Joseph J. Molnar - Böcker

In a vast society where environmentally conscious nonfarming voters and consumers have grown to greatly outnumber those directly engaged in agriculture, what happens in agriculture becomes increasingly subject to control by the general society, as policies and laws cater to constituents and consumers. This book provides an overview of how Americans perceive and value farmers and examines public opinion with regard to a number of agricultural issues. Based on analysis of national survey data, the authors offer an empirically based discussion and interpretation of those views and perceptions that help to shape policy and social sustainability. This unique collection illustrates that in addition to its natural, biological, and economic risks, agriculture has social risks that reverberate through all levels of society.As the general population grows and the number of farms and farmers diminishes, the weight of public opinion becomes more important in the policy arena of society as well as in the market demands for food and fiber grown in safe and favorable environmental conditions. Setting the stage with a consideration of the larger society's interests in agricultural issues and of social and agricultural interdependence, the contributors cover a range of topics and issues affecting agriculture at the end of the 20th century. Chapters examine public perceptions of government's role in farming; support for an environmentally friendly agricultural system; views on pesticides and chemicals in foods; consumer attitudes on food safety; threats to clean drinking water, concerns over farm animal welfare; and the basic agrarian ethic of American society. The book concludes with a look to the future of the social risks of agriculture in the 21st century.

The rise and fall of new commodities, production technologies, and shifting government policies have had dramatic effects on the lives of generations of farm families in the rural South. This book examines both the impact of such changes on individuals and families and the interrelationship between agricultural change and community change. The contributors look at how and why the mix of farms--small, medium, large, and part-time--has been transformed and consider the differing needs of these types of farm operations, the special problems of minority farmers, the farming strategies that are most resilient to external shocks, and the interdependence of rural communities and the region's farmers. They also review the main external sources of change, including government fiscal and monetary policies that shape interest rates and govern export possibilities. The book contributes to our understanding of the kinds of communities and quality of life that will be experienced by the next generation of southern farmers.

The advent of new methods in shaping the performance characteristics of plants, animals, and microbes dramatically expands the possibilities for advances in agriculture -- a new "Green Revolution" in the offing. This book examines the impact of such developments on agricultural institutions, agribusiness, and farmers: What happens when a fundamenta

This book examines the impact of the rise and fall of new commodities, production technologies, and shifting government policies on individuals and farm families in the rural South and the interrelationship between agricultural change and community change.

Biotechnology and the New Agricultural Revolution examines the impact of the Green Revolution and biotechnological developments on agricultural institutions, agribusiness, and farmers.

This book explores the social, economic, and policy problems associated with introducing new agriculture and aquaculture technology to developing nations as a means for expanding food supplies and increasing well-being. The contributors examine three general facets of planning for technology transfer and consider methodologies that enable effective

This book explores the social, economic, and policy problems associated with introducing new agriculture and aquaculture technology to developing nations as a means for expanding food supplies and increasing well-being. The contributors examine three general facets of planning for technology transfer and consider methodologies that enable effective

In spite of its small size, the Hungarian Communist party (HCP), founded in the fall of 1918, has played an important role both in Hungary's national history and in the international communist movement. Hungary, which was the only soviet republic other than the ephemeral Bavarian soviet republic to exist outside the USSR, lasted five months during the critical period of the Paris Peace Conference. The "veterans" of the Hungarian soviet republic, like Bela Kun, Georg Lukacs, and Eugen Varga, later held important posts in the Comintern and in the international Communist press. In the Stalinist era, the HCP distinguished itself by excessive zeal in the application of "integral Stalinism" in foreign policy (e.g., anti-Titoism), the economy, and political life (e.g., the Rajk and Kadar trials). However, the 1956 revolution was engineered by the revisionist communist intelligentsia and by such revisionist party leaders as Imre Nagy. Finally, in spite of its repressive role after the revolution, in the 1970s under Janos Kadar the HCP introduced a new system of "liberalism" and economic reform.