Progress 10/01/09 to 09/30/13
Outputs
Target Audience: Audiences served by this study included residents of three southern states Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina; low income food desert communities in District 2, Greensboro, North Carolina; Greensboro City Council; community-based organizations serving District 2 and extension and public health professionals. The project conducted listening sessions with purposively selected community residents, made presentations at meetings of community organizations and Greensboro City Council meetings on food deserts and findings of the project. Changes/Problems: The project was extended to allow PIs to use insights from surveys described above to determine the willingness of food deserts residents to participate in interventions to improve eating habits and access to fruits and vegetables. This activity replaced objective three of the project. The construction of high tunnels was delayed because of changes were required to city land use ordinance. The required changes were approved and the City of Greensboro through a resolution has pledged support for the project and the eradication of food deserts in Greensboro. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? An opportunity was created to educate residents of food deserts to make wiser shopping decisions and action to improve access to fruits and vegetables. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results were disseminated through listening sessions to underserved communities and through presentations and journal articles to other audiences. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Activities completed. Four surveys completed as described above; organized and secured community and city council support for project. The project produced a consumer style index (CSI) for characterizing consumers’ shopping personality. Objectives met. Established consumers’ preferences for production systems along five dimensions: contribution to environmental conservation, food safety, food quality, contribution to wellness and contribution to community economic development; determined consumers’ preferences for fresh fruits and vegetables using five attributes: nutritional value, hygiene, taste, affordable price and freshness; and determined the willingness of residents of food desert to participate in intervention to improve eating habits and access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Significant results. In rating food production systems, consumers accorded the highest priority to food safety followed by wellness, food quality, environmental and community development concerns respectively. Also consumers accord the highest preference score to organic method of production followed by sustainable and conventional production systems respectively. Consumers’ accord high priority to food attributes in the following order, freshness, taste, hygiene, nutritional value and affordable price.The project identified 11 dimensions that affect food shopping behavior. Among them were Perfectionist, high-quality conscious; Confused by over-choice; Brand conscious; Environmental conscious; Health conscious;Price conscious; Impulsive, careless; Habitual, brand and store-loyal. Key outcomes. Consumers see freshness as the key food attribute; nutritional value does not appear to receive the level of consideration it deserves as a food attribute. Multidimensional scaling established that taste and price tend to move together, which seems to explain consumers’ predilection for tasty inexpensive fast food. Environmental benefits do not seem to figure prominently in consumers’ preference for the organic system of production; consumers’ decision in this regard seems to stem from their preference for the attributes of food safety and wellness. A key impact of this project is the decision of the Greensboro City Council to address the problem of food deserts in the city and support efforts to improve access to fruits and vegetables.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Thomas, T.W. & Gunden, C.(2013) . A study in measuring consumer preferences for food production systems and attributes. Journal of Agricultural Faculty of Ege University. 1, pp.321-324 (Special Issue).
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Thomas, T. & Gunden, C. (2013) Consumer decision-making styles in food purchase. Agro FOOD Industry Hi Tech, 24:4, (July/August ), pp.60-63.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2012
Citation:
Thomas, T.W.& Gunden, C. (2012).Consumer attitudes toward food production systems and attributes in the South-Eastern States of the US. Proceedings of 23rd International Scientific-Expert Congress on Agriculture and Food Industry. Izmir, Turkey, September 27-29, 2012.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Thomas, T., Gunden, C., Miran, B.& Cankurt, M. (2013). Consumer decision-making styles: investigation of food shopping behavior. Annual Conference Southern Rural Sociological Association. Orlando, FL, February 2-5, 2013.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Thomas, T. W., Gunden, C. & Gray, B. (2014). Assessing attitudes of food desert residence toward intervention aimed at addressing access and intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. Annual Conference Southern Rural Sociological Association. Dallas, TX, February 2-5, 2014.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Thomas, T. W., Gunden, C. & Gray, B. (2014). Investigating the influence of personal, social and cultural factors, and the structure of food deserts on eating habits of residents. Annual Conference Southern Rural Sociological Association. Dallas, TX, February 2-5, 2014.
