favorable the coverage of genetically modified foods (United Nations
Development Programme, 2008).
Energy production/consumption and infrastructure. The amount of energy that countries
expend tends to be highly correlated with their status as a world power. In such studies English,
O’Conner, Smith, and Pollock (2012) found that the higher the rate of coal production in a
country, the greater the cross-national newspaper support for intervention in Libya. Furthermore
in a case study on climate change Pollock, Reda et. al. (2010), concluded that the greater oil
production, natural gas production, and natural gas consumption in a nation, the greater the
media support for government responsibility to address climate change. Additionally, Wright et.
al. (2008), in a cross-national study, established that the greater terawatt hours of electricity
production in a country, the less favorable the coverage of Muslim immigration. Lastly, Kohn
and Pollock found in their 2014 study a correlation between a country’s industrial growth rate
and the variance of media coverage regarding child labor. With the aforementioned findings, the
following assumptions are sensible:
19. 19
H28: The higher a nation’s natural gas consumption, the less favorable the coverage of
genetically modified foods (CIA, 2011).
H29: The higher a nation’s natural gas production, the less favorable the coverage of
genetically modified foods (CIA, 2011).
H30: The higher a nation’s electricity consumption, the less favorable the coverage of
genetically modified foods (CIA, 2011).
H31: The higher a nation’s electricity production, the less favorable the coverage of
genetically modified foods (CIA, 2011).
H32: The higher a nation’s coal consumption, the less favorable the coverage of genetically
modified foods (CIA, 2011).
H33: The higher a nation’s coal production, the less favorable the coverage of genetically
modified foods (CIA, 2011).
H34: The higher a nation’s oil consumption, the less favorable the coverage of genetically
modified foods (CIA, 2011).
H35: The higher a nation’s oil production, the less favorable the coverage of genetically
modified foods (CIA, 2011).
H36: The higher the total length of a nation’s road network, the less favorable the coverage of
genetically modified foods (CIA, 2011).
H37: The higher a nation’s industrial production growth rate, the less favorable the coverage
of genetically modified foods (CIA, 2011).
H38: The higher a nation’s biofuel consumption, the less favorable the coverage of genetically
modified foods (U.S. Energy Information Association, 2012).
20. 20
Media access and penetration. Media access is also a prominent stakeholder when
discussing core societal issues. Research by Tichenor, Donohue, and Olien (1980) confirmed that
cities and towns with larger populations, and therefore a larger variety of social groups, tend to
have a greater range of interests and perspective than small communities, which have less
demographic diversity. Furthermore, Kohn and Pollock (2014) found that the greater the number
of broadband subscriptions per 100 citizens in a nation, the greater the media emphasis on
government responsibility to reduce child labor. Wissel (2014) additionally found that the more
freedom of the press and the higher percentage of population covered by a mobile phone
network, the more media emphasis on government responsibility for clean water access. These
correlations between media access and the variance in media coverage of these topics should
have a similar correlation in regards to GMO coverage in media. Accordingly, the following are
hypothesized:
H39: The higher the Freedom of the Press Report score, the less favorable the coverage of
genetically modified foods (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development,
2011).
H40: The higher the number of daily newspapers per 1,000 citizens, the less favorable the
coverage of genetically modified foods (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and
Development, 2011).
H41: The higher the percent of population covered by a mobile phone network, the less
favorable the coverage of genetically modified foods (Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development, 2011).
21. 21
H42: The higher the number of broadband subscriptions per 100 citizens in a nation, the less
favorable the coverage of genetically modified foods (Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development, 2011).
Stock of foreign investment at home. Stock of direct foreign investment at home is the
monetary contributions of all ventures in the home country, made by nonresidents. This is
especially relevant to countries that depend on foreign aid for resources, especially through
companies in other countries. Previous research has validated foreign investment’s influence on
media coverage, finding that the greater a nation’s stock of direct foreign investment at home,
the more coverage emphasized government responsibility to end human trafficking (Alexandre
et. al., 2014). Therefore, the following can be hypothesized:
H43: The greater a nation’s stock of direct investment at home, the more favorable the
coverage of genetically modified foods (CIA, 2011).
