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The Impact of Non-GMO Labeling on Willingness to Pay

Description

What effect do the Non-Message Labeling Factors (Color, Font, Prominence, and Placement) and Customer Belief Frameworks (Institutional Trust, Eco-Label Framework, and Information Source) have on customers' Willingness to Pay (WTP) for non-GMO Products? The topic of this study is consumer behavior, placed in the context of food history and trends…

What effect do the Non-Message Labeling Factors (Color, Font, Prominence, and Placement) and Customer Belief Frameworks (Institutional Trust, Eco-Label Framework, and Information Source) have on customers' Willingness to Pay (WTP) for non-GMO Products? The topic of this study is consumer behavior, placed in the context of food history and trends in the United States. This paper also offers a set of best practices for people pursuing a non-GMO product labeling strategy. The method involved an online survey of 217 Arizona State University students who were offered extra credit in their classes in exchange for participation (Appendix 1). The qualitative survey asked participants to measure and explain their preferences for certain non-message labeling factors (color, font, size). Participants also gave information about the Customer Belief Frameworks they use when making purchasing decisions, which consist of ideas and beliefs that are independent of the packaging. The results of the survey led me to create a set of recommended guidelines when designing packaging for a non-GMO product. The survey also gathered qualitative data about Information Source, Biospheric Values, and Institutional Trust. The Review of Literature explains how these Customer Belief Frameworks were previously used in packaging studies to explore external factors that also influence the purchase decision. Given the results of the exploratory survey, I recommend employing the following attributes in non-GMO labeling to maximize profits: utilize labels with green color, wide and light san-serif fonts and in a circular shape. Managers pursuing this strategy should use the verbiage "Non-GMO Verified" rather than simply "Non-GMO", or including the words "Process" and "Project" which can add to consumers' confusion. For added fluency, use medium size and centralized size of the label on the packaging, close in proximity to the brand name. In addition, the Eco-Label Framework findings suggest including messages which appeal to altruistic values can also be beneficial, as participants were mostly concerned with altruistic values (children, family) when talking about genetic modification, climate change and natural disasters.

ContributorsBertch, Madeleine Michelle (Author) / Eaton, Kathryn (Thesis director) / MacFadyen, Joshua (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)

Created2016-12

Does Inclusivity Really Matter? The Importance of Diversity and Inclusion in Farm-Based Internship Programs

Description

Current farming demographics in the United States indicate an aging and overwhelmingly white group of farmers, stimulating the need for engaging a younger and more diverse population. There is an opportunity to engage these populations through farm-based internship and apprenticeship programs, which are immersive programs on small-scale, sustainable farms. These…

Current farming demographics in the United States indicate an aging and overwhelmingly white group of farmers, stimulating the need for engaging a younger and more diverse population. There is an opportunity to engage these populations through farm-based internship and apprenticeship programs, which are immersive programs on small-scale, sustainable farms. These programs are unique in providing hands-on training, housing, meals, and a stipend in return for labor, presenting a pathway to social empowerment. The potential outcomes of increasing diversity and inclusion in farm programs are absent from the research on the benefits of diversity and inclusion in other work environments, such as the corporate setting. This paper presents the results of a study aimed at determining levels of diversity and inclusion in United States farm-based internship programs, and the viability of these programs as an effective opportunity to engage marginalized young people in farming. The study of 13 farm owners and managers across the U.S. found that the participants are focused on fostering education and training, environmental benefits, and a sense of community in their respective programs. All participants either want to establish, or believe they currently have, an inclusive workplace on their farm, but also indicated a barrier to inclusivity in the lack of a diverse applicant pool. Future recommendations for removing that barrier and involving more young, diverse interns include increased outreach and access to these programs, the use of inclusive language, and further research.

