Introduction

At one time most Nova Scotians were either farmers or were closely related to a farmer. Today many Nova Scotians do not have a direct, personal link to agriculture. Fewer than two percent of the Province's population is employed in farming and, with more than 45% of people living in rural areas, Nova Scotian farmers are a minority even in their own communities. Therefore, opportunities for non-farmers to gain knowledge and understanding of modern agriculture are limited. Often it is garnered from media coverage about safety problems or reports of pollution and environmental catastrophe perpetrated by agriculture.

At the same time the public seems to have a growing concern about the safety of food, the nature of moderm farm practices and the impact of farming on the environment. As a result, the challenge facing the agricultural industry is not the ability to comply with environmental legislation or to be responsible stewards of the environment, but rather receiving public support and understanding of the needs of modern farms and farmers.

The mission of the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Marketing (NSDAM) is to encourage the development of a viable and sustainable agriculture and food industry for the betterment of Nova Scotians. This is achieved by encouraging the best available resource management to ensure sustainable and sound environmental farm management practices. To help accomplish this mission, a better understanding of the public's perception of modern farming is needed so programs, farm practices and communication strategies can be developed.

The Atlantic Centre for Agri-Business at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College was commissioned to design and deliver a research project to better understand and measure the perceptions that Nova Scotians have about their agri-food industry. A number of specific research questions were proposed to guide this research.

Research Questions

1. What is the level of public understanding and support for modern farming practices?
   
2. What are people's perceptions and concerns about agriculture as an environmentally friendly industry?
   
3. What is the potential for improving agriculture's image by promoting or generating greater knowledge about its farm management practices and stewardship?
   
4. What kinds of environmental issues and practices are accepted and understood by the general public?

This report consists of the following sections:

• Literature Review
  
• Research Methodology
  
• Results
  
• Recommendations and Conclusions