Views on Agriculture, Energy and Food in Nonmetropolitan Nebraska

Authors

Rebecca J. Vogt, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Randolph L. Cantrell, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Bruce B. Johnson, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Bradley D. Lubben, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

2010

Comments

Published in Research Report 10-1 of the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (2010) pp.0-39. Copyright © 2010 Center for Applied Rural Innovation, University of Nebraska

Abstract

Agriculture has played and continues to play a critical role in Nebraska’s economy. However, the industry is currently facing changes in consumer preferences for food production along with increased demands for renewable energy production and environmental goods and services. Given these changing demands, how closely are rural Nebraskans connected to agriculture? What product attributes are important to them when food shopping? What preferences do they have for government support and incentives for producing energy from various sources? How do they feel about alternative energy sources and energy conservation? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these questions.

This report details 2,797 responses to the 2010 Nebraska Rural Poll, the fifteenth annual effort to understand rural Nebraskans= perceptions. Respondents were asked a series of questions about agriculture, food and energy. For all questions, comparisons are made among different respondent subgroups, that is, comparisons by age, occupation, region, etc.