ContributorsLascola, Dania (Co-author) / Biel, Braden (Co-author) / Cloutier, Scott (Thesis director) / MacFadyen, Joshua (Committee member) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)

Created2017-05

A socio-ecological understanding of extreme heat vulnerability in Maricopa County, Arizona

Description

This dissertation explores vulnerability to extreme heat hazards in the Maricopa County, Arizona metropolitan region. By engaging an interdisciplinary approach, I uncover the epidemiological, historical-geographical, and mitigation dimensions of human vulnerability to extreme heat in a rapidly urbanizing region characterized by an intense urban heat island and summertime heat waves.…

This dissertation explores vulnerability to extreme heat hazards in the Maricopa County, Arizona metropolitan region. By engaging an interdisciplinary approach, I uncover the epidemiological, historical-geographical, and mitigation dimensions of human vulnerability to extreme heat in a rapidly urbanizing region characterized by an intense urban heat island and summertime heat waves. I first frame the overall research within global climate change and hazards vulnerability research literature, and then present three case studies. I conclude with a synthesis of the findings and lessons learned from my interdisciplinary approach using an urban political ecology framework. In the first case study I construct and map a predictive index of sensitivity to heat health risks for neighborhoods, compare predicted neighborhood sensitivity to heat-related hospitalization rates, and estimate relative risk of hospitalizations for neighborhoods. In the second case study, I unpack the history and geography of land use/land cover change, urban development and marginalization of minorities that created the metropolitan region's urban heat island and consequently, the present conditions of extreme heat exposure and vulnerability in the urban core. The third study uses computational microclimate modeling to evaluate the potential of a vegetation-based intervention for mitigating extreme heat in an urban core neighborhood. Several findings relevant to extreme heat vulnerability emerge from the case studies. First, two main socio-demographic groups are found to be at higher risk for heat illness: low-income minorities in sparsely-vegetated neighborhoods in the urban core, and the elderly and socially-isolated in the expansive suburban fringe of Maricopa County. The second case study reveals that current conditions of heat exposure in the region's urban heat island are the legacy of historical marginalization of minorities and large-scale land-use/land cover transformations of natural desert land covers into heat-retaining urban surfaces of the built environment. Third, summertime air temperature reductions in the range 0.9-1.9 °C and of up to 8.4 °C in surface temperatures in the urban core can be achieved through desert-adapted canopied vegetation, suggesting that, at the microscale, the urban heat island can be mitigated by creating vegetated park cool islands. A synthesis of the three case studies using the urban political ecology framework argues that climate changed-induced heat hazards in cities must be problematized within the socio-ecological transformations that produce and reproduce urban landscapes of risk. The interdisciplinary approach to heat hazards in this dissertation advances understanding of the social and ecological drivers of extreme heat by drawing on multiple theories and methods from sociology, urban and Marxist geography, microclimatology, spatial epidemiology, environmental history, political economy and urban political ecology.

ContributorsDeclet-Barreto, Juan (Author) / Harlan, Sharon L (Thesis advisor) / Bolin, Bob (Thesis advisor) / Hirt, Paul (Committee member) / Boone, Christopher (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)

Created2013

Angelita Bulletts Oral History

Description

Summary:

Interview conducted by: Dr. Paul Hirt, Arizona State University and Jennifer Sweeney, Four East Historical Research, LLC. Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program Administrative History Project. Administered by Arizona State University Supported by a grant from the US Bureau of Reclamation.

Biography:

Angelita Bulletts represented the Kaibab Paiute Tribe and the Southern…

Summary:

Interview conducted by: Dr. Paul Hirt, Arizona State University and Jennifer Sweeney, Four East Historical Research, LLC. Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program Administrative History Project. Administered by Arizona State University Supported by a grant from the US Bureau of Reclamation.

Biography:

Angelita Bulletts represented the Kaibab Paiute Tribe and the Southern Paiute Consortium during the Glen Canyon Dam Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process. Beginning in 1991, she was involved in Glen Canyon Environmental Studies (GCES) and in the early years of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (GCDAMP) Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG). After several years as Kaibab Paiute Tribal Administrator, Bulletts held resource management positions with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and U.S. Forest Service (USFS). In August 2020, she will start a new position as District Manager for the BLM Southern Nevada District. Bulletts holds a BA in Anthropology from Northern Arizona University.

ContributorsHirt, Paul (Interviewer) / Sweeney, Jennifer (Interviewer) / Bulletts, Angelita Savala (Interviewee)

Created2020-02-05

William "Bill" Persons Oral History

Description

Summary:

Interview conducted by: Dr. Paul Hirt, Arizona State University and Jennifer Sweeney, Four East Historical Research, LLC. Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program Administrative History Project. Administered by Arizona State University Supported by a grant from the US Bureau of Reclamation.