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Progress 01/01/12 to 12/31/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This report covers the extension of the referenced project which involves completion of the development of the consumer style inventory (CSI), pilot case study of shopping behavior, eating habits and intervention program to improve eating habits of residents in District 2 of Eastern Greensboro and development of a community based production unit . PIs completed the development of a consumer style inventory (CSI). The CSI will be applied to develop information on consumers' food shopping behavior (in the next phase of the project). This information will be used in designing workshops, in the next phase of the project, to train consumers to make wiser and healthier food shopping decisions. PIs had three separate meetings with project stakeholders during which we briefed them on the progress of the project and our future plans, and requested their cooperation, participation and contribution. These meetings included community members, city council representatives, board members of Eastern Development Growth Enterprise (EDGE), Citizens for Environmental and Economic Justice (CEEJ), Renaissance Cooperative Committee, Concerned Citizens of North East Greensboro and the Citizens Economic Development Committee. PARTICIPANTS: Dr. Cihat Gunden, Post Doc scholar, provides expertise in questionnaire design and adoption to Survey Monkey platform for collecting data, developing analytical techniques for data analysis and writing articles for publication. Eastern Greensboro Development Enterprise (EDGE) is a nonprofit community-based organization that initiated the project idea to use a community farm to address the problem of food desert in District 2. EDGE works with the PIs to mobilize community resource and participation in support of the project. The Greensboro City Council supports the project via a land grant and has committed resources to provide water and a security fence. Renaissance Cooperative, developers of a community grocery store through which produce from the community production unit will be distributed to residents Dr. Michael Roberto, Associate Professor, History Department, member of CEEJ and Chairman of Citizens Economic Development Committee. He liaises with the City Council to garner support for the project and assists PIs with mobilizing community support. Professor Bulent Miran, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey, provides expertise in designing and adopting software to Fuzzy Pairwise Comparison analysis and Grid analysis. TARGET AUDIENCES: The audience includes community informants (members of EDGE, CEEJ and Dr. Roberto) to recruit and organize residents to participate in intervention workshops to address lifestyle changes and to participate in operations of the production unit. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Previously reported preliminary results indicated the consumer style inventory (CSI) as comprising six dimensions representing 43 items. Following further analysis which involved data screening to remove outliers, resolve complex structure problems, factor analysis check reliability of the instrument and validate the instrument, the final CSI instrument was comprised of 11 dimensions covering 32 items. Eleven items were dropped from the original instrument used to collect the data. As a result of this study, a validated CSI instrument can now be used to describe food shopping behavior. This description will reveal undesirable patterns in food shopping behavior, such as tendencies to choose unhealthy items due to compulsive shopping, or loyalty to a particular brand. Thus, information gathered via CSI can be used in the development of educational programs aimed toward promoting healthier diets. The CSI will be used in the next phase of the project to gather information on the shopping behavior of residents of District 2. This information will be used in developing interactive workshops for training residents to make wiser and healthier food shopping decisions. Meetings conducted with stakeholders were intended to generate support and disseminate information about the project. These meetings have generated more recognition of the consequences of unhealthy eating habits, generated community commitment to participate in and support the project, and generated recognition of the potential economic benefit of the project. In addition, the meetings enable us to secure the commitment from Greensboro City Council leaders to provide funding support for constructing a security fence, and to defray the cost of water for irrigation.
Publications
- Thomas, T. and Gunden, C.( 2012). "Consumer Attitudes Toward Food Production Systems and Attributes in the South-Eastern States of the US." Journal of Extension System, Vol-28 (2012).
- Gunden, C., & Thomas, T. (2012). "Assessing consumer attitudes towards fresh fruit and vegetable attributes." Journal of Food Agriculture & Environment, 10(2), 85-88.
- Thomas, T., & Gunden, C. (2012). "Investigating consumer attitudes toward food produced via three production systems: conventional, sustainable and organic." Journal of Food Agriculture & Environment, 10(2), 132-135.
- Murat, Cankurt, Terrence Thomas, Cihat Gunden and Bulent Miran (2013). "Consumer decision-making styles: Investigation of food shopping behavior." Journal of Food Agriculture & Environment (forthcoming).
