Browsing by Author "Jablonski, Becca, committee member"
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Item Open Access Community, individual, and referendum characteristics affecting support for conservation in Colorado(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Chriestenson, Chad, author; Thilmany, Dawn, advisor; Jablonski, Becca, committee member; Weiler, Stephan, committee memberThis study investigates support for conservation amongst Colorado residents. It is pertinent given both the state's limited supply of natural resources such as water and the increasing demand for other agricultural resources such as open space along the rapidly expanding urban fringes. This is also the first such study performed in the Rocky Mountains and results indicate demand for environmental goods differs when compared to other regions in the United States. The research is performed in two distinct steps. First, revealed preferences are analyzed. These come from conservation referenda data. The analysis proceeds in an analogous manner to previous studies. The Heckman two-step process is used to determine factors affecting both appearance and passage of referenda at the county and municipal level across the state. Results indicate that larger population, higher educational attainment, home-rule charter, pre-existing support, and a lower proportion of white people all increase the likelihood of a referendum appearing on the ballot. A focus on wildlife conservation in addition to open space language within the referenda, increases the likelihood of passage, relative to simply focusing on open space. An unexpected finding is that language directing funds toward open space and conservation of agricultural resources or water decreases this likelihood. Second, stated preferences are analyzed via the results of a demographically representative survey commissioned by the Colorado Department of Agriculture. Factor analysis is utilized to determine that most responses appear to be explained by three underlying factors: the value Coloradan's place on the continued existence of agriculture in the state, a measure of views toward human's interaction with the environment, and the perceived relationship between agriculture and the environment. An ordered probit model is used to investigate how these factors, demographic variables, and survey responses affect resident's support for using public funds to help farmers conserve agricultural resources. Results indicate support for conservation decreases with age. They also suggest that those who support conservation of these resources do not appear to care about the mechanism by which they are conserved, they only care that they are conserved. Combined results from the two components of this study show younger residents with higher levels of educational attainment are more likely to support conservation. They indicate that Coloradan's stated and revealed preferences do not fully align. For instance, residents appear to support the idea of conserving water yet don't follow through in the voting booth when language including water is in a referendum. The opposite is true of wildlife conservation. Respondents appear indifferent to connecting land conservation with wildlife in their survey responses, yet referenda results suggest they are more likely to vote for such policies.Item Open Access Exploring local food purchasing patterns during COVID-19: insights from a nationwide consumer survey(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Edmondson, Hailey Elizabeth, author; Thilmany, Dawn, advisor; Jablonski, Becca, committee member; Prasad, Joshua, committee memberThe onset of the COVID-19 pandemic shocked many aspects of life, and food was no exception. One very large shift that occurred, and was likely influenced by both economic and public health shocks, was in the ways that people purchased food, particularly in the use of new market channels. The following study, as of a larger USDA Agricultural Marketing Service project interested in impacts of COVID-19 on local and regional food systems, investigates local market channel use. In particular, we investigate the extent to which increased interest in local food markets is observed across a national sample and, if so, how it correlates with consumers' behavior-influencing traits like food values and COVID-19 impacts. This study contributes to existing literature through its collection of a large, national consumer survey dataset with a novel focus on local and regional market channels and more in-depth understanding of shifting consumer preferences for non-traditional market channels. We find that a nearly one third of our survey sample used new local and regional market channels during COVID-19, and that individual COVID-19 impacts and values related to local and social welfare were significant predictors of new market channel use. We also find that COVID-19 risk, exposure, and income and employment impacts significantly affect likelihood of new local market adoption. Identifying these traits and values of consumers participating in new market channel behaviors provides valuable insight for local food system practitioners strategizing for a post-COVID future, such as implementing values-based marketing and leveraging technology.Item Open Access Human systems integration of agricultural machinery in developing economy countries: Sudan as a case study(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Ahmed, Hamza, author; Miller, Erika, advisor; Owiny, James, committee member; Simske, Steve, committee member; Jablonski, Becca, committee member; Herber, Daniel, committee memberWidespread adoption of agricultural machinery for developing economy countries is commonly regarded as a fundamental component of pro-poor growth and sustainable intensification. Mechanized farming can also improve perceptions of farming and mitigate rural-out