Information, Communication, Education and Agriculture

I am always surprised when talking to my non-aggie friends how much they don't know about agriculture. It is not because the information isn't out there, it is due to a lack of communication and education. Education relies heavily upon communication. As presented in ALES 204, the way information is expressed and presented determines the uptake or rejection of that information.  Public education is a problem that has plagued the agriculture sector for quite some time, especially the livestock sector. With around 2% of the population in developed countries actually producing the food, it was inevitable that people in these places become disconnected from agricultre. As a result of this disconnection, the general population has recieved poor communication and absent education regarding the agriculture sector. Furthermore, when information is not communicated properly there is potential for the formation of misleading conclusions, that have been harmful to the agriculture sector.

Food Inc. movie trailer - Although this documentary illustrates some relevant problems of agriculture, its misrepresentation in the first section about animal production is the greatest problem the livestock sector faces today. These misconceptions are up taken as a result of a lack of real communication and education coming from the agriculture sector itself. This video and the untruths it presents, inspired this blog post.

One the biggest challenges facing the agriculture industry today, is the misinterpretation and misguided information relating to the production of animals. After watching the above video in my Capstone class earlier this semester, I was appalled by the horrible presentation of information regarding animal production and agriculture. Coming from the agriculture sector, and a scientific background I know the presented information is false. But I could see that how if the information was presented to someone without my experience, because the video effectively communicates its intended message, that they could be convinced in believing the myths to be truths. I think it is really interesting how information can be construed simply through the way it is presented. Although the video never comes right out and says that agriculture is evil, the message is clear simply from the way the information is presented. As we have learned in ALES, the presentation of information is equally important as the information that is presented. In the same way, any investigation of animal production and agriculture immediately showcases the evils of animal production and factory farming, but it is much harder to find the other side of the story. In our class we discussed why people have become to disconnected from the realities of agriculture, and why the general population believes in the negative views of animal agriculture.


Infographic from ALES-204 blog
http://www.hackcollege.com/blog/2011/11/23/infographic-get-more-out-of-google.html
 - look at this infographic not only is it cool to look at,
but its also really informative regarding the correct way to use Google search -

The first reason these untruths about agriculture are so prevalent, is the accessibility of the information. Enhanced technology in the way of social medias has facilitied an increased spread of this information. A simple search of agriculture first presents the negatives of animal production, and it isn’t until pages of search results later that information on the truths of the matter can be found. By situating the information so that it is easily found, the information is effectively disseminated. But, using my newly honed Google searching skills I found the following blog - foodmommy.blogspot.com/ - that relates to the misconceptions of agriculture, and many of the interests of the students in ALES 204. Using previous education and experiences in farming, and as a mother, as well as a background in research, the Food Mommy author speaks to nutrition and food, and the author's issue of wading through the masses of contradictory information regarding agriculture. Not only is the blog complete and esthetically appealing with regular posts with pictures and links, a tag cloud and Twitter updates, it also provides credible information. Many of this blog's posts relate to the authors frustration with inaccurate information about farming, and agriculture. Her investigation and provision of information routinely cites conversations and media releases relating to the myths of agriculture and the disconnection of the public from the production of their food that causes the generation of these myths. Her critical review of a lot of the information presented to the general public addresses many of the topics discussed in both my Capstone class, and our ALES social media communications class.

 

 Agiculture and Agrifood Canada's attempts to educate the public about Alberta beef production in an interesting and engaging way. There are more videos available on produce, grains and diary products.

As agriculture advocates, it is our duty to spread the accurate information, and educate the public about agriculture. In order to educate non-agricultural people about the industry, we need to communicate with them at an appropriate level, and in an efficient and engaging way. Share with them the essential information they need to know to have a better understanding of the industry in interactive ways such as blogs, videos, and infographics.  It is detrimental to the image of agriculture that misinformation, and the negative side of the story is presented more effectively than the positive, and truthful side. There is a wealth of information easily available about farm animal cruelty, news articles about greenhouse gas contributions from agriculture, and ideas about factory farming, that society has become sceptical and unaware of the agricultural reality. When false information is interesting and in their face, people aren't likely to search for scientific articles, read up on government regulations, or visit farms to see how the industry actually operates. As the future of the agriculture industry, we need to learn from this class, and employ new means to spread information that shows the brighter side of agriculture, such as the Food Mommy blog, and the showcased YouTube video. Furthermore, using tags and labels could help with the delivery of information, and to make this side of agriculture found more often.

It may be obvious that I am a little passionate about this subject, my classmate Sarah Spotowski is passionate about her area of study too. She found a blogger about museums that inspired her in much the same way as Food Mommy's blog inspired me. Check it out - http://spodorkski.blogspot.com/

Wikipedia Article

This week's assignment required us to expand on a Wikipedia article. I have used Wikipedia in the past, during my university career to get a basis for my research on a topic for papers. In one of my classes I was asked to write about bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), but to my dismay there was minimal information available on Wikipedia for which to base my research on. Because of my experience, I chose to write my Wikipedia article on BHV-1 and its infection in (IBR) to assist future fellow researchers investigating this disease. Here is the link to my article extension

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bovine_herpesvirus_1

Source: osp.mans.edu.eg                Source:  homepage.usask.ca

This picture shows a symptom of IBR from BHV-1 infection known as 'red nose' - check out my Wikipedia article to learn more about the disease and the virus.

As mentioned, I commonly use Wikipedia to begin my research on a topic, however, this information is usually not as credible, and reliable as university professors require from paper sources. Therefore, I made sure I credited all of the research I did in my Wikipedia article; this way students researching IBR and BHV-1 can use my Wikipedia article as a source of other sources for credible information. It is very important to present crediable information, and correct credit for the information your present online because in the end, doing so affects your credibility, and in science credibility is everything.

I enjoy learning about the science behind animals, and animal health almost as much as I like interacting with them. IBR can affect dairy cattle as well, just like this one.

I chose IBR and BHV-1 because animal health is really interesting to me. I enjoy learning about the different diseases that affect livestock, and the many different ways scientists are using to treat and prevent the diseases. Social medias such as Wikipedia that allow peer editing and review, really facilitate learning from others and the transmission of knowledge on a large scale. I also appreciate the fact that Wikipedia uses an encyclopedic style of information provision; that is there are no opinions or judgements, only neutral and verifiable facts. This is important when you are doing research using tools such as Wikipedia because it allows you to gather the information and construct your own educated opinion and judgement. However, a deterrent I found to sharing your knowledge on Wikipedia was the complicated formatting required. I appreciate the ability to embed links, but maybe more people would be willing to share if it wasn't so challenging and time consuming.

My fellow classmate, Jen Hay, is planning on writing about Hardware Disease. This is another disease that affects cattle that I find really fascinating. Be sure to check out her post too when it is done.

http://ales-jenhay.blogspot.com/