Biology & Sustainability

Event Title

Academic Discipline - Sustainability, Urban Ecology, and Environmental Studies

Presenter Information

Amy Anderson, Ball State University

Document Type

Oral Presentation

Location

Indianapolis, IN

Subject Area

Biology & Sustainability

Start Date

11-4-2014 10:45 AM

End Date

11-4-2014 11:45 AM

Description

As generations move away from the farmstead, misconceptions can arise regarding the current state of farming and the implications of our increasingly industrialized system of agriculture. Our disconnection from food production can result in consumers having false impressions of the meaning of USDA labels like "organic," "grass-fed," "cage-free," "free-range," "natural," and "non-GMO" in terms of animal welfare, nutritional value and environmental impact. Also, the ways that certain products are marketed can promote ideas about these labels that can potentially mislead the public as well. The objective of my research was to find out if people are indifferent to the problems caused by our current food system, truly ignorant of the issues associated with industrial agriculture or simply incapable of purchasing the products they would ideally buy without obstacles such as availability, expense, etc. My hypothesis was that the average consumer does not have an accurate perception of what they are endorsing when they purchase "organic," "grass-fed," "cage-free," "free-range," "natural," and "non-GMO" products. A voluntary survey was created that asked the students, faculty and staff of Ball State University about their understanding of the labels listed above as they are used by the USDA to mark special food products. The results showed that over half of the participants have misconceptions about the labels they endorse. This is very concerning because every misinformed purchase indirectly supports farming methods, nutritional standards and environmental practices that a consumer may not actually want to endorse.

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Apr 11th, 10:45 AM Apr 11th, 11:45 AM

Academic Discipline - Sustainability, Urban Ecology, and Environmental Studies

Indianapolis, IN

As generations move away from the farmstead, misconceptions can arise regarding the current state of farming and the implications of our increasingly industrialized system of agriculture. Our disconnection from food production can result in consumers having false impressions of the meaning of USDA labels like "organic," "grass-fed," "cage-free," "free-range," "natural," and "non-GMO" in terms of animal welfare, nutritional value and environmental impact. Also, the ways that certain products are marketed can promote ideas about these labels that can potentially mislead the public as well. The objective of my research was to find out if people are indifferent to the problems caused by our current food system, truly ignorant of the issues associated with industrial agriculture or simply incapable of purchasing the products they would ideally buy without obstacles such as availability, expense, etc. My hypothesis was that the average consumer does not have an accurate perception of what they are endorsing when they purchase "organic," "grass-fed," "cage-free," "free-range," "natural," and "non-GMO" products. A voluntary survey was created that asked the students, faculty and staff of Ball State University about their understanding of the labels listed above as they are used by the USDA to mark special food products. The results showed that over half of the participants have misconceptions about the labels they endorse. This is very concerning because every misinformed purchase indirectly supports farming methods, nutritional standards and environmental practices that a consumer may not actually want to endorse.