Australians are deeply divided over genetically modified crops, with almost a third believing they are risky and another quarter unsure of their safety.
The latest ANU Poll, issued exclusively to The Canberra Times, also finds Australians believe the nation's farmers produce safe food sustainably and ethically, and there is strong support for giving them extra financial help.
The poll discovers Australians are still closely linked to the bush and fond of people who live in rural and regional areas, describing them as self-sufficient, resilient, and being committed to the community.
Respondents overwhelmingly believed farming was crucial for the country's future, with 85 per cent saying that was the case. Another 13per cent thought it was fairly important, and only 1per cent believed it was not very important.
The poll identifies drought as the biggest issue in the bush and the economy and jobs for the country as a whole, though the economy's dominance in the national psyche continues to slide as Australia recovers from the financial crisis.
The poll also finds concern remains about genetically modified food. Half of Australians support it, though most of them only backed it moderately. Almost 40 per cent oppose biotechnology in agriculture, and 11 per cent are unsure.
''It is perhaps significant that those in support were predominantly moderate supporters, suggesting the strong feelings were likely to be generated in opposition to the new technology,'' the study said.
''There is also a significant minority view that foods produced through biotechnology pose serious health risks.
''When asked if they believed that foods produced in this way posed a risk, 31 per cent said that they did pose a risk, and 46 per cent said that they did not pose a risk. However, almost one in four of the sample said that they did not know.''
Only about half of the people surveyed followed the issue at least somewhat closely.
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