Risk Cultures, Beef Traceability, and Food Safety in the United States and Zambia

dc.contributor.authorMukuni, Fideliaen
dc.contributor.committeechairHalfon, Saul E.en
dc.contributor.committeememberBarrow, Mark V. Jr.en
dc.contributor.committeememberBoyer, Renee R.en
dc.contributor.departmentScience and Technology Studiesen
dc.date.accessioned2021-06-16T08:01:18Zen
dc.date.available2021-06-16T08:01:18Zen
dc.date.issued2021-06-15en
dc.description.abstractUnderstanding ways of improving the safety of food is an important area of research. In this project, I explore the history of the food safety systems in the United States and the Republic of Zambia. Focusing on the traceability of meat (as a form of risk management), I reveal the factors shaping each of these systems, with an eye towards their similarities and differences. I argue that food safety systems come to look different due to how these regulatory systems differently define risk, some of which traceability has brought to light. In both countries, what influences risk cultures is trust in institutions, political leaders and in science and technology. For the Zambian public, trust is in local political leaders, in individuals and in brands. For the US public, trust is in information and knowledge of producers, which is found on labels. While the Zambian public generally trusts institutions, the US public, due to its history of institutional failures, does not.en
dc.description.abstractgeneralTracing where food comes from can be an important aspect of our food system. In this project, I show why food safety systems in the United States and Zambia look the way they that they do today. I do this by specifically focusing on how the two nations trace beef throughout the food supply chain. I show the different factors that have led to the food systems to look the way they do. My argument is that in the US and Zambia, there are non-scientific reasons why these food systems to look the way that they do today and why these countries address risk differently.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.format.mediumETDen
dc.identifier.othervt_gsexam:29599en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/103885en
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectTraceabilityen
dc.subjectrisk cultureen
dc.subjectfood safetyen
dc.subjectinformation infrastructureen
dc.titleRisk Cultures, Beef Traceability, and Food Safety in the United States and Zambiaen
dc.typeThesisen
thesis.degree.disciplineScience and Technology Studiesen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

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