Faculty members and graduate students from five universities gathered with Real Pork Trust Consortium’s advisory board members during their annual meeting on August 28 and 29.
The advisory board meeting took place in Raleigh, North Carolina, on the campus of North Carolina State University (NC State), one of the five institutions from which scientists lend their expertise to the interdisciplinary nature of the RPTC. During the two-day event, collaborators met to discuss the progress made during the first year of the RPTC and strategically plan for year two.
Dr. Nicholas Gabler, principal investigator of the RPTC project and Professor of Swine Nutrition at Iowa State University, started the meeting by discussing the RPTC’s first-year impact and plans for training graduate students involved in RPTC to be expert science communicators.
The remainder of the meeting covered the three strategic goals of the RPTC: research, communication, and training.
Research
Dr. Shuyang Qu, Associate Professor of Agricultural Communication at Iowa State University, discussed the preliminary findings of listening sessions conducted with consumers along the East Coast and West Coast of the United States. Using rigorous qualitative methods, Qu and her Iowa State colleague, Dr. Fallys Masambuka-Kanchewa, gleaned consumer insights about perceptions of the pork industry. Along with Iowa State graduate students, the pair also conducted listening sessions with pork producers across the U.S. to understand their communication experiences and needs.
Dr. Alexa Lamm, RPTC communication objective lead and Professor of Science Communication at the University of Georgia, discussed the preliminary findings of two nationwide surveys. The goal of the academically rigorous surveys was to quantitatively understand the public and their trust in pork production and pork products.
RPTC team members will use the findings of these research efforts to communicate with public audiences about the topics the public views as most important related to pork and its production. The ultimate goal of the RPTC is for consumers who have questions to be equipped with knowledge to make informed decisions about the food they eat.
Communication
Dr. Allison Byrd, RPTC communications coordinator and Assistant Research Scientist at the University of Georgia, led the applied communication portion of the meeting. Byrd shared about existing RPTC website and social media communication efforts.
Byrd sought opinions from advisory board members and researchers on how to best move forward in communicating peer-reviewed, scientific information to members of the public now that research has highlighted their gaps in knowledge. The team discussed involving students in the creation of scientific content to speak with a variety of audiences so that they become well-equipped science communicators at the completion of their degrees.
Training
Dr. Todd See, RPTC training objective lead and Department Head and Professor of Animal Science at NC State, presented with Dr. Katie Sanders, Assistant Professor of Food Systems at NC State. The two have been leading science communication training efforts for the Real Pork Scholars cohort by educating scholars on the We Care® Ethical Principles and teaching them to communicate complex scientific topics with various groups.
Dr. Derrick Coble, RPTC training objective co-lead and Assistant Professor of Animal Science, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, discussed the producer training he has been conducting within North Carolina families transitioning from tobacco farming to specialized hog farming through the From Bright Leaf to Berkshires program.
The training team then sought feedback from the advisory board and National Pork Board members on future training strategies and objectives. To meet the communication needs of producers and industry partners, the team asked pork industry leaders what would benefit them most and help their farmers communicate science amidst hectic schedules.
Collaboration and Networking
Dr. Pedro Urriola, RPTC research objective lead, contributed scientific insights and ideas for student involvement throughout the meeting, while student researchers Elisabeth Ramsey (NC State) and Ayanna Harrison (NC A&T State University) shared their experiences and opinions as rising researchers in the food systems space. Advisory board members attended both online and in-person to contribute their industry expertise and shape the future direction of the RPTC.
Throughout the meeting, ideas for increasing the RPTC impact and driving animal science, food safety, and sustainability research were shared as attendees fostered connection and collaboration.
Special thanks to Drs. Todd See and Katie Sanders for organizing and hosting the meeting on NC State’s campus.
The RPTC team looks forward to achieving much more in year two of the project by translating peer-reviewed research through evidence-based science communication practices.
Learn more about RPTC research by accessing the latest news.
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