James F. Evans Collection, Research directors at American land-grant universities are optimistic regarding the future of agricultural biotechnology and expect the ongoing "biotechnology revolution" to benefit the public, including consumers and farmers. Unresolved public policy questions involving biotechnology do concern many of the research administrators who responded to an opinion poll, but the prevailing attitude appears to be on of confident expectation that solutions will in time emerge for all outstanding biotech problems. Asked about "biotechnology's ethical questions," a majority of the respondents that U.S. land-grant institutions are well equipped to deal with such questions. The respondents said biotechnology may pose environmental risks, but they did not expect biological catastrophes to occur. They said biotechnology could be used to foster low-input methods of agricultural production, and they were in favor of pursuing biotech research that might improve agriculture's sustainability. (original)
Czaja, Ronald (author), Hoban, Thomas (author), Woodrum, Eric (author), and Department of Sociology and Anthropology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
1992
Published:
USA: Rural Sociological Society
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 91 Document Number: C06663
biotechnology, James F. Evans Collection, The extent and sources of public opposition to the use of genetic engineering in agricultural production are examined through data from telephone interviews with 220 farmers and 332 nonfarmers living in eight North Carolina counties. A model suggesting that public opposition to genetic engineering is influenced by demographic characteristics mediated by three intervening variables (awareness of genetic engineering, faith in government and industry, and moral objection to genetic engineering) is analyzed. Moral objection is the strongest predictor of opposition. Opposition is also related to lower awareness and less faith in institutions. Women are more likely to oppose genetic engineering than men. Implications of findings are noted. (original)
Frewer, Lynn (author / Institute of Food Research), Shepherd, Richard (author / Institute of Food Research), and Howard, C. (author / Institute of Food Research)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
1997
Published:
UK
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 108 Document Number: C10183
Hallman, W.K. (author / Rutgers University), Metcalfe, J. (author / Rutgers University), and Ecosystem Policy Research Center, Cook College, Rutgers University
Format:
Research report
Publication Date:
1993
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 108 Document Number: C10253
