Organic Farmers: Contributing to the Resilience of the Food System? - Re-Thinking Organic Food and Farming in a Changing World - page 192

aren't necessary, or I think they're unnecessary ” (conventional male sheep/beef

farmer). But the exchange can happen in the opposite direction: organic farming
can also be influenced by more common agricultural practices. For example, on one
ARGOS sheep/beef farm, which has been biodynamic, the son, who has recently
taken over management from his father, is changing from his father's practices. He
is introducing sheep breeds and grass cultivars from outside the farm (and seen in
the conventional and integrated management practices of his neighbors and friends).
To his father the farm was a closed system.
However, it is not just the change of practices that is of interest but how the
differing management systems and types of farmers or growers serve different
purposes within the farming system. Hunt ( 2010 ) has shown how conservative IPM
and organic kiwifruit orchardists tend to stay with kiwifruit production through good
times and bad, while those who like to take risks and seek high returns will exit
the industry when times are not so good, which also serves the industry well by
reducing supply. The latter will also be the ones who introduce costly innovations.
Organic orchardists model practices that show a greater concern for environmental
wellbeing. All of these work together to provide a greater number of acceptable
ways of “being” a kiwifruit orchardist, and support a more resilient industry even if
it is not sustainable for some individuals in certain difficult times.
In the kiwifruit industry, 11 it has not been traditional for diversification of
kiwifruit production to occur on the orchard unless the orchard also grows other
non-kiwifruit products. Kiwifruit orchardists usually grow only green or only gold
kiwifruit, not both and it is rare for an orchard to produce both organic and non-
organic fruit though some businesses do include a suite of differently managed
individual orchards. Thus diversification, until recently with the introduction of new
varieties of kiwifruit, has tended to happen at the supply chain level where ZESPRI 12
is able to market organic and non-organic green and gold fruit.
Diversity of products and the enhanced resilience it can bring to producers can
occur at different points in the supply chain. By increasing the number of varieties of
kiwifruit available, and by having the options of organic or IPM fruit, ZESPRI hopes
to be more resilient to market demands. The dairy sector has a similar dynamic.
Fonterra 13 is continually experimenting with and introducing new milk products
to their customers which are often ingredients that enhance the products of other
manufacturers. Organic milk could extend their options in the market place. The
sheep/beef sector is quite different. It has a competitive and diverse supply chain.
Sheep/beef producers in New Zealand supply 15 meat processors (in 2009-2010

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11 Darnhofer et al. ( 2010b ) have produced a study of resilience based on the New Zealand kiwifruit
industry.
12 ZEPSRI is the single desk-monitoring organization for the export of kiwifruit from New Zealand.
It is regarded as a monopsony.
13 Fonterra is New Zealand's largest dairy company, a cooperative which is one of the world's
largest exporters of dairy products ( http://business.newzealand.com/common/files/Dairy-industry-