The Social Risks of Agriculture

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The Social Risks of Agriculture Americans Speak Out on Food, Farming, and the Environment

Ronald C. Wimberley, ed., Craig K. Harris, ed., Joseph J. Molnar, ed., Terry J. Tomazic, ed.

ISBN: 0-275-97765-X

ISBN-13: 978-0-275-97765-8

DOI:

176 pages

Praeger Publishers

Publication: 8/30/2002

List Price: $98.95 (UK Sterling Price: £68.95)

Availability: In Stock

Media Type: Hardcover

Also Available: Ebook

Trim Size: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4

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Description: In a vast society where environmentally conscious nonfarming voters and consumers have grown to greatly outnumber those directly engaged in agriculture, what happens in agriculture becomes increasingly subject to control by the general society, as policies and laws cater to constituents and consumers. This book provides an overview of how Americans perceive and value farmers and examines public opinion with regard to a number of agricultural issues. Based on analysis of national survey data, the authors offer an empirically based discussion and interpretation of those views and perceptions that help to shape policy and social sustainability. This unique collection illustrates that in addition to its natural, biological, and economic risks, agriculture has social risks that reverberate through all levels of society.

As the general population grows and the number of farms and farmers diminishes, the weight of public opinion becomes more important in the policy arena of society as well as in the market demands for food and fiber grown in safe and favorable environmental conditions. Setting the stage with a consideration of the larger society's interests in agricultural issues and of social and agricultural interdependence, the contributors cover a range of topics and issues affecting agriculture at the end of the 20th century. Chapters examine public perceptions of government's role in farming; support for an environmentally friendly agricultural system; views on pesticides and chemicals in foods; consumer attitudes on food safety; threats to clean drinking water, concerns over farm animal welfare; and the basic agrarian ethic of American society. The book concludes with a look to the future of the social risks of agriculture in the 21st century.

Table of Contents:

Social, Agricultural, and Environmental Interdependence by Ronald C. Wimberley
Public Perceptions of Government's Role in Agricuture and Farming by Ronald C. Wimberley, Alton Thompson, and Linda M. Lobao
Public Support for a Clean, Green, U.S. Agriculture Machine by Craig K. Harris and Conner Bailey
Public Perceptions of Pesticides and Chemicals in Food by Joseph J. Molnar, Maria Traxler, and Craig K. Harris
Is That Strawberry Safe to Eat? Consumer Attitudes about Food Safety by Terry J. Tomazic, Barry M. Katz, and Craig K. Harris
Not a Drop to Drink! Perceived Threats to Clean Drinking Water by Terry J. Tomazic and Barry M. Katz
Who Cares about Farm Animal Welfare? by George W. Ohlendrof Quentin, A. L. Jenkins, and Terry J. Tomazic
The Agrarian Mosaic in American Society by C. Milton Coughenour and Louis E. Swanson
Agriculture's Social Risks and Directions by Ronald C. Wimberley and Alton Thompson
Appendix A: Technical Documentation by Joseph J. Molnar, Terry J. Tomazic, and Ronald C. Wimberely
Appendix B: Comparisons with Other Surveys and National Data by Ronald C. Wimberley
Appendix C: 1992 Questionnaire
Index

About the Author: RONALD C. WIMBERLEY is the William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor of Sociology at North Carolina State University.

CRAIG K. HARRIS is Associate Professor of Sociology at Michigan State University.

JOSEPH J. MOLNAR is Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology at Auburn University.

TERRY J. TOMAZIC is Chair of the Department of Research Methodology at Saint Louis University, Missouri.

LCC Class: 307


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