Methodology
To investigate the topic of GMO coverage, a cross-national sample of 19 major
newspapers was selected from the NewsBank and All Africa databases, including all topic-
relevant articles with 250 words or more in the same established time frame, yielding a total of
274 articles. The compilation of publications included articles from the following: China Daily,
Daily Nation, Daily News Egypt, Die Welt, El Mercurio, The Japan Times, La Nación, The
Namibian, The Nation (Pakistan), The Nation (Thailand), New Strait Times, New Vision, The
New York Times, The Star, The Sydney Morning Herald, This Day, The Times (UK), The Times
of India, and The Toronto Star.
The sample period ranged from January 1st, 2004 to November 1st, 2014, a period of
almost 11 years. In 2004 the Food and Drug Administration issued press releases dealing with
22. 22
food safety evaluation and information regarding genetically engineered foods, which raised
public awareness about the potential risks of GMOs, including unexpected allergies and
unknown long-term health effects. The sample end date of November 1st, 2014 is significant for
GMOs as Monsanto’s patent on its Roundup Ready products, some of the most significant GMO
products in the market including soy and animal feed, will expire late within the year 2014. This
patent’s expiration will increase genetically modified soybean seeds exposure in the
market: “Because farmers and seed companies would no longer have to pay royalties to
Monsanto on the gene after 2014, Roundup Ready soybeans would become agricultural
biotechnology’s equivalent of a generic drug” (Pollack, A., 2009, p. B3).
Article Prominence
Articles were assessed by two scores. The first determined “prominence,” portraying editors’
judgments on the importance of each article. A score ranging from 3 to 16 was assigned based
on four factors: placement (front page, first section, etc.), headline size (number of words),
article length (number of words), and any accompanying photographs and/or graphics. Articles
that received a higher number of points were thought to obtain a higher attention score. The
prominence score is detailed below in Table 1.
Table 1.
Prominence Score for Coding Database
Dimension 4 3 2 1
Placement Front page of first
section
Front page of inside
section
Inside of first
section
Other
Headline Size
(# of words)
10+ 8-9 6-7 5 or
fewer
Article Length
(# of words)
1000+ 750-999 500-749 250-499
Photos/Graphics 2 or more 1
*Prominence table copyright John C. Pollock (2000–2014)
23. 23
Article Direction
Upon receiving a prominence score, an article was assigned a “direction” category based
on the content of the frames it used. “Direction” indicated whether an article was primarily
“favorable” towards GMOs, “unfavorable” towards GMOs, or “balanced/neutral.” The articles
were coded for these directions based on the following criteria:
Favorable coverage. Articles that portrayed the use of GMOs as beneficial to their
respective country were coded as “favorable.” Coverage that was “favorable” included articles
suggesting that GMO usage helped increase agricultural yield in countries struggling to meet the
food demands of growing populations. An article in Argentina’s La Nación stated that The Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced the National Advisory Commission on
Agricultural Biotechnology as “Reference Center” for the Biosafety of GMOs, creating a space
for Argentina "to strengthen [the] actions and international cooperation in biotechnology, a key
sector in the fight against food insecurity” (“Reconoció la FAO el trabajo de la biotecnología en
la Argentina,” 2014, para. 1). An additional article from China Daily stated that Huang Dafang,
a member of the Biosafety Committee at the Ministry of Agriculture, said that they would turn to
genetically modified organism technology to ensure grain security for the increasing population
(“GM rice set for shelves,” 2010, para. 2).
Unfavorable coverage. Articles that portrayed the usage of GMOs as detrimental to the
well being of their country were coded as “unfavorable.” Coverage that was “unfavorable”
included articles that suggested that consumption of GM foods could result in unknown long-
term health effects including allergies, toxins, antibiotic resistant diseases, and nutritional
problems (Smith, 2004). An article in Daily News Egypt by Luiz Sanchez stated that Egyptians
took part in a global protest against Monsanto, raising awareness about Monsanto and the
24. 24
concerns associated with the potential side effects GM crops have on humans (2013, para.
