Document Type
Honors Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor's of Science
Date of Award
Spring 4-15-2026
Abstract
Americans today, both young and old, face issues with agricultural knowledge regarding the food and fiber industry and production agriculture as a whole (Frick et al., 1995). In a society where consumers are separated from production agriculture, public interaction with agriculture is less prevalent and the importance of agriculture is undervalued. A person’s knowledge of agriculture, or agricultural literacy affects the way that they perceive agricultural commodities and the agricultural industry (Specht, McKim, & Rutherford, 2014). Without adequate knowledge of the agricultural industry consumers cannot make well informed decisions about food safety or processing methods. In addition to consumers, government officials and policy makers should possess agricultural literacy skills in order to better understand the major economic and environmental impacts that agriculture possesses in our nation (Frick et al., 1995).
The agricultural literacy of the younger generation and future generations is particularly important. An agriculturally literate society is paramount for the economic, environmental, and social health of our nation. The younger generation represents the next generation of law makers and world leaders, who will need to be agriculturally literate to meet the needs of an ever growing world population, prospected to reach nine billion by 2050 (Cosby et al., 2022). The agricultural literacy of future generations is particularly important for those that are at the end of their formal education. Students nearing the end of their college education should possess some level of agricultural literacy to better understand where and how their food and fiber is produced. Additionally, students should be agriculturally literate in an effort to make more informed choices when voting on agricultural and environmental issues, and understanding the impacts of decisions made by governments regarding agriculture (Cosby et al., 2022). Despite the importance of agricultural literacy in the future generations, a substantial portion of the country is still considered agriculturally illiterate (Cosby et al., 2022).
Advisor
Maggie Salem
Recommended Citation
Barton, Cayden J., "Exploring Undergraduate Student’s Perceptions of Agriculture" (2026). Honors Theses. 288.
https://lair.etamu.edu/honorstheses/288