migration. However, many traditional farmers do not have access to machinery and/or the machinery is cost prohibitive. This study applies the systems engineering approach to identify human-systems integration (HSI) solutions in agricultural practices to more effectively adapt technologies to satisfy traditional farmers' needs. A treatment control study was conducted on 36 farms in Sudan, Africa, over three farming seasons: 2019 (baseline), 2020, and 2021. The treatment group farmers (N = 6) were provided with agricultural machinery (i.e., tractor, cultivator, planter, and harvester), fuel for the machinery, and training to use the machinery. Farmers were interviewed at the beginning of the study and then after each planting and harvesting season during the study. Findings show that the most significant barriers for technology adoption were culture, security, and maintenance costs. However, they also reported that the most significant challenges in their nonmechanized farming practices were related to labor, safety, and profit margins, all of which could be addressed with machinery. Moreover, the results show that all farmers had similar net profits in 2019, when farming without machinery, while mechanized farming yielded significantly higher net profits ($16.61 per acre more in 2020 and $27.10 per acre more in 2021). Farmers also provided needs and rationales of various design options in tractors and attachments. The findings of this dissertation suggest that, despite the initial resistance to using agricultural machinery, the farmers were pleased by their experience after using farming machinery and expressed an even more accepting attitude from their children towards this new farming process. These results demonstrate the importance of developing effective solutions for integrating farming technology into rural farming practices in developing economy countries. More broadly, this study can be used as an HSI framework for identifying design needs and integrating technology into users' lifestyle. The results presented in this dissertation provide a quantified difference between farming with and without machinery, which can provide a financial basis for purchasing and borrowing models, machinery design requirements, and educational value to farmers. Further, the financial values and design requirements can help inform farmers regarding expected costs, returns, and payoffs from tractor adoption. Manufacturers and policymakers can utilize this to promote technology adoption more effectively to farmers in developing economy countries.Item Open Access "If you're on good terms with those people, you'll always have a place to eat": a Bourdieusian approach to food justice in a pay-what-you-can café(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Shreeve, Kelly, author; Sbicca, Joshua, advisor; Carolan, Michael, committee member; Jablonski, Becca, committee memberAlternative food initiatives (AFIs) are widespread, leading to questions from food justice scholars about whether these initiatives are doing justice. One common question is the degree to which initiatives are inclusive of race and class differences. This thesis undertook a four-month qualitative study of a unique, but less commonly studied initiative, a pay-what-you-can (PWC) cafe in a Mountain West state. The organizational structure lacks financial barriers to entry, allowing for people from all economic statuses to participate. Through a Bourdieusian analytical framework, and a multifaceted notion of justice, the thesis finds that the organizational rhetoric that values community, providing 'good food' to those without money, and recognizing the abilities of different individuals, explains which groups participate, how they are recognized, and the distribution of resources within the cafe. This matters because it shows how values and broader organizational rules affect how AFIs are able to do justice. These findings contribute to the literature on AFIs by focusing on newly emerging PWCs and expands debates about how such initiatives do food justice.Item Open Access Promoting the consumption of beans and other pulses for public health: a translational approach to address consumer barriers to intake(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Didinger, Chelsea, author; Foster, Michelle, advisor; Bunning, Marisa, advisor; Thompson, Henry, committee member; Jablonski, Becca, committee memberBeans and other pulses (i.e., the dry, edible seeds of non-oilseed legumes like chickpeas, cowpeas, dry beans, dry peas, and lentils) are linked to a myriad of positive impacts on human and environmental health, including promotion of gut health and healthy weight management, reduction of chronic disease risk, mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, improvements in soil health, conservation of water resources, and more. Moreover, pulses are highly nutrient-dense, have a long shelf-life, demonstrate wide culinary versatility, and are relatively affordable compared to other foods. Accordingly, pulses offer the chance to consume a healthful diet based on sustainable food choices, all at an economical price point. Although this combination of positive assets may make pulses seem like a natural choice for consumers to include as a dietary staple, global consumption of pulses has stagnated at around 21 g/day/capita. This research focuses on United States consumers, who eat less than 1 cup of cooked pulses per week, which is below the recommendation. