Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
8
Farmers' Attitudes Towards Organic
and Conventional Agriculture:
A Behavioural Perspective
David Kings
1
and Brian Ilbery
2
1
The Abbey, Warwick Road, Warwickshire
2
Brian Ilbery, University of Gloucestershire, Oxstalls Campus,
Oxstalls Lane, Longlevens, Gloucester
UK
1. Introduction
Using a modified behavioural approach, this chapter examines organic and conventional
farmers' relationship with the concept of food security. The World Food Summit (1996)
defined food security as existing: 'when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe,
nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life'. Additionally, the concept is commonly
thought of as including both physical and economic access to food that meets people's
dietary needs as well as their food preferences. In recent decades, food security has been
usually associated with developing countries (Frow et al., 2009). This chapter, however, is
primarily concerned with aspects of food security in the UK and thus a European model
which expects farmers to provide other societal benefits such as biodiversity, environmental
protection and food safety. Such a model aims to satisfy consumers' demand for 'healthier
and more flavoursome food of higher nutritional value, produced by more environmentally
friendly methods' (Brunori & Guarino, 2010).
This chapter is based on the proposition that the attitudes and behaviours of organic farmers
may differ from those of conventional farmers, especially in relation to farming, the
environment and food security. A second proposition is that farming systems towards the
organic end of the agricultural spectrum may appeal first and most strongly to farmers
already attuned to environmental ideas. The chapter aims to compare the perceptions,
attitudes and behaviours of those farmers loosely labelled 'organic' and 'conventional' in
central southern England, especially in relation to their attitudes and values towards
farming, the environment and food security. More specifically, the research has the
following supporting and interrelated objectives:
To evaluate the different environmental cognitions of farmers towards selected key
themes related to the concept of food security.
To investigate and assess the environmental perceptions, attitudes and behaviours of
conventional and organic farmers, in central southern England, towards organic
farming and the development of more environmentally-friendly farming practices.
Global food prices, of many major food and feed commodities, have increased significantly
in recent years (House of Commons, 2009). For example, during 2007 the price of many basic
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