23rd Annual Student Research Conference
Cultivating Awareness: The Importance of Agriculture Literacy
Leann E. Botkin
Dr. Michael Seipel, Faculty Mentor
As our country becomes increasingly urbanized, knowledge of our agriculture, food, and fiber systems is declining. This could pose a serious threat to modern agriculture as the general public influences policy decisions and legislation. This study examined the agriculture knowledge of college juniors attending Truman State University. The sample provided an array of backgrounds, both academically and socially. The sample was given an agriculture literacy survey to examine knowledge of agriculture subjects and to obtain attitudinal information concerning agriculture practices. The data were analyzed with SPSS software;, chi square tests and correlation coefficients were used to analyze attitudes and knowledge by previous agriculture experience. The attitudinal data increased the understanding of public opinion. This information will be useful to improve communications between agriculturists and the general public. Overall the study revealed the importance of agriculture literacy among the population and the general opinion of the agriculture system in the United States.
Keywords: agriculture , literacy , policy
Topic(s):Agricultural Science
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 19-5
Location: MG 2001
Time: 10:30