2). Additionally, a consumer backlash against genetically modified food has prompted the three
largest Australian poultry companies, which produced 80% of the chicken sold in the country, to
stop using genetically modified feed as stated in an article by Kirsty Needham in The Sydney
Morning Herald (2005, para. 1).
Balanced/neutral. Articles perceived to be unbiased towards GMO usage, or covered
both sides of this issue in approximately equal measure, were classified as
“balanced/neutral.” Additionally, any article that tried to provide the reader with current events
regarding the controversy was coded in this category. An article in Die Welt outlined an
experiment conducted on rats utilizing untreated GM corn, GM Roundup corn, and conventional
corn as well as the results (“Prüfern fehlen Belege in Studie zu giftigem Genmais,” 2012, para.
4). In addition, an article in Malaysia’s New Strait Times discussed labeling GM foods and
products, allowing the consumer to choose whether to consume these foods and products
(Mohamed Idris, 2007, para. 4).
One hundred fifty of 274 articles collected were double-coded for content direction,
yielding a Scott’s Pi coefficient of intercoder reliability of 0.772. Researchers applied the
prominence and direction scores for each coded article to calculate a Media Vector for each
newspaper. Pearson correlations and regression analyses were performed to evaluate the
correlations between national characteristics and the Media Vectors. When utilizing both
Pearson correlations and regression analyses, significant associations were found between certain
national characteristics and the coverage of genetically modified foods.
25. 25
Calculating a Media Vector
After analyzing 19 newspapers from cities nationwide, the Janis-Fadner Coefficient of
Imbalance was applied to calculate a “Media Vector.” For newspaper articles within this study,
the combined impact of the strength or “prominence” of an article and its “direction” formed a
composite Media Vector measure of media “projection” (Pollock, 2007, p. 49). Media Vector
scores range from +1.00 and -1.00. Coverage that emphasized favorable coverage of genetically
modified organisms had scores between +1.00 and 0. In contrast, that emphasized unfavorable
coverage of genetically modified organisms had scores between 0 and -1.00. The Media Vector
formula is depicted in Table 2.
Table 2.
Calculating a Media Vector (Favorable/Unfavorable)
f= sum of the prominence scores coded “favorable”
u= sum of the prominence scores coded “unfavorable”
n = sum of the prominence scores coded “balanced/neutral”
r = f + u + n
If f > u (the sum of the favorable prominence scores is greater than the sum of the unfavorable
prominence scores), the following formula is used:
Favorable Media Vector: (Answer lies between 0 and +1.00)
FMV = (f2
- fu)
r2
If f < u (the sum of the unfavorable prominence scores is greater than the sum of the favorable
prominence scores), the following formula is used:
Unfavorable Media Vector: (Answer lies between 0 and -1.00)
UMV = (fu - u2
)
r2
* Media Vector copyright John C. Pollock (2000–2014)
Procedures
In order to examine connections between cross-national characteristics and Media
Vectors, Pearson correlations and regression analysis were used. Pearson correlations
determined which country characteristics were most strongly linked with variation in coverage in
GMOs. Regression analysis compared the strength and significance of each independent
26. 26
variable. When these two statistical procedures were applied, connections were discovered
between national characteristics and newspaper coverage of GMOs.
Results
This study examined cross-national newspaper coverage of GMO usage in 19 newspapers
from January 1, 2004, through November 1, 2014. La Nacion from Argentina had the highest
Media Vector, at .7382. Conversely, The Japan Times had the lowest Media Vector at -.3994.
The range of Media Vector results was 1.1376, which represents significant variation in coverage
of GMO usage. Of the 19 newspapers, less than half, 8 (42%) reflected positive Media Vectors
(demonstrating favorable coverage of GMOs), and the other 11 showed negative Media Vectors
(demonstrating unfavorable coverage of GMOs). Table 3 provides a complete list of the
newspapers used and their Media Vectors.