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Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Output for this reporting period include: - Assessed consumer attitudes and decision-making styles towards fresh fruits and vegetables along five attributes: nutritional value, hygiene, taste, affordable price and freshness. - Created a questionnaire for measuring dimensions of consumers' decision-making styles. - Acquired a sample frame with 3000 potential respondents covering seven southeastern states (actual sample size as per power analysis 800). - Produced a protocol for collecting and collating data using Survey Monkey data collection platform. - Worked with Turkish colleagues to develop software for conducting Grid Analysis to analyze the data. - Trained four enumerators to administer telephone survey using the developed protocol. - Collected 530 responses adjusted to 490 useable responses. - PIs are currently working with the community group Eastern Development Growth Enterprise (EDGE) to encourage the adoption of healthy eating habits and improve the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables for community residents. Knowledge derived from the conduct of this research was shared with principals of EDGE and proved to be instrumental in securing Greensboro's City Council approval for their community project. - Professor Miran of Ege University, Izmir, Turkey, is developing a project based on findings to assess Turkish Young People and Healthy Eating: Attitudes toward Food Choices and Environment to be submitted to the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) for funding this spring. PIs will be collaborators on this project. PARTICIPANTS: Professor Miran of Ege University. Izmir, Turkey provided expertise for developing software for completing grid analysis and assisted with the development of the protocol for used to interface with Survey Monkey to administer questionnaire. The PIs are collaborating with Eastern Development Growth Enterprise (EDGE), a community-based organization working with low income communities in Greensboro to improve diets and the adoption of healthy lifestyle. TARGET AUDIENCES: Eastern Development Growth Enterprise (EDGE) is a community based organization that is working to provide low income communities in eastern Greensboro with access to fresh fruits and vegetables and to encourage the adoption of healthy life styles. The ultimate objective is to reduce the incidence of obesity and associated chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heat disease. The information generated on consumer shopping behavior and attitudes toward fresh fruits and vegetables will be used to design lifestyle intervention programs that will lead to positive behavioral changes in diet and lifestyle practices. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
New knowledge about food shopping personality from this study has the potential to inform the development of breakthrough educational and lifestyle intervention programs with a much higher probability of achieving concrete behavior change. Additionally, the data provides the opportunity to apply structural equation modeling to define the structure of the relationships among important variables. Such detailed scientific knowledge will enable lifestyle and health professionals to employ a holistic approach in developing behavior modification programs that take into account the relative role of each variable. Researchers used the preliminary data from the project to assist EDGE, a non-profit corporation, in preparing its proposal to the Greensboro City Council. Specifically, we provided information on consumers attitudes toward food production systems and attributes of fresh fruits and vegetables and the role of consumer food shopping personality. End result, the council made a land grant of about five acres for the development of a community based food production unit. PIs working with Turkish colleagues, modified a consumer style inventory developed by Sproles and Kendall, 1986 to make it applicable to food purchasing behavior. The special software developed to conduct grid analysis allowed researches to identify and isolate specific consumer preferences. Previous research has demonstrated that consumers have specific shopping styles analogous to a personality trait that drives purchase behavior. In this project, researchers set out to identify consumers shopping personality as it relates to food purchase behavior. The original CSI contained ten dimensions. Preliminary results from factor analysis of the data identified the following six dimensions that affect food purchase behavior: perfectionist (quality conscious) brand conscious (price equals quality); price conscious (value for money); store loyalty; health and environment conscious and reliance on mass media for information about food. The data indicate that these are the underlying dimensions that tend to define an individuals food shopping personality, which, in turn, drives actual shopping behavior.
Publications
- Cihat Gunden and Terrence Thomas. 2012. Assessing consumer attitudes towards fresh fruit and vegetable attributes. Journal of Food Agriculture and Environment-JFAE, Vol. 10 (1)-2012.
- Terrence Thomas and Cihat Gunden. 2012. Investigating consumer attitudes toward food produced via three production systems: conventional, sustainable and organic. Journal of Food Agriculture and Environment-JFAE, Vol. 10 (1)-2012.
- Cihat Gunden, Bulent Miran, Terrence Thomas. 2012. Investigating the underlying factors that influence consumer attitudes towards fresh fruit and vegetable attributes. Accepted for presentation at Southern Rural Sociological Association Annual Meeting, February 6-8, Birmingham-Alabama, USA, 2012.
