Analyzing Public Support for Sustainable Hog Production in North Carolina

Abstract

Agricultural operations play a crucial role in the economic and cultural prosperity of the eastern coastal plains. In North Carolina alone, farm operations generate billions of dollars in state revenue. However, the industrialization of operations has introduced new obstacles, particularly within the hog farming industry. It is essential to understand the ongoing public debates regarding current practices in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and new state-level legislation, given the ubiquity of these institutions in North Carolina. The objective of this study is to determine why opposing narratives within the hog farming industry persist and identify which narratives are most prevalent. Through the lens of the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF), this research study explores how specific narratives develop to influence public attitude towards hog farming, and consequently shape and are shaped by broader policy discourse in Wayne County, North Carolina. At the meso-level of analysis, the NPF suggests community survey respondents, producers, and legislative powers or organizations may each hold their own, potentially opposite, narratives which exist simultaneously and in conflict. Recognizing diverse perspectives within the hog farming industry is key to environmental awareness, informed policymaking, and the construction of subsystem beliefs.