Exploring the social context of risk perception and behaviour: Farmers’ response to bovine tuberculosis

While agricultural risk and risk perception has received significant attention in the literature, few studies have explored the factors that influence the way farmers respond to particular risks. This paper uses the case of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), one of the most significant risks currently facing the English cattle farming industry, to explore these factors, with a particular focus on the role of social networks. A large scale postal survey distributed to beef and dairy farmers in the south west of England provides representative data which are subjected to factor and cluster analysis in order explore farmer views towards and responses to disease risk. Two groups of farmers are identified which can be distinguished from each other based on their attitudes towards bTB and the nature of their social networks. Farmers with wider, more externally focussed social networks are found to be more resilient than those whose social networks are restricted to family members and other farmers. However, while differences between the two groups are found in terms of their attitudes towards bTB, no differences are found in relation to their risk management behaviour, with few farmers taking clear action to reduce the risk of their herds contracting the disease. In order to address the identified disconnection between attitudes and behaviour, a number of potential interventions are put forward and discussed

Feral big cats in rural Gloucestershire - reflecting on the possible presence of exotic animals in the English landscape

In the winter of 2012 the discovery of savaged deer carcasses in Gloucestershire, quickly followed by reports of video footage from an area nearby thought to be of a big cat, gained a significant amount of regional and national press coverage. The presence of unexpected creatures in the British countryside is not a new phenomenon; from the Loch Ness Monster to the Beast of Bodmin Moor, reports of the unusual and unexplained have seeped into British culture. This paper investigates the presence of big cats in the county of Gloucestershire through an exploration of the experience and opinions of local people. The study incorporated an online survey, a media analysis and the mapping of big cat sightings in the area. The findings provide an interesting insight into the cultural function of the possible presence of big cats, in that it is the unexplained rather than the proven that captures people's interest. Understandings of nature, and the search for a re-enchanted countryside, outside of human knowledge or control, are brought to the fore

The ‘good farmer’: farmer identities and the control of exotic livestock disease in England

Exotic livestock disease outbreaks have the capacity to significantly impact individual livestock keepers, as well as devastate an entire industry sector. However, there has been limited research undertaken to understand how farmers think about and carry out exotic disease control practices within the social sciences. Drawing on aspects of Social Identity Theory and Self-Categorisation Theory, this paper explores how the ‘good farmer’ identity concept influences farmers’ exotic livestock disease control practices. Using findings from an in-depth, large-scale qualitative study with animal keepers and veterinarians, the paper identifies three context specific and at times conflicting ‘good farmer’ identities. Additionally, a defensive component is noted whereby farmers suggest an inability to carry out their role as a ‘good farmer’ due to government failings, poor practice undertaken by ‘bad farmers’, as well as the uncontrollable nature of exotic disease

Beyond the sentence: Shared reading within a high secure hospital.

Ashworth Hospital provides care for inpatients detained under the Mental Health Acts who present a danger to themselves or others. Rehabilitative interventions can help support the best outcomes for patients, their families, care providers, and society. The efficacy of weekly Shared Reading sessions for four patients with experience of psychosis and a history of self-harm was investigated using a 12-month longitudinal case series design. Session data were subjected to psychological discourse analysis to identify discursive strategies employed to accomplish social action and change over the duration of the intervention. Archetypes of interactional achievement across sessions emerged. Broadening of capacity to consider was demonstrated through increased hedging and less declarative language. Increased assertiveness was achieved through reduced generalisation marked by a transition from second-person plural pronouns to more first-person singular pronouns. Avoidance of expression and disagreement strategies diminished over time. In addition, heightened engagement was accomplished through the increased tendency to employ functionally related and preferred responses within adjacency pairs, which mirrored non-verbal communicative strategies. Shared Reading shows promise for promoting the interactional accomplishment for individuals within high secure settings, who are ready to undertake a recovery-related activity. Pathways of interaction should continue to be explored, with consideration to the current study's strengths and limitations. This study contributes to the understanding of efficacious reading study design and the interactional outcomes of therapeutic reading

Animal disease and narratives of nature: Farmers' reactions to the neoliberal governance of bovine Tuberculosis

This paper examines the relationship between neoliberal styles of animal disease governance and farmers' understandings of disease and nature. In the UK, new styles of animal disease governance has promised to shift the costs and responsibilities of disease management to farmers, creating opportunities for farmers to take responsibility for disease control themselves and opening up new markets for disease control interventions. Focussing on the management of bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) and drawing on interviews with 65 cattle farmers, the paper examines how farmer responses to these new styles of animal disease governance are shaped by their own knowledges and understandings of nature and disease. In particular, the paper examines how two key narratives of nature – the idea of ‘natural balance’ and ‘clean and dirty badgers’ – lead farmers to think about the control of bTB in wildlife (such as the choice between badger culling and/or vaccination) in very specific ways. However, whilst discourses of cost and responsibility appear to open up choice opportunities for farmers, that choice is constrained when viewed from the perspective of farmer subjectivities and narratives of nature. Discourses of neoliberalism as control rather than choice are therefore revealed, drawing attention to the complexities and plural strategies of neoliberal governance

