6pgs, A nationwide study was undertaken in China to understand why public interest has shifted away from agriculture and to discuss approaches that may help restore interest and support for agriculture. The study collected 2586 questionnaires from 242 cities in 31 provinces in mainland China. The results suggest that agriculture is still of public interest, but interest has shifted from traditional farming to the consumer perspective in food safety, nutrition and health, food security and agricultural history. Two groups in this study, the younger generation and those with college degrees, show less interest in production agriculture. The accelerating shift in population from rural China to urban areas explains why these two groups are less connected with agricultural issues. The authors contend that it is critically important to keep the urban population knowledgeable of the importance of agriculture and suggest ways to improve communication and support from this educated, city-dweller point of view in order to ensure a stable and secure future. The approach of science appreciation (ways to effectively communicate science to general publics) is proposed to effectively gain renewed interest and engagement with the public in the science of agriculture in order to optimize the needs and benefits from agriculture to society.
16 pages., Online via UI e-subscription, Using fieldwork and in-depth-interviews with key informants, researchers examined how two groups (landowner group and citizen group) framed their arguments involving proposed sale of water from this aquifer. The citizen group was found more articulate in opposing the sale of water to the broader public. Findings also suggested that the framing strategies used by both groups served to escalate community dissension and therefore limit opportunities for resolution.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 197 Document Number: D09550
Notes:
Hal R. Taylor Collection, Proceedings of the 1952 convention of the American Society of Newspaper Editors, Des Moines, Iowa., Excerpts from this report.