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), there are only four dietary components of public health concern (i.e., nutrients or other dietary components – like fiber – for which low intakes are associated with health concerns) in the United States. Among these four dietary components of public health concern are dietary fiber and potassium. Pulses are rich in both, thus increasing intake across the population could contribute to raising levels of these critical dietary components. Although it depends on age group and gender, the levels of pulse intake recommended by the DGA are around 1 – 3 cups per week. Increasing intake to meet this recommendation would help provide adequate levels of dietary components of public health concern. Raising it even further, to around 1 cup per day, has been associated with numerous human health benefits, as discussed in the Introduction. Reversing the current trend of dramatically low consumption would allow the public to better capitalize on all the benefits that pulses have to offer. To achieve this, it is vital to address the potential barriers to pulse intake that consumers face, paramount among them being unfamiliarity with how to cook and prepare pulses, long cooking times, and concerns over flatulence. Simultaneously, it is key to highlight the many motivating factors to eat pulses, including taste and culinary versatility, nutrition and health, and environmental benefits. Through engaging in a translational approach that addresses barriers and emphasizes motivators, not only is knowledge disseminated, but consumers can be motivated to engage in behavior change and increase their pulse consumption. This research is comprised of three primary efforts designed to directly target motivators and mitigate barriers to pulse consumption in the United States: 1.) creation of an Extension Bean Toolkit, which includes various consumer resources and an online 1-hour class; 2.) development of the Bean Cuisine and engagement with citizen scientists to improve the cuisine and monitor impacts of participation; and 3.) testing of the effects of elevation and soaking conditions on bean cooking time to address the concern over long cooking times and provide consumers with accessible cooking tips. Before designing the Extension Bean Toolkit, a Food Habits Survey was conducted to better understand preparation and consumption habits, barriers, motivators, and potential points of consumer interest related to pulses. Based on results and in conjunction with review of the literature, resources were developed for the toolkit, as well as the 1-hour class, titled Beans: Good for You, Good for the Planet. Participation in the class resulted in significant gains in knowledge about pulses, an increase in the importance of motivators, a decrease in how much barriers discourage consumers, and consumption frequency also appeared to increase. See Chapter 2 for details. The Bean Cuisine is a 2-week cuisine (i.e., meal plan) with 56 pulse-centric recipes that correspond to 14 unique breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner ideas. The Bean Cuisine was designed to have 35% of dietary protein from pulses, due to recent preclinical findings that suggest this level of consumption is when benefits for gut health and weight maintenance are attained. The main barrier addressed was lack of awareness of how to cook and prepare pulses, and culinary versatility was a main motivator. Fifty-six citizen scientists were recruited and provided feedback on one day (i.e., four recipes) of the Bean Cuisine, and impacts of participation were monitored. The Bean Cuisine was modified based on their feedback to improve the recipes to ensure they were clearly written and the taste would appeal to a wider audience. Participation in the project resulted in significant gains in knowledge about pulse health benefits, versatility, and how to cook dry pulses. Moreover, common themes in free response data demonstrated that citizen scientists had increased awareness of pulse variety and versatility, they changed the frequency of and ways in which they ate pulses, they had a positive experience and thus a good perception of citizen science, and that some became pulse advocates, sharing the benefits of pulses with their communities. More details can be found in Chapter 3. Not knowing how to cook dry pulses and the long cooking times pose barriers to regular pulse intake. Therefore, to be able to provide consumers with better information regarding the effects of cooking conditions and elevation on cooking time, a Mattson cooker was used to assess the cooking time of pinto beans at four locations, ranging from around sea level to over 3,000 meters. Seven different cooking conditions were evaluated in replicate at each location: an overnight soak or a quick soak in only water or in a 1% solution of sodium chloride or sodium bicarbonate, with a no soak and no salt added comparison. Cooking time increased with elevation, and both the soaking of beans and the addition of salt shortened cooking time. A handout was created to equip consumers with information and practical, accessible tips to facilitate faster, better experiences when cooking dry pulses. Refer to Chapter 4 for details. Through the Extension Bean Toolkit and Bean Cuisine citizen science work, a translational approach was adopted to reach the public with current research findings that aligned with areas in which they expressed interest. The mitigation of potential barriers to pulse intake and the highlighting of the numerous benefits of pulses was a primary focus in this work. After participating in the Extension class or citizen science project, participants demonstrated greater knowledge about pulses. More importantly, they expressed a greater intention to eat pulses, indicating that participation in these translational projects helped motivate them to change their behavior and regularly integrate more pulses into their diets.Item Open Access Regional dimensions of agritourism: exploring spatial and traveler heterogeneity(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Van Sandt, Anders, author; Thilmany McFadden, Dawn, advisor; Costanigro, Marco, committee member; Jablonski, Becca, committee member; Weiler, Stephan, committee memberThis dissertation employs a three-pronged approach