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How Did We Get Here? Understanding Consumers' Attitudes Toward Modern Agriculture Practices

Dietrich, Cassaundra Nichole
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1461316103

Abstract Details

2016, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Agricultural and Extension Education.
Agriculture is not a pretty industry. The process of growing and harvesting enough food to feed a growing population of 7.3 billion people is hard and ugly. No matter the frame, practices like applying chemical substances to the soil, modifying the genomic structure of seeds, and housing livestock in confined spaces do not look or sound attractive. Often times, a lack of understanding of these practices causes them to be criticized by consumers, especially the large majority who are disconnected from the farming industry. Our food systems’ ability to produce, store, process, and transport massive amounts of food combined with urbanization, industrialization, and consolidation has resulted in very few people knowing how food is produced (Clapp, 2012). While production efficiency is a valuable tenant of modern agriculture, it is also the underpinning of numerous hurdles for agricultural communicators and educators. One of these hurdles is cognitive dissonance. Unfortunately, lack of information, as well as misinformation, has contributed to consumers not always realizing the integral role that “ugly” modern agriculture practices play in avoiding a severe and pervasive food crisis. While people need food, shelter, and clothing, much of which modern production agriculture provides, they are also unfamiliar with the practices used to satisfy these basic human needs. This conflict, or cognitive dissonance, can cause consumers to experience uncertainty and discomfort when confronted with information about the practices in their everyday lives. Cognitive dissonance presents both a challenge and an opportunity to communicators and educators because of its ability to influence a consumer’s perception of and subsequent attitude toward a subject. This study aimed to both identify which modern agriculture practices cause consumers to experience the highest levels of cognitive dissonance and evaluate attitudes toward and reactions to news media images of modern agriculture practices. More specifically, this study measured how accurate and vivid images of modern agriculture practices influence consumers’ self-perceived familiarity and awareness of and trust and confidence in the U.S. food system. The results of this study demonstrate that U.S. consumers experience a state of cognitive dissonance regarding four specific modern agriculture practices: housing egg-laying poultry in cage systems, applying chemicals to crops and produce, genetically modifying organisms to improve yield, and antibiotic and vaccine use for herd health. While respondents rated their familiarity with these modern agriculture practices high, they rated their feelings of comfort regarding these practices as somewhat to not comfortable. Study results also show that this feeling of discomfort has a negative affect on consumers’ feeling of safety, trust, and motivation to learn regarding the U.S. agriculture industry. This is worrisome, given that multiple research studies have concluded that transparency usually correlates with trust and increased demand. In the case of agriculture, transparency (in the form of exposure to images) did increase familiarity, but did not automatically increase liking.
Emily Buck (Advisor)
Annie Specht (Committee Member)
314 p.
Agriculture; Communication
agriculture; modern agriculture; agriculture practices; cognitive dissonance; mere exposure; attitude formation; consumer trust in agriculture

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Dietrich, C. N. (2016). How Did We Get Here? Understanding Consumers' Attitudes Toward Modern Agriculture Practices [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1461316103

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Dietrich, Cassaundra. How Did We Get Here? Understanding Consumers' Attitudes Toward Modern Agriculture Practices . 2016. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1461316103.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Dietrich, Cassaundra. "How Did We Get Here? Understanding Consumers' Attitudes Toward Modern Agriculture Practices ." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1461316103

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1461316103
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.