Effect of Smallholders Socio-Economic Characteristics on Farming Households’ Food Security in Northern Nigeria

Food security is indispensable prerequisite for the continued existence of mankind and his economic activities including adequate food production.  The study examined the effect of smallholder socio-economic characteristics on farming households’ food security in Northern Nigeria. Data for this study were obtained from 120 randomly selected farming households, using a structured questionnaire. The results revealed that 81.7% of the households considered themselves food insecure.  Furthermore, the majority of households have low incomes and low educational attainment which usually affects food security. There was also a significant negative association between food security and education as well as government policies. The analysis shows that low levels of education and government policies affected rural households. The paper therefore recommended that government and other development agencies should enhance food security among smallholders’ farmers and rural communities through farmer education, promoting labour-saving technologies and facilitating access to market information.  In the same vein, the paper infers that Nigeria needs to come up with results oriented food policy which for now it lacks.  The public policy makers must as a matter of urgency see food as an essential component of welfares and as such develop sufficient political will to achieve food increase in food production and eventually attain food security for all. Keywords: household food security; household food insecure; smallholder farmers; Nigeria DOI: 10.7176/JESD/11-4-16 Publication date: February 29th 202

Role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Enhancing Food Utilization among Smallholder Farmers’ Households in Northern Nigeria

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are attracting global attention because of their unprecedented potential to bring about astounding improvement. The numerous advantages presented by ICTs can be employed towards the enhancement of rural households’ capabilities in attaining sufficient, safe and nutritious food.  This paper seeks to establish the potency of ICTs in enhancing the food utilization among smallholder households in Northern Nigeria.  Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 120 smallholders.  The results show that smallholders consider that food utilization was inadequate (80.9%); however, they acknowledged that ICTs could play a significant role in enhancing food utilization.  The findings further reveal that the following were ranked first to fifth by household heads: disseminating appropriate information about food crops (98.6%), improving purchasing power and market price (94.1%), enhancing decision-making regarding food (89.5%), improving food distribution practices (81.1%) and improving cultural and individual food choice (77.6). Keywords: ICTs, Food utilization, Smallholder farmer households, Nigeria DOI: 10.7176/IKM/10-1-05 Publication date: January 31st 202

An assessment of risk compensation and spillover behavioural adaptions associated with the use of vaccines in animal disease management

This paper analyses farmers’ behavioural responses to Government attempts to reduce the risk of disease transmission from badgers to cattle through badger vaccination. Evidence for two opposing behavioural adaptions is examined in response to the vaccination of badgers to reduce the risk of transmission to farmed cattle. Risk compensation theory suggests that interventions that reduce risk, such as vaccination, are counterbalanced by negative behavioural adaptions. By contrast, the spillover effect suggests that interventions can prompt further positive behaviours. The paper uses data from a longitudinal mixed methods study of farmers’ attitudes to badger vaccination to prevent the spread of bovine tuberculosis, their reports of biosecurity practices, and cattle movement data in 5 areas of England, one of which experienced badger vaccination. Analysis finds limited evidence of spillover behaviours following vaccination. Lack of spillover is attributed to farmers’ beliefs in the effectiveness of biosecurity and the lack of similarity between badger vaccination and vaccination for other animal diseases. Risk compensation behaviours are associated with farmers’ beliefs as to who should manage animal disease. Rather than farmers’ belief in vaccine effectiveness, it is more likely that farmers’ low sense of being able to do anything to prevent disease influences their apparent risk compensation behaviours. These findings address the gap in the literature relating to farmers' behavioural adaptions to vaccine use in the management of animal disease

Animal disease and narratives of nature: Farmers' reactions to the neoliberal governance of bovine Tuberculosis

This paper examines the relationship between neoliberal styles of animal disease governance and farmers' understandings of disease and nature. In the UK, new styles of animal disease governance has promised to shift the costs and responsibilities of disease management to farmers, creating opportunities for farmers to take responsibility for disease control themselves and opening up new markets for disease control interventions. Focussing on the management of bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) and drawing on interviews with 65 cattle farmers, the paper examines how farmer responses to these new styles of animal disease governance are shaped by their own knowledges and understandings of nature and disease. In particular, the paper examines how two key narratives of nature – the idea of ‘natural balance’ and ‘clean and dirty badgers’ – lead farmers to think about the control of bTB in wildlife (such as the choice between badger culling and/or vaccination) in very specific ways. However, whilst discourses of cost and responsibility appear to open up choice opportunities for farmers, that choice is constrained when viewed from the perspective of farmer subjectivities and narratives of nature. Discourses of neoliberalism as control rather than choice are therefore revealed, drawing attention to the complexities and plural strategies of neoliberal governance