Biotecnologie agroforestali e loro percezione. L'opinione degli studenti e dei ricercatori
Author(s)
Raparelli, Elisabetta
Date Issued
July 13, 2015
Type
Doctoral Thesis
Abstract
The aim of this work is to investigate the perception of Italian university students (Agricultural
Sciences, Nutrition, Medicine, Biological Sciences, Economics, Political Science, Law) and
researchers (Council for Agricultural Research and Economics and National Research Council)
toward the introduction of GMOs in agro-forestry. The factors determining positive or negative
attitudes towards GMOs were analyzed by means of a targeted questionnaire consisting of 42
multiple questions divided into four units: Knowledge, Opinion, Trust, Identity. The survey
followed different approaches: descriptive, to assess the level of social approval of the GMOs;
explorative, to detect the factors of social acceptability; comparative, to investigate cultural
differences. The extent of "social acceptability" of GMOs was assessed in relation to variables
such as demographics, knowledge of the meaning of GMOs, perception of the relationship
between nature and science, attitudes toward the limit s of human intervention in nature, trust in
institutions and regulatory policies. The questionnaire was structured with closed questions
(Likert scale). Out of 560 questionnaires distributed to students, 303 replied; while out of 400
questionnaires sent to researchers, 123 replied. Data were processed through a multivariate
analysis approach involving: multiple correspondence analysis (MCA), hierarchical clustering
(HCA), principal component analysis (PCA) and k-means (K-m). MCA showed a clear
distinction between the responses of university students and researchers; while HCA highlighted,
for both, the different perception of experts and non-experts in the biotechnology field as for
Knowledge, Opinion and Trust. PCA and K-m demonstrated that the positive or negative opinion
toward GMOs, as for students, does not depend on their knowledge, but it is strongly associated
with the level of trust in the institutions. To the contrary, as for researchers, it is related to the
knowledge level of of this issue, without any linkage with the trust in the institutions. This kind
of study represents a key process for understanding the social, ecological and economic dynamics
that have an important impact on citizens, society and community, at national/international level.
This information, amplified at different scales of interest, plays a key role for both experts (e.g.
scientists, decision makers, producers) and end-users (e.g. stakeholders, associations, buying
groups, persons).
Additional information
Dottorato di ricerca in Ecologia forestale
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