Table 3. Media Vector by Country
Country Newspaper Media Vector
Argentina La Nacion 0.7382
Nigeria This Day 0.5715
United Kingdom The Times 0.4409
Kenya Daily Nation 0.4297
Chile El Mercurio 0.3265
Uganda New Vision 0.216
China China Daily 0.1371
Australia The Sydney Morning Herald 0.0234
India The Times of India -0.0114
Namibia The Namibian -0.1162
Thailand The Nation -0.2006
Egypt Daily News Egypt -0.201
27. 27
Malaysia New Strait Times -0.248
Canada The Toronto Star -0.2504
Germany Die Welt -0.2567
United States The New York Times -0.2906
Pakistan The Nation -0.332
South Africa The Star -0.3825
Japan The Japan Times -0.3994
Discussion of Significant Findings
Vulnerability Significant
Poverty Level (confirmed). Under the vulnerability hypotheses, it was expected that
vulnerability would be associated with favorable coverage toward GMO usage. Therefore, it
was predicted that the higher the poverty level of a nation, the more favorable the coverage
towards GMO usage would be. This hypothesis was confirmed (r = .492, p = .019). It was
expected that when a higher percentage of a nation’s population live in poverty, they would be
more accepting towards GMO foods regardless of the potential health risks and negative
assumptions because of the strict need for affordable, available food.
Fertility Rate (confirmed). It was predicted that the higher the fertility rate of a nation,
the more favorable the coverage toward GMO usage. This hypothesis was confirmed (r = .404, p
= .043). It was expected that when more children born into a single family, the need for
affordable, available food would increase, leading to more favorable coverage of GMO foods.
Little Access to Improved Water Services (confirmed). It was predicted that the greater
the percentage of a nation’s population without access to improved water services, the more
favorable the coverage of GMO usage. This hypothesis was confirmed (r = .466, p = .022). It
was expected that when a greater percentage of the public has issues with accessing clean water,
28. 28
they will be more accepting of healthy, inexpensive foods, regardless of the methods used to
produce them.
Percentage of Agricultural Land (confirmed). It was predicted that the greater the
percentage of agricultural land in a country, the more favorable the coverage of GMO usage.
This hypothesis was confirmed (r = .441, p = .029). It was expected that the higher the
percentage of a nation’s land used for agricultural purposes, the more favorable the opinion
toward agricultural advancements such as GMOs.
Table 4. Pearson Correlation Results
National Characteristics Pearson Correlation Significance
Poverty Level 0.492 0.019*
Percent w/o Improved Water 0.466 0.022*
Percent Agricultural Land 0.441 0.029*
Fertility Rate 0.404 0.043*
DD Incidence 0.369 0.066
Pop Covered by Phone Network -0.337 0.079
Phone Network -0.337 0.079
Percent population <14 0.336 0.08
Value Added to GDP from Agric. 0.295 0.11
Hospital Beds per 1000 -0.291 0.114
Natural Gas Consumption -0.267 0.135
Females Satisfied with Freedom -0.264 0.138
GDP per capita -0.25 0.151
Coal Production 0.339 0.154
Females in Workforce 0.24 0.162
% Satisfied with Water -0.234 0.175
Natural Gas Production -0.223 0.179
GDP -0.222 0.18
Biofuel Consumption -0.204 0.208
29. 29
Length Road Network -0.19 0.218
Newspapers per 1000 -0.226 0.219
Infant Mortality Rate 0.174 0.238
Freedom Press 0.172 0.24
Crop Production Index 0.167 0.247
Industrial Production 0.166 0.248
Percent Undernourished 0.146 0.276
Broadband Subscriptions -0.144 0.278
Oil Production -0.143 0.285
Oil Consumption -0.154 0.292
Stock FDI at Home -0.14 0.295
Electricity Production -0.126 0.304
Male Life Expectancy -0.119 0.314
Electricity Consumption -0.119 0.314
Direct Investment at Home -0.116 0.324
Total Deforestation 0.1 0.341
Female Life Expectancy -0.088 0.36
Coal Consumption 0.094 0.369
Female School Expectancy 0.074 0.388
DD Prevalence -0.119 0.389
Happiness Score -0.065 0.399
Literacy Rate -0.057 0.409
Female Literacy Rate -0.054 0.413
Food Production Index 0.051 0.417
Rural Population 0.048 0.423
Citizens Satisfied w/ Freedom 0.037 0.44
Permanent Crop Land -0.022 0.465
Physicians Per 1000 0.016 0.473
Gini Score 0.003 0.496
30. 30
Regression Analysis: Vulnerability Significant
A regression analysis identified specific variables influencing Media Vector scores,
indicating that Poverty Level accounted for 24.2% of the variance and “Percentage of
Agricultural Land” accounted for 4.7% of the variance, for a combined total of 28.9%. This
analysis strongly confirmed the vulnerability hypothesis, as poverty level is an important
indicator of vulnerability and contributed to the greatest variance in the results.
