Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
9
The Transformation to Organic:
Insights from Practice Theory
Bernhard Freyer
1
and Jim Bingen
2
1
Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Division of Organic Farming,
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna
2
Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies,
Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
1
Austria
2
USA
1. Introduction
This paper draws on practice theory to frame and understand the process of converting
from non-organic (conventional) to organic farming. Within this context we seek to deepen
our understanding of the transformation
1
processes that occur, including the on-farm
experiences of farmers in the course of conversion to organic practices. More specifically,
our aim is to
Introduce general characteristics of the transformation process;
Develop a theoretical framework based on practice theory which helps us understand
the complexity of the transformation processes and
Apply this framework in discussing selected aspects of transformation of an organic
farm in the plant production sector;
We close with findings that are of theoretical and practical interest in understanding the
transition to organic.
Practice theory offers a useful analytic means to identify and describe the essential or
defining farms and related systems and dynamics of both non-organic and organic farming
characteristics, as well as the related transformation processes from non-organic to organic
systems. We look to practice theory for insights and understanding in the dynamic and
reflexive inter-relationships between structures and individual performance, materiality and
embodiment of practices and cognitive-mental processes.
Practice theory draws attention to the inter-relatedness of: the farmer's physical activity; the
materiality of the things and artifacts with which the farmer works and which help to define
the farmer's physical environment; and, the interactions between nature and the farmer as a
social actor. We illustrate this process by looking at selected practices mainly in plant
1
We recommend that the use of the term transformation in agri-food systems is used in a more broader,
complex and holistic context going beyond the technical aspects of the farming system and to include linkages
with systems outside of the farm (e.g. markets, input-industry, social networks etc.), while
transition/conversion is mainly applied if the focus is only on technical and economic aspects e.g. of a farm.
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