Biography:

Aquatic biologist Bill Persons was involved in fisheries research during…

Summary:

Interview conducted by: Dr. Paul Hirt, Arizona State University and Jennifer Sweeney, Four East Historical Research, LLC. Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program Administrative History Project. Administered by Arizona State University Supported by a grant from the US Bureau of Reclamation.

Biography:

Aquatic biologist Bill Persons was involved in fisheries research during both phases of Glen Canyon Environmental Studies (GCES), the program that laid the groundwork for adaptive management in Grand Canyon. He has been an active participant in the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (GCDAMP) since it was implemented. Persons spent most of his professional life with Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), representing that agency on the GCDAMP Technical Work Group (TWG). He retired from AZGFD in 2009, but continued his involvement in fisheries research at Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC) for six years. Persons is currently a TWG alternate, representing recreational anglers for Trout Unlimited.

ContributorsHirt, Paul (Interviewer) / Sweeney, Jennifer (Interviewer) / Persons, William R. (Interviewee)

Created2020-08-04

Chris Harris Oral History

Description

Summary:

Interview conducted by: Dr. Paul Hirt, Arizona State University and Jennifer Sweeney, Four East Historical Research, LLC. Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program Administrative History Project. Administered by Arizona State University Supported by a grant from the US Bureau of Reclamation.

Biography:

Chris Harris' involvement with GCDAMP goes back the early 1990s.…

Summary:

Interview conducted by: Dr. Paul Hirt, Arizona State University and Jennifer Sweeney, Four East Historical Research, LLC. Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program Administrative History Project. Administered by Arizona State University Supported by a grant from the US Bureau of Reclamation.

Biography:

Chris Harris' involvement with GCDAMP goes back the early 1990s. During Glen Canyon Environmental Studies (GCES), he monitored the Glen Canyon Dam Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process on behalf of the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR). Before his fifteen years with ADWR, he worked with the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. Harris joined the Colorado River Board of California in 2000 and is currently Executive Director. He has represented ADWR and Colorado River Board of California on AMWG (Adaptive Management Work Group) and has worked closely with TWG (Technical Work Group).

ContributorsHirt, Paul (Interviewer) / Sweeney, Jennifer (Interviewer) / Harris, Chris S. (Interviewee)

Created2020-02-12

Paul Grams Oral History

Description

Summary:

Interview conducted by: Dr. Paul Hirt, Arizona southwestern U.S. state. State University and Jennifer Sweeney, Four East Historical Research, LLC. Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program Administrative History Project. Administered by Arizona southwestern U.S. state. State University Supported by a grant from the US Bureau of Reclamation.

Biography:

Paul Grams has worked…

Summary:

Interview conducted by: Dr. Paul Hirt, Arizona southwestern U.S. state. State University and Jennifer Sweeney, Four East Historical Research, LLC. Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program Administrative History Project. Administered by Arizona southwestern U.S. state. State University Supported by a grant from the US Bureau of Reclamation.

Biography:

Paul Grams has worked directly with the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (GCDAMP) since 2008, as a program manager and research hydrologist at the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC). His involvement in Grand Canyon studies goes back to 1991, when he took a Colorado River research trip as part of an undergraduate science course. Grams is an expert on the effects of dams on river geomorphology and sediment transport. He holds a BA in Geology from Middlebury College, an MS in Geology from Utah State University, and a PhD in Geography and Environmental Engineering from Johns Hopkins University.

ContributorsHirt, Paul (Interviewer) / Sweeney, Jennifer (Interviewer) / Grams, Paul (Interviewee)

Created2020-01-24

Richard "Rich" Valdez Oral History

Description

Summary:

Interview conducted by: Dr. Paul Hirt, Arizona State University and Jennifer Sweeney, Four East Historical Research, LLC. Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program Administrative History Project. Administered by Arizona State University Supported by a grant from the US Bureau of Reclamation.

Biography:

Aquatic ecologist Richard "Rich" Valdez has been associated with GCDAMP…

Summary:

Interview conducted by: Dr. Paul Hirt, Arizona State University and Jennifer Sweeney, Four East Historical Research, LLC. Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program Administrative History Project. Administered by Arizona State University Supported by a grant from the US Bureau of Reclamation.