In addition, the “Agricultural Vulnerability” hypotheses, a set of hypotheses introduced
for this particular study, was confirmed as well, as “Percent of Agricultural Land” was the
second leading contributing variable to the variance of the results. In broad terms, percent of
agricultural land is linked to less industrialization and less access to a full range of options in a
global economy. Therefore, on a global level, “Percent of Agricultural Land” leads to
international vulnerability, further confirming the vulnerability hypotheses in the case of GMOs.
Table 5 below illustrates the findings of the regression analysis.
Table 5. Regression Analysis
Model R
(equation)
R²
(cumulative)
R²
Change
F
Change
Significance of F
Change
Poverty Level 0.492 0.242 0.242 5.119 0.038
Poverty Level, Percent
Agricultural Land
0.538 0.289 0.047 0.992 0.335
Conclusions and Implications for Further Research
The use of GMOs in agriculture is growing exponentially into a critical international
debate with the advent of technology and growth of the global population. Accordingly, the topic
has warranted substantial cross-national discussion, reflected in variations in cross-national
media coverage. Several important correlations were discovered, all related to “vulnerability.”
31. 31
Four contextual variables were confirmed significant: poverty level, percent of a population
without access to improved water services, fertility rate, and percent of agricultural land.
One of the most interesting aspects of our findings was the confirmation of the
Agricultural Dependence hypotheses. Since this was the first time that this section was utilized in
a community structure approach study, the significance of these findings sets a precedent for
future studies within the communication studies field. In this regard, percent of agricultural land
was validated through a significant Pearson correlation of (r = .441, p = .029). Additionally, this
variable also accounted for 4.7% of the regression variance in coverage. A higher percentage of
agricultural land in a given country, therefore, is one indicator of more favorable media coverage
toward GMO usage.
Furthermore, the statistical significance of these findings confirms that media coverage is
relevant to vulnerability, which is contrary to the guard dog hypothesis. The positive correlation
of poverty level, percent of a population without access to improved water services, and fertility
rate with favorable coverage of GMOs cross-nationally is consistent with similar connections of
“vulnerability” and favorable coverage of GMOs throughout the United States (Pollock, Maltese-
Nehrbass, Corbin and Fascanella, 2010). Related research found links between vulnerability
indicators and cross-national coverage of water handling and child labor, in both cases
emphasizing government responsibility in addressing each issue (Wissel, et. al., 2014; Kohn &
Pollock, 2014).
In regard to future research, studies can specifically examine whether leading media
favor or oppose regulation of GMOs by government or society. Since 11 of the 19 country
newspapers demonstrated unfavorable coverage of GMO usage, it can be expected that
significant media may support regulation of GMO foods. It would be beneficial to examine
32. 32
cross-national newspaper coverage of these nations to examine responsibility assignment, and to
uncover which variables contribute to a potential variance in these results. In addition, there is
potential for the Agricultural Dependence hypotheses to be expanded and included in future
studies utilizing the community structure approach. Therefore, using agricultural characteristic
hypotheses in future studies will provide more depth in the results and will potentially create
additional findings, as these variables can contribute to the variance of future GMO studies as
well as other topics.
33. 33
References
Alexandre, K., Sha, C., Pollock, J.C., Baier, K., & Johnson, J. (2014, July). Cross- national
coverage of human trafficking: A community structure approach. Atlantic Journal of
Communication, 22(3/4), 160 - 174.
