Navigating Consumer Perceptions for Emerging Ag Tech: Considerations for Outreach, Engagement, and Communication

How agricultural science communication can move beyond traditional, deficit models to engage diverse audiences through dialogue-based strategies aligned with Cooperative Extension’s founding mission.

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Katie Sanders, PhD

Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist at NC State University | Profile
Catherine (Katie) Sanders, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist at NC State University. Her research bridges science communication and identity-based frameworks to enhance culturally responsive engagement with stakeholders across the food system. Dr. Sanders holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication from the University of Georgia, with a focus on science communication and program evaluation. She has earned recognition for her innovative contributions to food systems communication and rural health initiatives, receiving two consecutive awards for Article of the Year from the Journal of Applied Communications. Her emerging research inquiry investigates consumer perceptions of gene-editing technologies in plants and livestock and aims to enhance Cooperative Extension’s capacity for effective, diverse, and equitable engagement around agricultural innovations.

Abstract

The discipline of agricultural science communication has long relied on linear and deficit models of communication when marketing new innovations. However, these models are limited in their efficacy for reaching diverse audiences and run contrary to the original mission of Cooperative Extension, one of the first agricultural science communication institutions. During this talk, Sanders will provide an overview of the tradition of agricultural science communication and describe the inflection point the discipline faces today to reach diverse audiences in an information-dense environment. Sanders will also outline her approach to implementing agricultural science communication research strategies for emerging agricultural technologies with specific reference to her work as an Extension Specialist at NC State. Additionally, she will detail her recent research and programmatic efforts to incorporate dialogue-based engagement strategies into agricultural communication, moving away from the traditional deficit approaches. By combining epistemological, historical, and methodological perspectives, Sanders develops new methods of agricultural science communication and hopes to foster dialogue about future directions from this interdisciplinary gathering.
Related links:

• Sanders, C. E., Lamm, K. W., & Ramsey, E. (2024). Identifying key competencies for extension communication: A Delphi analysis to guide program development. Journal of Applied Communications, 108(3). https://doi.org/10.4148/1051-0834.2537


• Sanders, C. E., Gibson, K. E., & Lamm, A. J. (2022). Perceived government control and its influence on climate change knowledge perceptions: Applications for effective communication. Journal of Applied Communications, 106(3). https://doi.org/10.4148/1051-0834.2441


• Sanders, C. E., Gibson, K. E., & Lamm, A. J. (2022). Rural broadband and precision agriculture: A frame analysis of United States federal policy outreach under the Biden administration. Sustainability, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010460


• Gibson, K. E., Sanders, C. E., & Lamm, A. J. (2021). News source use and social media engagement: Examining their effects on origin of COVID-19 beliefs when mediated by critical thinking style. SAGE Open, 11(4), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211061324


• Sanders, C. E., Mayfield-Smith, K. A., & Lamm, A. J. (2021). Exploring Twitter discourse around the use of artificial intelligence to advance agricultural sustainability. Sustainability, 13, 12033. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132112033

The Genetic Engineering and Society (GES) Colloquium is a seminar series that brings in speakers to present and stimulate discussion on a variety of topics related to existing and proposed biotechnologies and their place within broader societal changes.

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