Examining Students’ Knowledge and Attitudes of Organically and Conventionally Grown Produce

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine what the average Auburn University student’s knowledge and attitude was towards USDA organic and conventionally grown produce and if there was a difference between Auburn students enrolled in a horticulture course (Food for Thought) which examines the history of food plants, their production systems, and their impact on society and those not enrolled in the course. This study also aimed to determine if there was a relationship between knowledge and attitude of USDA organic and conventional production and buying habits. The population produced significant scores in relation to their organic and conventional attitudes with p = .000 for both tests to reveal that the population had moderately positive attitudes toward both organic and conventional production. This study also revealed a significant difference between male and female knowledge scores and attitudes relative to organically grown produce with p = .014 which revealed that females have higher knowledge scores of these two different production methods and have more favorable attitudes toward organic production than males.