Need as Indicated by Stakeholders

Research in agriculture, food, and natural resources (AFNR) affects the goods and services we use daily and the environments and communities we live in. Science communication is necessary to improve understanding and use of science by consumers, farmers, and policymakers—and it’s imperative to make sure science communication efforts are inclusive, ethical, and effective. When agriculture-related science issues are communicated through mass media channels, public support for agriculture improves (Olper & Sinnen, 2013); however, low science literacy among consumers has contributed to the difficulties surrounding both educational and marketing communications targeting consumers (McLeod-Morin et al., 2020), and the stakeholders involved in this issue are numerous: consumers, researchers, practitioners, educators, farmers, media, and policymakers. Transparent science communication regarding agricultural production, processing, and marketing practices is particularly important (see Wassel, 2022). For example, Rumble and Irani (2016) found that improving the appearance of transparency regarding animal agriculture production practices in communications with consumers, especially millennials, had a positive effect on their attitudes toward the communication effort. Tarpley et al. (2020) illustrated the benefit of taking audience needs into consideration to improve transparent communications with consumers. Stronger relationships between scientists and members of the media are also important for improving journalist-mediated messages to consumers (McLeod-Morin et al., 2020). Additionally, farmers stand to benefit from transfer of technology from research and development to field implementation (see Bello-Bravo et al., 2020). Effective media platforms are also needed to reach AFNR opinion leaders and policymakers (Lamm et al., 2019).

In order to address science communication challenges and take full advantage of science communication opportunities, research is needed. This point was well made in a report from the National Academy of Sciences (2017) outlining a research agenda for science communications. Science communication practitioners need scientific information about audience preferences, needs, etc. and research-based recommendations for the best tools and techniques for diverse audiences, circumstances, and goals. Ongoing research is essential to stay on top of emerging and constantly changing communications technology, platforms, issues, and needs. Research is also needed to calculate and demonstrate the benefits of investing time, energy, and resources into evidence-based science communication. The National Academy of Sciences (2017) provide three exemplary research topics in particular: using narrative storytelling to communicate science; debunking myths in science communication; and framing science communication. Each of these topics relates directly to AFNR science communications.

In addition to researching ways to improve AFNR science communications, we must also develop future AFNR communications professionals. More pedagogical research is needed to understand how best to train students as science communicators (see Cannon et al., 2016; Leal et al., 2019; Miller et al., 2015; Sanders et al., 2022; Washburn et al., 2022).

Leaders at land-grant institutions recognize the need to improve AFNR science communication efforts. With their three-prong mission of research, Extension, and teaching, land-grant universities have a unique capacity to bridge the gap between science communication research and practice. The three prongs of the Land-grant University System support learning, innovation, sharing findings, professional development, and teaching the next generation. This interdisciplinary, multistate approach creates the possibility of robust, comprehensive research that identifies clear ways forward for a variety of audiences and circumstances.

Significance of the Work

Improving communications with consumer, producer, and policymaker audiences and preparing an AFNR science communication workforce are directly tied to two USDA-NIFA (2022) priorities: (1) Human Sciences and (2) Education and Equity in Agricultural Sciences. Without well-conceived, collaborative research on audiences and media for AFNR science communications and without the continuous improvement of teaching programs that fill the workforce pipeline with professional agricultural communicators, the industry's efforts to improve transparency through communications would be greatly diminished.  

Technical Feasibility

There are many feasible methodological approaches currently available for social science research about audience perceptions, preferences, etc., including surveys, interviews, focus groups, content analyses, and participant observation. Land-grant universities have the personnel, facilities, equipment, software, and other resources needed to complete this research.

Advantages of a Multistate Effort

In the United States, agricultural communications is still considered a "young" or "emerging" academic discipline that has experienced recent growth and maturity in terms of research (Williford et al., 2016). State Agricultural Experiment Stations have collaborated very little on supporting human science research related to AFNR science communication. There is no one-size-fits-all prescription for effective science communication. The multistate structure allows agricultural communications researchers and practitioners to meet regularly to set research priorities, discuss findings, and develop plans for disseminating/implementing findings. A multistate project will enable researchers to build these collaborative relationships over time, as additional experts are expected to continue to join the project each year. A multistate framework allows researchers to investigate science communication needs and issues among diverse communities across the nation. Collaborative approaches help formulate more robust solutions when compared to a single state or single researcher effort. Further, it reduces the burden on individual faculty or states. Because they operate in five-year renewable cycles, a multistate collaborative project can be a catalyst for longitudinal data and replication of studies across the United States.

The recent creation of the Society for Agricultural Communications Scholars and its national research meeting, the National Agricultural Communications Symposium, have provided an impetus and a critical mass of research faculty to participate in this multi-state collaboration. Further, a group of southern states AFNR science communications professionals has formed recently. The Southern Research Communicators Consortium represents yet another group of potential collaborators and potential beneficiaries of this multi-state project. Support from experiment station directors would only strengthen these efforts to improve ANR science communications in the United States.

Likely Impacts of a Multistate Effort

By supporting interaction, communication, and collaboration among researchers and educators at land-grant universities, agricultural communications practitioners, and others, this project will increase the capacity of land-grant faculty to identify communications practices that improve AFNR science communications targeted to consumers, producers, and policy makers. It will also facilitate the growth and enhancement of science communications curricula in academic programs at land-grant universities, and it will strengthen interactions between AFNR communications researchers and Agricultural Experiment Station communications practitioners by establishing a network to communicate research needs to scientists (particularly social scientists) and to communicate research findings to practical communicators who can employ them in their work.