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). (2011). The world factbook. Retrieved from
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
Chaitoo, R., & Hart, M. (2000). Labeling of genetically modified products: Strategic trade policy
considerations for Canada Centre for Trade Policy and Law, Carleton University.
Choi, E. (2010). International trade in genetically modified products. International Review of
Economics & Finance, 19(3), 383-391.
Cook, G., Robbins, P.T., Pieri, E. (2006). “Words of mass destruction”: British newspaper
coverage of the genetically modified food debate, expert and non-expert reactions. Public
Understanding of Science, 14(1):1-25.
Coutellec, L., & Doussan, I. (2011). Legal and ethical apprehensions regarding relational object.
The case of genetically modified fish. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics,
25, 861-875. Retrieved September 12th, 2014.
Demers, D.P., & Viswanath, K. (Eds.) (1999). Mass media, social control, and social change: A
macrosocial perspective. Ames: Iowa State University Press.
English, C., O’Conner, B., Smith, K., & Pollock, J. C. (2012, November). Cross-national
newspaper coverage of revolution in Libya: A community structure approach. Paper
presented at the annual conference of the National Communication Association, Orlando,
FL.
Etheridge, J., Zinck, K., Pollock, J.C., Santiago, C., Halicki, K., & Badalamenti, A. (2014, July).
Cross-national coverage of HIV/AIDS: A community structure approach. Atlantic
Journal of Communication, 22(3/4), 175-192.
34. 34
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Global forest resources assessment 2010. Retrieved
from http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/i1757e/i1757e.pdf
Gasparro, A. (2014, Aug 07). The GMO fight ripples down the food chain; facing consumer
pressure, more firms are jettisoning GMOs from their foods. Wall Street Journal.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1551771962?accountid=10216
GM rice set for shelves. (2010, February 4). China Daily (Beijing, China) n.pag. Retrieved
November 30, 2014, from NewsBank on-line database (Access World News).
GMO products lower prices, raise yields and concerns. (2014, Aug 18). Wall Street Journal.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1553770838?accountid=10216
Hansen, M. et al. (2013, November). High-resolution global maps of 21st-century forest cover
change. Mongabay, 324(15).
Hindman, D.B. (1999). Social control, social change and local mass media. In D. Demers and K.
Viswanath (Eds.), Mass media, social control, and social change: A macrosocial
perspective (pp.99-116). Ames: Iowa State University Press.
Holst-Jensen, A., Bertheau, Y., Loose, M., Grohmann, L., Hamels, S., Hougs, L., Wulff, D.
(2012). Detecting un-authorized genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and derived
materials. Biotechnology Advances, 30(6), 1318-1335. (2012, December 1). Retrieved
September 15, 2014.
Kaur, A., Kohli, R., & Jaswal, P. (2012). Genetically modified organisms: An Indian ethical
dilemma. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 26, 621-628. Retrieved
September 11th, 2014.
Kohn, J.G., & Pollock, J.C. (2014, July). Cross-national coverage of child labor: A community
structure approach. Atlantic Journal of Communication, 22(3/4), 211-228.
35. 35
Kuiper, H. A., Kleter, G. A., Noteborn, H. P., & Kok, E. J. (2001). Assessment of the food safety
issues related to genetically modified foods. The Plant Journal, 27(6), 503-528. doi:
10.1046/j.1365-313X.2001.01119.x
Lezuan, J. (2004). Policing purity: Testing, traceability, and the governance of genetically
modified organisms. Cornell University. Dissertation Abstracts International, A: The
Humanities and Social Sciences, 64(12), 334-349.
Mayer, J. (2007). Delivering golden rice to developing countries. Journal of AOAC
International, 90(5), 1445-1449.
Mohamed Idris, S. (2007, May 30). Sound reasons for the label. New Straits Times (Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia) n.pag. Retrieved November 30, 2014, from NewsBank on-line
database (Access World News).
Needham, K. (2005, February 11). Poultry giants quail at gene food protests. Sydney Morning
Herald, The (Australia) (Second ed.), 4. Retrieved November 30, 2014, from NewsBank
on-line database (Access World News).
