Darf es heute etwas Landwirtschaft sein? Über das Image der Landwirtschaft in Deutschland

Wherever communication about agriculture takes place, its image is rather positive, and negative headlines do not necessarily have an impact on the image of farming. This applies to agriculture in general but especially to farms working with organic methods. What influences people´s perceptions of agriculture? This question is addressed using a structural equation model. The main focus of this model is the impact of two communication channels on the image of agriculture, namely direct personal communication and communication via mass media. These two channels are examined in terms of the construct «perceived closeness» whereby closeness means active interest in the sector. The empirical part of the study consists of 600 + 480 standardised oral interviews conducted in Germany in 2007 and 2009 in the form of a quota-based survey. In 2007 people were asked about their image of agriculture, while in 2009 they were asked about their image of organic farming.