Taste the difference: An investigation of the correlation between sustainable farming practices and distinct taste perceptions
| dc.contributor.author | Budzinski, Tessa | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-04-28T19:08:40Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-04-28T19:08:40Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025 | |
| dc.description.abstract | As concerns about the environmental impacts of conventional agriculture rise, sustainable farming systems have gained attention. This study investigates whether differences in the organoleptic characteristics of vegetables, Daucus carota (carrots), Brassica oleracea (kale), and Phaseolus vulgaris (bush beans), are linked to varying cultivation practices. It examines how a gradient of farming methods, from conventional to fully sustainable, influences taste perception. A sensory analysis with human panelists (n=86) using triangle tests was conducted to compare five treatments, each using cultivation practices that vary in their degree of sustainability. While cumulative analysis with adjusted chi-square tests showed no significant taste differences across treatments, focused analyses using Generalized Linear Models (GLM) and Odds Ratios (OR) revealed significant taste differences between specific treatment comparisons. Notably, comparisons between treatments using synthetic fertilizers versus organic fertilizers in bush beans and carrots showed consistent distinguishable taste variations. These results suggest that when the gap between conventional and sustainable practices is large enough, consumers can detect perceptible differences in flavour. This study highlights the potential of sustainable farming practices to result in noticeable changes in vegetable flavour, offering insights for consumers and producers interested in pursuing sustainable agriculture. | |
| dc.description.reviewstatus | Reviewed | |
| dc.description.scholarlevel | Undergraduate | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA) | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1828/22036 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | University Of Victoria | |
| dc.subject | ecogastronomy | |
| dc.subject | agriculture | |
| dc.subject | sustainability | |
| dc.subject | regenerative | |
| dc.subject | sensory | |
| dc.title | Taste the difference: An investigation of the correlation between sustainable farming practices and distinct taste perceptions | |
| dc.type | Poster |