Design of farmer education and training in organic agriculture - Organic Agriculture: A Global Perspective - page 407

Chapter 17
Design of farmer education and training in
organic agriculture
Laura Seppänen*, University of Helsinki, Finland and Charles Francis, Norwegian University of
Life Sciences, Norway and University of Nebraska, USA
*Dr Laura Seppänen, Institute for Rural Research and Training, University of Helsinki, PO Box 26, Helsinki 00014, Finland.
Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone], Email: [e-mail]
Introduction
Organic farming and food systems continue to grow throughout the world, stimulated in part
by increasing consumer concerns about food safety and security. Although the rapid growth of
the 1990s has slowed, there is an emerging awareness of multiple values such as protection of
environmental quality and enhancing local identity (Hubert et al . 2000). Dabbert et al . (2004)
report that organic food now represents from 1% (Sweden, France) to as much as 3% (Austria,
Denmark) of retail food sales. Sales continue to grow at 10% to 30% per year. The growing
importance of organics in the food system is rapidly attracting the attention of multinational
food companies that are moving into this lucrative business (Buck et al . 1997).
Organic agriculture was initiated as a social movement in which both farmers and con-
sumers had an active role. Later, increasing concerns about the environment resulted in the
growth of organic agriculture. Today in the European Union (EU) and United States of
America (USA), official organic regulations shape organic farming practices. Organic farming
is also strongly inf luenced by conventional agriculture and by society at large. For instance,
food scares may rapidly increase the demand for organic products. Yet the multiple mecha-
nisms that affect product quality are complex and interactive, and it is difficult to isolate
simple indicators in food systems. Publicity about single events (e.g. the McLeod [2004] study
that found more toxins in organic baby foods than in corresponding conventional ones) can
cause drastic trends or reactions in the marketplace. Consumer preferences and other societal
factors may rapidly bring new challenges for organic agriculture, such as the present introduc-
tion of genetically modified organism (GMO) varieties in conventional agriculture that cannot
be contained due to pollen drift and product mixing. Education and training should help
organic farmers to find f flexible methods to deal with rapid changes in crop choice and to
understand how production practices affect product quality.
Only limited attention has been given by the private agricultural adviser system, the federal
farmer support system, or the public Cooperative Extension System (USA) to farmers seeking
information on organic farming. There are national and EU support funds available for the con-
version from conventional to organic production systems, but there is still limited infrastructure
in place to provide relevant information for farmers. In this void, the organic farmer organisa-
tions and certification groups have provided assistance in education and training. However,
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