• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.25-46
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• 2014

Since organized living cooperative associations sold their environment-friendly agricultural products directly to independent consumers in the past, the general distribution channels such as wholesalers had difficulty in handling these products. However, the ratio of distribution via wholesale channel has been gradually increased as consumption of environment-friendly agricultural products has expanded. This study is to address vitalization of wholesale distribution for environment-friendly agricultural products by gathering previous statistical data and analysis. In addition, statistical analysis are conducted by utilizing surveys on forwarders, consumers for environment-friendly agricultural products. As a result, the products producers ship are distributed through dealers at producers sites, producers cooperatives, or food process companies, food companies, internet shopping malls, large-scale distribution companies, consumer groups such as living cooperative associations, direct outlets at consumers sites, or exports. Among the channels, the large-scale distribution companies and franchised special shops account for 47%, the general supermarkets 15.7%, and living cooperative associations 14.6% respectively. By utilizing the research results on producers and consumers, and the distribution weight by channels for environment-friendly agricultural products, the distribution channels for living cooperative associations, wholesale markets, and large scale distribution companies are compared and evaluated. As a result, the level of producers' and consumers' satisfaction for them is the lowest since the low selling price for producers and high distribution margins.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.446-451
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• 2008

We assessed heterologous protein expression in 64 strains obtained from the Escherichia coli Reference (ECOR) collection, a collection representing diverse natural E. coli populations. A plasmid generating a glutathione S-transferase and plant carbonic anhydrase fusion protein (GST-CA) under the control of the tac promoter was introduced into the ECOR strains, and the quantity of the fusion protein was determined by SDS-PAGE. The foreign protein was generated at various levels, from very high (40 strains, high producers) to very low (six strains, low producers). Immunoblotting showed that the high producers expressed approximately 250-500 times more GST-CA protein than the low producers. The results of semi-quantitative RT-PCR showed that the low producers generated mRNA levels comparable to those of the high producers, thereby suggesting that, at least in this case, inefficient translation is a major cause of the low production. We introduced a different plasmid, which expressed a maltose binding protein and plant guanylate kinase fusion protein (MBP-GK) into the six low producers. Interestingly, five of these expressed MBP-GK at very high levels. Thus, we conclude that the production of a particular protein from an expression vector can vary considerably, depending on the host strain. Strains in the ECOR collection could function as useful alternative hosts when a desired level of protein expression is not obtained from commonly used strains, such as E. coli K12 or B derivatives.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.672-679
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• 2014

We studied an activation plan for utilizing eco-friendly agricultural products from agricultural producers' perspective through delphi techniques. Certification types of eco-friendly agricultural products held by producers were low-pesticide 26.1%, no-pesticide 39.1% and organic 52.2%. The major problems in handling the eco-friendly agricultural products were as follows: 'consumer distrust', 'lack of reliable and continuous shipping quantity' and 'lack of storage facilities, such as cold storage'. The major benefits of direct transactions between producers of eco-friendly agricultural products and processed food manufacturers including HMR processing companies were 'obtaining fresh food ingredients for processing' and 'confidence-building and income stabilization'. Regarding requirements for cooperation of eco-friendly agricultural producers and processed food manufacturers including HMR processing companies, the most common answers was 'multi-year contract based on trust'. When asked about governmental support for efficient cooperation between eco-friendly agricultural producers and processed food manufacturers including HMR processing companies, the most common answer was 'supporting plan for small producers' and 'arrangement for appropriate potential consumers'.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.55-65
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• 2006

Recent trends of global food production, processing, distribution and preparation under free trade circumstance are creating an increase in common' concerns about food safety. It is important that farmers improve agricultural products/food safety for satisfying consumer needs and health. Cognizant to the situation, this study was conducted to analyze how the Producers gather information, and determine their awareness about agricultural Products safety using a safety Questionnaire. The Questionnaire was given to 500 farmers who cultivate rice, fruit trees, vegetables, and other crops from September through October 2005. More than half of the producers felt concerns about the agricultural products/foods safety. Uneasiness of the producers was higher amongst those who were younger and earned a higher income. Pesticides and zoonosis (BSE AI, etc.) emerged as the main risk factors causing concerns among the greatest number of producers. Producers had a positive opinion of the effects and perception of food safety, but no opinion of the activity of government. The producers showed a high level of understanding of the Country of Origin Labeling System (88.2%), the quality certification system of agricultural and livestock products (71.9%), and the raising system of environment-friendly agriculture (72.7%). However, their level of understanding of the GAP (59.3%) and the Traceability System (22.8%) was still low. To effectively implement these policies, awareness of producers who are the beneficiaries of the above policies has to be enhanced. Therefore, the safety information should be provided at a more appropriate time and should be easier to understand.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.549-557
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• 2011

