RE: [compost_tea] Perceived risk of food-related hazards

From: Mike Bosko <mjbosko_at_jmtsystems.com>
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 15:45:40 -0700
On this consumer issue... In regards to CT.  I've mentioned this before and
am surprised to have not received any comment on it.  It seems to me that
the tail is going before the horse again.

I don't intend to cause offense, but if there were more time spent educating
the general public (consumers) and less time spent on the marketing angle
and producer protection - the groundwork would be better set in protecting
what ACT is all about - and more potentially the public would be better
educated to support it.  Right now, I doubt there is even an inkling of a
percentage point of the public who know anything about what compost tea is.
Why would they want to support any of what they don't know?

And in educating the public, I'm not talking about pay seminars or articles.
But pro-bono education - several easy to follow articles/seminars explaining
what it is, what its not and the effort to keep in moving forward.  The
seminar I went to that the ICTC put on was excellent - but I only paid
because I was aware of it and wanted to learn more - but otherwise, I might
not have given it a second look.  I doubt I'm alone on that.

There are several folks among you who definitely could do this - there is at
least one writer, and several public presenters.  The ICTC should be pushing
and prodding to have these folks writing for and presenting to wider known
audiences -magazines, user groups, etc.

Why has this not been looked at?

Mike



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steve Diver [mailto:steved_at_ncat.org]
> Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2004 10:51 AM
> To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [compost_tea] Perceived risk of food-related hazards
>
>
> Here's a paper from the current (May 2004) issue
> of International Journal of Food Science & Technology
> on perceived risk of food-related hazards.
>
> It says right there in the conclusion:
>
> "consumers were more worried about those food hazards that
> were well known to them"
>
> and, consequently,
>
> "less worried about food hazards that were less known".
>
> Taking a leap, you can surmise that a similar situation
> exists with "concerns" about pathogens in composts and
> compost teas in relation to organic farming. 
>
> Once the flavor of the day was pathogenic concerns with
> compost and compost teas ... instead of the benefits and
> beneficial organisms in compost and compost teas... organic
> farmers have had to back peddle to catch up and allay these
> "concerns."
>
> Anyways, here's the paper citation in case you're interested.
>
> Steve Diver
>
>
> ******************************************************
>
> The perception of risks associated with food-related hazards and
> the perceived reliability of sources of information
>
> International Journal of Food Science & Technology
> Volume 39 Issue 5 Page 491  - May 2004
>
> Simona Rosati & Anna Saba
>
> National Institute of Research in Food and Nutrition, Rome, Italy
>
> http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2621.2004.00808.x
>
> Summary excerpt
>
> This study aimed to explore, on the one hand, public
> perception of risks associated with different food-related
> hazards and, on the other hand, perception of reliability of
> various sources providinginformation on food-related risks.
> Some differences were found when consumers compared six
> food-related hazards in terms of perceived personal risk and
> their knowledge of potential food risks. The concern about
> food risks was found to be statistically significantly
> dependent on the perception of risk to the individual....
>
> Content:
>
> The food hazards taken into account were:
>
> Genetically engineered food
> Food irradiation
> Residues of pesticides
> Bacterial contamination
> BSE
> Food additives
>
> Sources of informartion considered trustworthy:
>
> Government
> Environmental organizations
> Reporters
> European Commission
> Consumer associations
> Ministry of Health
> Ministry of Agriculture
> Research institutes
> Producer associations
>
>
> Conclusion excerpts
>
> The study showed that consumers were more worried about those
> food hazards that were well known to them and, consequently,
> less worried about food hazards that were less known.
> Moreover, the study indicated that perceived personal risk
> and the individual's own knowledge of potential food risks
> were two distinct dimensions of food risk perception.
>
> It was found that the reliability of knowledge held by
> agencies about risks associated with food-related hazards to
> human health and the trustworthiness of the sources of
> information were two important
> factors of consumer trust. 
>
> A perception of the amount of concern of agencies to protect the
> health of citizens from possible risks associated with
> foodrelated hazards and the perception of the knowledge held
> by these agencies about food risks were the most important
> determinants of trust.
>
> It means that an increase in trust could result from an equal
> increase in these two determinants, as well as a reduction in
> trust could result from an equal decrease in them.
>
> ******************************************************
> ******************************************************
>
>
>

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Received on Wed Apr 28 2004 - 20:45:15 EDT

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