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Progress 01/01/10 to 12/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities completed for Objective 1: To assess the attitudes of consumers toward food produced under the following food production systems: conventional agriculture, sustainable alternatives and organic along six criteria, contribution to environmental conservation, food safety, food quality, contribution to wellness and contribution to community economic development Designed and formatted analytic hierarchy questionnaire to collect data via telephone survey. Designed sample frame to obtain adequate coverage in study area: Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, using the sample size protocol described by Dillman et. Al (2009). Sampling was done proportionate to population size by county. After specifying sampling frame parameters, the required sample was purchased from Survey Sampling Inc. Trained enumerators to use the questionnaire. Data were collected from 252 respondents. Results show that when consumers compared production systems using environmental concerns, food safety, food quality, wellness, and community development concerns, consumers accorded priority to food safety, wellness, food quality, environmental concern and community development concerns respectively. Considering all these criteria, consumers accord the highest preference score to organic method of production (0.544) followed by a sustainable production system with a preference score of 0.274. The conventional system of production was least preferred with a preference score of 0.182. Objective 2. Assess consumer attitudes towards fresh fruits and vegetables along five attributes: nutritional value, hygiene, taste ,affordable price and freshness. Designed and formatted fuzzy pair wise comparison questionnaire to be compatible with data collection protocol of Survey Monkey. Researchers developed a protocol to collect data via a telephone survey using Survey Monkey and trained enumerators to use the protocol to collect data. Data were collected from 425 respondents. Results show that consumers prefer food attributes used in this research in the following order, freshness (0,591), taste (0.447), hygiene (0.439), nutritional value (0.417) and price (0.414). In the preliminary analysis consumers seem to value freshness and taste and hygiene over price and nutritional value. Objective 3: To determine the role of community-based organizations in supporting or promoting alternative food production systems. Researchers are preparing a sampling frame for community-based organizations in the study area: Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. In reviewing and cleaning database developed from previous studies, we have found that many of the CBOs are inactive or can't be located. We are therefore updating this database. So far, we have identified 223 active CBOs to be added to the existing database. We anticipate commencing the survey in early spring to ascertain the CBOs role in supporting alternative food production systems. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
Information generated by this research will provide policy makers and community planners with the ability to shape holistic and sustainable food production systems that take into account consumer behavior and other relevant factors such as environmental and socio-economic impact of the food system on the community This research documents that when consumers compare production systems using environmental concerns, food safety, food quality, wellness, and community development concerns, they accorded priority in the following order: food safety, wellness, food quality, environmental concern and community development concerns. It appears that consumers assign a high priority to those criteria that are more tangible in terms of the consequences for their personal and immediate well being. This research also documents that after considering criteria of food safety, wellness, food quality, environmental concerns and community development concerns, consumers assign the highest preference score to organic methods of production (0.544) followed by a sustainable production systems, with a preference score of 0.274. The conventional system of production was least preferred, with a preference score of 0.182. In other words, consumers believe that organic food production will best meet their needs given the criteria used in the decision process. In comparing food attributes, this research documents that consumers pay more attention to freshness, taste and hygiene attributes of food than they do price and nutritional value. This seems counterintuitive, but may explain in part consumers' predilection for tasty fast food. We will be doing more in depth analysis of the data later on.
Publications
- Type III Error in Social Problem Solving: Application of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Journal of Rural Social Sciences, Vol. 25 (2) 2010.
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Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities include the development of instruments for conducting surveys to assess the attitudes of consumers toward food produced under conventional, sustainable, and organic production systems. Consumers will evaluate these systems along six criteria - contribution to environmental conservation, food safety, food quality, socio-cultural value, contribution to wellness and contribution to community economic development. Developed instrument that will apply fuzzy pair-wise comparison to assess consumers' attitudes towards fresh fruits and vegetables along five attributes: nutritional value, hygiene, taste, price and freshness. PI is working with informants to update CBO database. Products include instruments developed to collect data. PARTICIPANTS: Collaborators that will be working on the project include community based organizations such as Florida Association of Nonprofits, McIntosh Seed of Georgia, Mid-south Foundation of Mississippi, Black Belt Community Foundation located in Selma Alabama, the Louisiana Association of Nonprofits, the United Way of Long View Texas, The Pen Center of South Carolina, United Way of Greensboro, Nash Edgecombe Economic Development Inc. and the group of community action agencies operating in the Black Belt counties represent a sample of the CBOs that will assist us in conducting the survey of CBOs and in expanding the our current database of CBOs that we will use in this study. TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences include community residents in North Carolina and the southeastern U.S., and community-based organizations in North Carolina. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Information generated by this research will provide policy and community planners with the ability to shape consumer behavior toward sustainable food production and conserve community agricultural resources; this will lead to greater consumer participation and consumer influence in promoting sustainable food production. Information generated by the project will also enable community leaders, planners, and policy makers to develop strategies for engaging communities in designing sustainable, locally-based food production systems. These systems will ensure environmental conservation, a sustainable source of affordable safe and nutritious food for all community residents and promote improvements in overall wellness of community residents starting at the community level in North Carolina and the southeast.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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