to explore how locational, firm, and traveler heterogeneity lead to different opportunities or barriers in the budding U.S. agritourism industry. While each chapter considers a different aspect of the agritourism industry using unique empirical methods of analyses and sources of data, each chapter utilizes spatial economic methods to analyze different aspects of agritourism in the U.S. The first chapter applies firm level data and a two-stage model to test the importance of three trade theories in identifying comparative advantages in agritourism. Findings from this first essay imply that while some comparative advantages may be due to the productive and technological efficiencies of an agricultural operation, locational characteristics such as natural endowments (including natural amenities, farm production type, and proximities to other tourism attractions and population centers) are the primary source of attraction for agritourists. This essay also finds strong evidence of economies of agglomeration within the agritourism industry, signaling the need for future research to explore the potential within- and between-industry benefits from developing agritourism clusters. The second essay estimates the consumer surplus derived from agritourism in the Western U.S. using a flexible travel cost model and survey data. In addition to providing par-worth consumer surplus measures across multiple regions, agritourism activities, and travelers, the method includes a detailed examination of how sunk costs of primary travel destinations may influence consumer welfare estimates for other site visits on trips. Findings show that this mismeasurement inflicts a bias, called the multi-destination bias, that differs depending on the relative price and rurality of the recreational activity. Finally, the chapter includes a discussion on how relative elasticities may be used by agritourism operators and rural economic development practitioners to leverage their locational and site specific comparative advantages in agritourism. The third and final essay analyzes primary data from a choice experiment in a latent class logit framework to investigate how consumers' home surroundings influence their willingness to pay for various agritourism qualities when choosing among destinations. After identifying each of the market segments and how they differ in regards to their agritourism preferences, the membership covariates are used to create willingness to pay maps using kriging, a geostatistical interpolation method. Maps and willingness to pay estimates from this analysis may be used by agritourism operators and tourism development practitioners to target marketing efforts in regions with significantly higher willingness to pay values. By understanding how agritourism demand and supply factors differ, farmers and ranchers will be able to identify and leverage their natural, firm, and community strengths to develop successful agritourism enterprises. While agritourism is a relatively well-established industry in Europe, research opportunities to inform the US sector still exist. From the diversity of American agricultural producers, to exploring the potential spillover benefits to communities, and the demand shifts that may arise alongside the U.S. public's growing interest in food makes, there are several motivations for further research on this. Directions for future research are outlined at the end of each essay, as well as at the end of the conclusion.Item Open Access Revisiting the "hot potatoes" of agri-supply chains: exploring interactions and tradeoffs in Colorado potato markets and farm-to-school procurement(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Love, Erin, author; Thilmany McFadden, Dawn, advisor; Bellows, Laura, committee member; Countryman, Amanda, committee member; Jablonski, Becca, committee memberAgricultural and food systems generate externalities, some of which have been linked to achieving economic development goals in rural areas. Historically, agriculture has occupied an important role in rural development policy. But not all agricultural and food supply chains have the same economic linkages and impacts on their communities. We hypothesize that certain types of agricultural and food systems structures and processes are better suited to achieving the goal of local economic development, depending on the location and nature of the market activity. The literature suggests that there is a tradeoff between efficiency and positive externalities in agri-supply chains, which we call the "Efficiency-Externality Tradeoff." We analyze the Efficiency-Externality Tradeoff in two essays. First, we conduct a time-series econometric analysis of Colorado and national potato supply chains. Second, we develop an optimization model of school food procurement, with emphasis on supply chain route. We find that Colorado farmers face asymmetric price influence when participating in national commodity potato markets, implying they have low bargaining power and high downside risk with regards to prices. We also find that in the absence of policy mechanisms, school districts are unlikely to participate in local food procurement, which previous work has documented has a positive impact on local economies. We frame farmer bargaining power and local economic development as potential positive externalities of local and regional supply chains, and since the latter are sometimes less efficient, exploring the tradeoffs between the "costs and benefits" is of interest. Our results indicate that mainstream supply chains, which tend to be more efficient and cost effective, may offer fewer positive externalities, and the effectiveness of policy levers to incentivize positive choices varies. This finding has implications for economic development policies, particularly those targeted at strengthening economic activity in agriculturally dependent areas.