Literacy: What Level for Food, Land, Natural Resources, and Environment?

Abstract

ABSTRACT Many forms of literacy exist. Each literacy is an integration of ways of thinking, acting, interacting, and valuing. To understand the impact of agriculture (i.e., farming, ranching, forestry, and fisheries) and the contributions and interactions to the environment (e.g., losses of biological diversity, soil degradation, air and water pollution, the effects of human activity on the land, the landscape and natural resources, and the overall impact on nutrition and other biologically based consumer consumption choices) requires literacy about food, land, natural resources, and the environment. To define citizen levels of literacy we need to understand the competency levels of literacy—nominal, functional, cultural, and multidimensional. Nominal literacy identifies the minimal recognition of concepts. Functional literacy provides the content and understanding of what. Cultural literacy provides context to concepts and ability to articulate why. All three are conditions for multidimensional literacy, which gives meaning to concepts and how to achieve purposeful actions. Multidimensional literacy implies all levels of literacy about food, land, natural resources, and the environment are needed, if the populace is to “ask the right questions” for public and personal decision making.