Chinese cabbage is a staple food to Korean, which has the high degree of self-sufficiency and worldwide breeding technique in the aspect of seed. However, the producers' competitiveness has been decreasing after the agricultural product market was open. In order to cope with this problem, the government introduced some policies for promoting seed industry in 2007 to reflect producer's needs for high quality seeds of Chinese cabbage. These policies will be a good opportunity for producers to secure and promote the producers' competitiveness against low-price importing Chinese cabbage. In this aspect it is very important to know how well these policies are established and what Chinese cabbage farmers want in regard to a new variety of Chinese cabbage seed. This study was carried out to look over the Chinese cabbage producers' using pattern about a new variety of seed and show some directions for efficient way of diffusion of a new variety of seed to producers using a survey research. The main results are as follows. The producers thought the characteristics of a new variety of seed most important factor compared to other factors such as the seed price, and easiness of cabbage sales when they choose a seed. Also, the 65% of respondents were willing to accept a new variety of seed and thought the government support for an exhibition field and diffusing public information about a new variety of Chinese cabbage seed are important in accepting a new variety of seed.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.423-453
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• 2015

This study started with two questions. The first question is 'Why does organic agriculture want to be linked with cooperative?' The second is 'What is the characteristics of the mutual relationship between organic agriculture and cooperative?', especially in Wonju. Up to now, there have been various kinds of discussion about cooperation between organic agricultural campaign and cooperative in Wonju. But there are few concrete data showing what role cooperative plays in the cyclical process of production-distribution-consumption of organic agriculture. Thus, we conducted a survey applying the Delphi technique to the 35 organic agricultural specialists active in Wonju. First, small-scale family farm producers established a social economic cooperative network in around 2003 to perform 'the activities of innovators' through forming an organization. Producers moved from the stage in which they were supported one-sidedly by consumers to the stage where they could 'lead' cooperation. Each farm organization built a vertical integration, and horizontal cooperative systems with other farm organizations. But, practical cooperative activities have remained in the doldrums. They tend to show trends deviating from the principles of organic agriculture and cooperative. Second, the relationship between producers and consumers in Wonju can be described as 'producer-consumer cooperative type'. In Wonju, the producers' organization is not a sub-contractor which simply deliver organic agricultural products to producers' cooperative, but is an equal subject which creates its own value chain. The cooperative (cooperative organization) leads distribution and consumption of organic agricultural products and mutual communication. But, the closeness between producers and consumers has got loosened. And, it is problematic that the proportion of local food consumption in Wonju is very low. There is a very strong tendency to ride the central distribution system of producers' cooperative coalition. Consequently, it is necessary for producers' cooperatives in Wonju to run a local food distribution system based on the 'cooperative system among cooperatives'.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.175-184
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• 1995

The awareness of the nutrition labeling of 82 food producers and 668 government officials was assessed and compared, from May to June in 1994, to that of consumers. Compared to 82.4% of cosumers, 48.1% of producers and 47.8% of officials answered that nutrition labeling is necessary. 48% of producers expected a modest food price rise, but 70% thought food sales would not be affected with nutrition labeling. While being worried about the regulatory difficulties and the increased work load given the inadequate implementation of the current food labeling system due to insufficient personnel, 50.2% of officials wanted the new nutrition labeling system to be introduced within $1{\sim}2$ years. Contrary to the general dissatisfaction with the system and the lack of confidence in it on the part of consumers, producers thought that they currently provide sufficient food information for consumers, and that consumers had much confidence in it. Producers and officials were more found worried about consumers' inadequate understanding and inactive use of the system in contrast to the widespread and welcome support on the part of consumers. But it was fully agreed by all that education and awareness is crucial for the successful implementation of nutrition labeling system.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.73-80
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• 2015

