{"id":14627,"date":"2021-07-07T18:04:29","date_gmt":"2021-07-07T18:04:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.library.illinois.edu\/funkaces\/?p=14627"},"modified":"2022-06-20T20:23:46","modified_gmt":"2022-06-20T20:23:46","slug":"acdc-news-issue-21-07","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.library.illinois.edu\/funkaces\/acdc-news-issue-21-07\/","title":{"rendered":"ACDC News – Issue 21-07"},"content":{"rendered":"

Click here <\/a>for a printer friendly PDF of this newsletter.<\/h3>\n
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A self-sustaining agri extension service: success in Rwanda<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Implementation of a self-sustaining agricultural extension system in Rwanda has had \u201cstrong impact on agricultural development through motivation and increasing trainings of farmer promoters.\u201d That was the conclusion of research reported in the Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development. <\/em>A research team used project reports, interviews, and focus groups to assess the effectiveness of Farmer Field Schools and Farmer Promoters as Rwanda implemented a self-sustaining extension system. This decentralized, pluralistic approach involved many actors from the public and private sector playing different roles through agriculture committees at community, sector, district, province, and national levels.<\/p>\n

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You can read the article by open access here.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Organic sizzling during COVID-19<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Sales of organic produce in the U.S. last year accounted for nearly $8 billion, \u201ca whopping 15% increase over 2019.\u201d\u00a0 That report came recently from Tom Karst, editor of The Packer <\/em>trade periodical. It was based on data gathered for the 2021 Organic Produce Market Guide<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026one of the most striking observations about the pandemic year was the surprisingly strong performance of organic produce. \u2026 Organic produce sales benefited from more people staying home to cook and taking an interest in their health and the world around them.\u201d<\/p>\n

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You can read details in the full edition here.<\/a><\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/strong>Proclamation honors Orion Samuelson<\/strong><\/h3>\n

We have added to the ACDC collection a December 2020 proclamation from the Secretary of the U. S. Department of Agriculture to retiring farm broadcaster Orion Samuelson. The proclamation honors and celebrates his journalistic integrity, persistence, and support of American farmers during a remarkable career of nearly 70 years, including 60 years of agricultural broadcasting at WGN, Chicago, Illinois.<\/p>\n

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You can read the full proclamation here.<\/a><\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cSunshine\u201d law needed for food, environmental, other sciences?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Recently we added to the ACDC collection a commentary about that question. Journalist Paul Thacker proposed a \u201csunshine law that would expose all sorts of conflicts of interest and industry manipulation that skew research on food, synthetic chemicals, pesticides, genetic technology, and the climate.\u201d Working in the U.S. Senate a decade ago, he had helped draft and pass the Physician Payments Sunshine Act. \u201cThe law requires companies to report monies and gifts they give physicians, which are known to influence what doctors prescribe or promote. Thanks to the Sunshine Act, you can look up doctors on a public database to see who is paying them and how much. Several other countries have passed or are considering similar laws.\u201d<\/p>\n

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You can read this three-page piece from \u201cRadio Free\u201d here.<\/a><\/p>\n

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\u201cConsumer perspectives on vitamins, minerals and food and beverage fortification\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n

That title introduces a new 29-page research report we have added to ACDC from the International Food Information Council.\u00a0 Findings were based on interviews with 1,023 U.S. adults during early March. Among the findings:<\/p>\n