Olien, C. N., Donohue, G. A., & Tichenor, P. J. (1995). Conflict, consensus and public opinion.
In T. L. Glasser & C. T. Salmon (Eds.), Public opinion and the communication of consent
(pp. 301-322). New York: The Guildford Press.
Park, R. (1922). The immigrant press and its control. New York, NY: Harcourt.
Pollack, A. (2009, December 17). As Patent Ends, a Seed’s Use Will Survive. The New York
Times. Retrieved September 4, 2014, from
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/18/business/18seed.html?_r=0
Pollock, J.C. (2014, July). Overview - Illuminating human rights: How demographics drive
media coverage. Atlantic Journal of Communication, 22(3/4), 141-159.
Pollock, J. C. (Ed.). (2013). Media and social inequality: Innovations in community structure
research. New York, NY: Routledge.
36. 36
Pollock, J.C., (2007). Titled Mirrors: Media alignment with political and social change- A
community structure approach. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Pollock, J.C., Maltese-Nehrbass, M., Corbin, P., & Fascanella, P.B. (2010, octubre). Nationwide
newspaper coverage of genetically-modified food in the United States: A community
structure approach. Ecos de la Comunicación, 3(3), 51-75.
Pollock, J. C., Reda, E., Bosland, A., Hindi, M., & Zhu, D. (2010, June). Cross-national
coverage of climate change: A community structure approach. Paper presented at the
annual conference of the International Communication Association, Singapore.
Pollock, J. C., Robinson, J. L., & Murray, M. C. (1978). Media agendas and human rights: The
Supreme court decision on abortion. Journalism Quarterly, 53(3), 545-548, 561.
Poulter, S. (2011). GM food toxins found in the blood of 93% unborn babies. Mail Online.
Retrieved September 4th, 2014 from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-
1388888/GM-food-toxins-blood-93-unborn-babies.html
Prüfern fehlen Belege in Studie zu giftigem Genmais. (2012, February 10). Die Welt. Retrieved
November 30, 2014, from http://www.welt.de/wissenschaft/article109589886/Pruefern-
fehlen-Belege-in-Studie-zu-giftigem-Genmais.html
Reconoció la FAO el trabajo de la biotecnología en la Argentina. (2014, November 1). La
Nación (Buenos Aires, Argentina) n.pag. Retrieved November 30, 2014, from NewsBank
on-line database (Access World News).
Sanchez, L. (2013, May 25). Cairo participates in global protests against Monsanto. Daily News
Egypt (Cairo, Egypt) n.pag. Retrieved November 30, 2014, from NewsBank on-line
database (Access World News).
Tichenor, P.J., Donohue, G., & Olien, C. (1973). Mass communication research: Evolution of a
structural model. Journalism Quarterly, 50, 419-425.
Tichenor, P. J., Donohue, G., & Olien, C. (1980). Community conflict and the press. Beverly
Hills, CA: Sage.
37. 37
Turow, E. (2014). You need to know: The facts and debate about GMOs. The Huffington Post.
Retrieved September 4th, 2014 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eve-turow/you-
need-to-know-the-fact_b_5570951.html
Wissel, D., Ward, K., Pollock, J.C., Hipper, A., Klein, L., & Gratale, S. (2014, July). Cross-
national coverage of water handling: A community structure approach. Atlantic Journal
of Communication, 22(3).
Woosley, G. L. (2012). GMO Timeline: A history of genetically modified foods. GMO Inside.
Retrieved September 3rd, 2014 from http://gmoinside.org/gmo-timeline-a-history-
genetically-motified -foods/
World Resources Institute. (2014) CAIT Country Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data. Retrieved
from
http://cait2.wri.org/wri/Country%20GHG%20Emissions?indicator%5B%5D=Total%20G
HG%20Emissions%20Excluding%20Land-
Use%20Change%20and%20Forestry&indicator%5B%5D=Total%20GHG%20Emissions
%20Including%20Land-
Use%20Change%20and%20Forestry&year%5B%5D=2011&chartType=geo