Biography:

Aquatic ecologist Richard "Rich" Valdez has been associated with GCDAMP (Glen Canyon Adaptive Management Program) since 1989, when he led a study on endangered humpback chub for GCES, the program's predecessor. Valdez began studying Colorado River fish in 1968, and is an expert on humpback chub and other native species. He has been associated with the environmental consulting companies BIO-WEST and SWCA for much of his career. In addition to GCDAMP, Valdez has contributed his expertise to the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program and other river basin recovery efforts.

ContributorsHirt, Paul (Interviewer) / Sweeney, Jennifer (Interviewer) / Valdez, Richard A. (Interviewee)

Created2020-03-04

Robert Lynch Oral History

Description

Summary:

Interview conducted by: Dr. Paul Hirt, Arizona State University and Jennifer Sweeney, Four East Historical Research, LLC. Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program Administrative History Project. Administered by Arizona State University Supported by a grant from the US Bureau of Reclamation.

Biography:

Robert S. "Bob" Lynch practices environmental law in Phoenix, Arizona.…

Summary:

Interview conducted by: Dr. Paul Hirt, Arizona State University and Jennifer Sweeney, Four East Historical Research, LLC. Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program Administrative History Project. Administered by Arizona State University Supported by a grant from the US Bureau of Reclamation.

Biography:

Robert S. "Bob" Lynch practices environmental law in Phoenix, Arizona. He has been involved with Glen Canyon Dam issues since the early 1980s. Born in Michigan and raised in Tucson, Lynch completed undergraduate studies at the University of Arizona and earned a Master of Laws from George Washington University. He was employed at the U.S. Department of Justice before moving to Phoenix, where he worked on Environmental Impact Statements for the Central Arizona Project. Lynch has consulted on many issues concerning hydropower and water rights, including some related to Glen Canyon Dam. He has served on the Federal Water Rights Task Force and numerous boards, associations and committees.

ContributorsHirt, Paul (Interviewer) / Sweeney, Jennifer (Interviewer) / Lynch, Robert (Interviewee)

Created2020-01-20

Diagnosing a silent epidemic: the historical ecology of metal pollution in the Sonoran Desert

Description

This research investigates the biophysical and institutional mechanisms affecting the distribution of metals in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. To date, a long-term, interdisciplinary perspective on metal pollution in the region has been lacking. To address this gap, I integrated approaches from environmental chemistry, historical geography, and institutional economics to…

This research investigates the biophysical and institutional mechanisms affecting the distribution of metals in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. To date, a long-term, interdisciplinary perspective on metal pollution in the region has been lacking. To address this gap, I integrated approaches from environmental chemistry, historical geography, and institutional economics to study the history of metal pollution in the desert. First, by analyzing the chemistry embodied in the sequentially-grown spines of long-lived cacti, I created a record of metal pollution that details biogeochemical trends in the desert since the 1980s. These data suggest that metal pollution is not simply a legacy of early industrialization. Instead, I found evidence of recent metal pollution in both the heart of the city and a remote, rural location. To understand how changing land uses may have contributed to this, I next explored the historical geography of industrialization in the desert. After identifying cities and mining districts as hot spots for airborne metals, I used a mixture of historical reports, maps, and memoirs to reconstruct the industrial history of these polluted landscapes. In the process, I identified three key transitions in the energy-metal nexus that drove the redistribution of metals from mineral deposits to urban communities. These transitions coincided with the Columbian exchange, the arrival of the railroads, and the economic restructuring that accompanied World War II. Finally, to determine how legal and political forces may be influencing the fate of metals, I studied the evolution of the rights and duties affecting metals in their various forms. This allowed me to track changes in the institutions regulating metals from the mining laws of the 19th century through their treatment as occupational and public health hazards in the 20th century. In the process, I show how Arizona’s environmental and resource institutions were often transformed by extra-territorial concerns. Ultimately, this created an institutional system that compartmentalizes metals and fails to appreciate their capacity to mobilize across legal and biophysical boundaries to accumulate in the environment. Long-term, interdisciplinary perspectives such as this are critical for untangling the complex web of elements and social relations transforming the modern world.

ContributorsHester, Cyrus M (Author) / Larson, Kelli L (Thesis advisor) / Laubichler, Manfred D (Thesis advisor) / MacFadyen, Joshua (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)

Created2019