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Author ORCID Identifier
Date Available
10-1-2026
Year of Publication
2026
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Community & Leadership Development
College
Agriculture
Department/School/Program
Community and Leadership Development
Faculty
Sarah R. Sprayberry
Faculty
Robert Harrison
Abstract
A well-researched phenomenon in the agricultural industry is the effects of constant innovation coupled with an increasing divide between producer and consumer. This issue has been presented as especially prevalent within animal agriculture and the beef industry, a predominant concern considering Kentucky’s agricultural commodities. This study (n = 31) utilized a mixed-methods approach to understand the knowledge, perceptions, and behavior of beef consumers on a land-grant university campus. Methodologies included Python’s DeepFace emotion recognition, semi-structured interviews, and the JMALI agricultural literacy assessment. Findings revealed participants to be below expected agricultural literacy levels of high school graduates (M=11), with no significant correlation between agricultural literacy level and consumer behavior or preferences. Results from emotion recognition yielded a lower level of neutrality than previous studies (34.68%), a relatively high amount of happiness (24.04%), and sadness (17.32%). Additionally, semi-structured interviews yielded the following themes: perceived industry economic and structural instability, perceived misinformation and need for industry transparency, influence of social and perceived external groups, and personification of animals. These findings suggest that, while there is little statistical significance to determine a correlation between agricultural literacy or emotional outputs and beef consumer behavior, further research and intervention into factors that do influence behaviors and literacy levels is warranted.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2026.241
Archival?
Archival
Recommended Citation
Reaves, Allison E., "UNDERSTANDING KNOWLEDGE AND PERCEPTIONS OF THE BEEF INDUSTRY ON A LAND-GRANT UNIVERSITY CAMPUS" (2026). Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development. 81.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/cld_etds/81
