6. Conclusions and policy implications
6.1 Expanding understandings of the social dimensions of organic agriculture
Organic agriculture proved to be a practical example of how sustainable farming systems may operate as an agri-food network. While other organic-related research has contributed to the biophysical, technical and economic understandings of organic farming, this project clarified some of the socio-political dimensions of organics. A focus on knowledge, gender and networks, indicated that social and power relations are involved in the initiation and continuing implementation of organic farming practices.
Several theoretical issues emerged from this study which are detailed in the related research report (Liepins and Campbell 1997). In brief these include the following issues:
- Agricultural knowledge is a complex, socially contextualised, component of a farming system. The study confirms Hassenein and Kloppenburg’s (1995) analysis of alternative agriculture where they argued that farmers are engaged with technical, personal and organisational forms of knowledge.
- Agricultural knowledge circulates through a variety of different discourses (Liepins 1997b). Producers access scientific academic discourses, lay and local (practitioner) discourses, and commercial and professional (industry) discourses. Other industry stakeholders also use and shape these discourses through communication networks.
- As with other forms of agriculture, gender differences occur in farming production and industry politics. Men more often complete physical labour and day to day (or labour-related) decision making in the production unit, while women are providing physical labour, but are also crucial in farm administration and information management tasks. Women’s social positions as the carers and reproducers of family, farm and community structures mean they are strategically placed to more frequently consider and support the implementation of organic farming because of their multiple experiences as farmers, family members, primary health carers, consumers and community networkers.
- Gender relations also influence the operation of the organics industry beyond the level of the farm. Men more frequently represent and lead farming and industry bodies. They are also more likely to participate in formal industry networks and information fora. Echoing broader gender analyses of organisational culture (Burrell and Hearn 1989; Ferguson 1994; Mills 1989) key informants representing the range of industry stakeholders also perceived that an increase in women’s participation at the industry level would likely change some of the organisational culture and decision making processes.
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Kay Brown
Sector Performance Policy
MAF Policy
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
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NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0695
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