An unknown known: Knowledge, preferences, and acceptance of the Common Agricultural Policy

Despite its importance for the agricultural sector, little is known about the extent to which the general public understands and knows the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and how such (lack of) knowledge shapes their policy preferences. This paper investigates the role of factual knowledge of the CAP in influencing Italians’ support for and acceptance of the policy. Relying on original survey data (N = 1002) representative of the Italian population, we first assess citizens’ factual knowledge of the CAP’s central function (providing subsidies to the agricultural sector, rather than imposing taxes on it or having no policy at all). We then examine how knowledge affects preferences over budget allocations across policy goals. In addition, we conduct an information provision experiment, randomizing information about the environmental conditionality of CAP subsidies, to test its effect on public acceptance of the policy. We use multinomial logistic regression to analyze budget allocation preferences and ordered logistic regression to examine the determinants of CAP acceptance. Our results show that Italians generally exhibit acceptance of the CAP, but respondents with correct knowledge display preferences that move away from income support toward other policy goals. Moreover, information about environmental conditionality of the CAP significantly increases its acceptance, particularly among individuals with environmentally conscious consumption habits. These findings highlight the importance of policy knowledge and communication in shaping public opinion on EU-level agricultural policies.