Title of Project: Assessment of the Agricultural Impacts of Natural Disasters in Florida 

 

Principal Investigator: Christa D. Court, Assistant Professor, Food and Resource Economics Department, University of Florida 

 

Please read the information below carefully before you decide to participate in this research study. Your participation is voluntary. You can decide not to participate or later decide to stop participating at any time without penalty or lose any benefits that would normally be expected. 

 

1. Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this research study is to rapidly assess the agricultural impacts resulting from natural disasters, such as hurricanes, that impact the state of Florida. Survey results will be combined with a detailed baseline database on agricultural assets in Florida to estimate production losses in support of informed local, state, and federal decision-making processes related to disaster declaration, response, and relief. 

 

2. What will you be asked to do: You will be asked to enter values or estimates on total crop, livestock, or aquaculture acreages, the percentage of those totals affected by the event, and the estimated production losses associated with the event. You will also be asked if you have photos that document the impacts on your operation that you are able and willing to share. In addition, if you are interested in providing information on additional types of impacts, you will be asked for values or estimates related to losses associated with infrastructure damage, damages to stored harvested products, or damages to stored agricultural inputs. 

 

3. Time Required: Depending on the complexity of your operation, it should take about 10 – 20 minutes to participate in the research.

 

4. Research Benefits: There are no direct benefits to you for being in this study. The production agriculture sector as a whole might derive indirect benefits from more detailed, accurate information on the agricultural impacts of disaster events being available to local, state, and federal level decision makers as well as the general public. 

 

5. Research Risks: There are no risks or discomforts anticipated.

 

6. Statement of Confidentiality: Your participation in this research is confidential. Information collected about you will be stored in computers with security passwords or in locked filing cabinets. Only certain people have the legal right to review these research records, and they will protect the confidentiality of these records as much as the law allows. These people include the researchers for this study, certain University of Florida officials, and the Institutional Review Board (IRB; an IRB is a group of people who are responsible for looking after the rights and welfare of people taking part in research). Otherwise, your research records will not be released without your permission unless required by law or a court order. The researchers will not share identifiable information about you if they publish, present, or share the results of this research. 

 

7. Who to contact if you have questions: Please contact Christa Court at ccourt@ufl.edu or (352) 294-7675 with questions or concerns about this study. 

 

8. Voluntary Participation: Your decision to be in this research is voluntary. You do not have to do any study activities that you do not want to take part in. You can stop at any time. If you decide you want to stop participating in the research, you can let the research team know or call the Principal Investigator at any time at (352) 294-7675. If you choose not to take part, this will have no effect on you or your relationships with the University of Florida. If you have any questions about your rights as a research subject, you can phone the Institutional Review Board at 352-273-9600. 

 

Participation in the research implies that you have read the information in this form and consent to take part in the research. Please save a copy of this form for your records or future reference. 

 

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