Purpose - This study's objective is to analyze the content of the communications between users and producers based on the construal level theory. User generated content refers to content created in an online-based service where users and producers communicate interactively with each other. In a user generated content platform, the messages sent and received between the many players, the users and producers who use the content, may be analyzed at the psychological level based on construal level theory. Research design, data, and methodology - This study gathered user and producer participation through a snow-bowling sampling method. The data analyzed includes 125 video clips and 2,912 comments. The period of the data collection was from September 2014 to December 2014. The collected data was analyzed using a t-test and two-way ANOVA. Results - This study obtained the following research results. First, users who were a short social distance from producers responded to user participatory activities stated in concrete language rather than abstract language. In contrast, users who were at a longer social distance from producers tended to respond to the content requesting user participation through abstract language. Second, if users and producers were at a short social distance from each other, user preference increased more when a producer response to user participation was expressed concretely rather than when it was expressed abstractly. In contrast, if the users were at a longer social distance, users' preferences increased more when producer response was expressed abstractly rather than when it was expressed concretely. Conclusion - This study found that the effect of suitability, in which the social distance and the content were in congruence at the construal level, could be observed. Therefore, based on this, academic and practical implications were drawn. The three main insights of the study are as follows. First, firms can use psychological factors to analyze the message content of users in their distribution platforms. This study reveals managerial implications for marketing managers who want to take make use of this analysis of user and producer communications. This study indicates that the main factors include the concrete and abstract scores and social distance between users and producers. Second, we also provide the strategic guidelines to maximizing user preferences and other outcomes. The main dependent variable in this study is the user preference shift; the variable increases through the congruence effect; and the construal level is determined by the social distance between the users and producers and the type of producer response. The outcomes here from users can be utilized to develop several systemic strategies. One process to use the outcomes could be: (1) firms could measure the users and producers social distance; (2) calculate the concreteness or abstractness of the messages; and, (3) predict the user preference outcomes by the congruence between user and producer social distance and the abstractness or concreteness of the message content.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.149-165
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• 2001

This paper analyses characteristics of the numerical controller industry in market formation and the flow of information between users and producers and the characteristic of knowledge base of the industry and discuses the difficulties derived, from the characteristics, in accumulation of technological capability. In market formation between users and producers, the multi-layered market is not favorable to domestic producers in that lower end market is not large enough to provide cradle market to them which produce inferior quality and lower price than imported products. The credibility of the performance of a product is different to prove until a critical mass of products are sold. Therefore gaining market share is deterred by unproven credibility of the performance of the product. The flow of information between users and producers is limited. The flow of information on users environment through mass market to producers is essential for improving credibility of a product. The nature of knowledge base is tacit and the means of knowledge transmission is limited. Technological licensing and reverse engineering, which have been conventional means of knowledge transmission, are not useful in the numerical controller industry. These characteristics provide conditions of vicious circle in accumulation of technological capability of the numerical controller industry. This paper argues that these characteristics of the industry challenge existing approach to R&D management and framework of science and technology policy.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.653-658
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• 1992

Crossbred dairy does were fed a roughage diet (IVOMD 56%, N 2.27%) ad libitum, and supplemented with urea-molasses (3% W : W) (UM) at levels on an air dry basis of 1.5% or 3% of liveweight or an iso-energetic, iso-nitrogenous mixture of cottonseed meal and molasses (25 : 75 w : w) (CM). Eight does, four lower-producers and four higher-producers (1.9 and 2.5 kg/day respectively in week 7 of lactation) arranged in two Latin Squares, received each of the four diets for three weeks. Dry matter, digestible organic matter and N intakes were higher for high-producers and high levels of supplement but did not differ between nitrogen sources. Milk production was higher by high-producers; interactions were significant between level of supplement and production group and between level of supplement and N-source, with maximum production by high producers on high levels of CM. The main effects of level of supplement were only significant for production or composition. and total solids; N-source did not have significant effects on liveweight, milk production or composition. We conclude that does of moderate capacity for milk production, receiving a diet of two-thirds moderate quality roughage, one third urea-molasses, will not respond to increased level of supplementation or to replacement of urea with cottonseed meal.