Iowa State University
Addressing produce safety educational resources for non- English speaking growers in the Midwest
Abstract
dc:description.abstractRefugee produce growers in the Midwestern United States often possess valuable agricultural experience. However, many face challenges in adopting produce safety practices due to language barriers and limited access to culturally relevant educational resources. These gaps hinder their ability to comply with U.S. produce safety standards. The purpose of this research was to identify the specific needs of refugee growers to support the development of effective educational materials. The objectives were to: (1) assess current produce safety needs through focus group interviews; (2) develop educational videos in the native languages of the growers; and (3) evaluate the videos using the Theory of Planned Behavior. Findings from Objective 1 indicated that educational content should focus on: (1) key produce safety topics such as contamination sources, sick worker guidelines, biological soil amendments, agricultural water testing, and visitor protocols; (2) culturally appropriate characters; (3) simple, clear language that resonates with the growers; and (4) dissemination through accessible platforms like YouTube and WhatsApp. Based on these findings, two educational videos were developed: Understanding Fertilizers and Their Risks and How to Control Germs on the Farm. The results indicate the importance of culturally tailored, accessible educational tools in addressing the produce safety needs of refugee growers.
Degree
thesis:*- Name thesis:degree_name
- Master of Science
- Level thesis:degree_level
- thesis
- Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
- Food science
- Department dc:contributor.department
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition (CALS)
- Grantor
- Iowa State University
- Year dc:date.issued
- 2025
Author and committee
dc:creator, dc:contributor.*- Author dc:creator
-
- Adjetey, Angelina Naa Atswei
- Advisors dc:contributor.advisor
-
- Qu, Shuyang
- Delate, Kathleen
- Francis, Sarah L.
Rights
- Language dc:language.iso
- en
Identifiers
dc:identifier.*- OAI identifier oai:identifier
- oai:dr.lib.iastate.edu:20.500.12876/jrl8B82r