Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Both the kiwifruit and dairy industries follow this premise of diversification at the
market end of the supply chain (as does one meat processing company which is
able to provide products of differing provenance), because at the farm/orchard end
only one thing is produced - a single kiwifruit variety or milk, under organic or
non-organic management. Sheep/beef farmers, on the other hand, have a range of
choices available to them about what products to produce, from cropping through
to livestock production, to servicing the dairy industry - all dependent on their
geographical locations.
It was quite a shock to us at a stakeholder meeting to have our assumptions
about organic practitioners challenged. We had assumed that they would be of the
philosophical persuasion that would want all food production to be organic. When
one of our ARGOS researchers suggested that it would be better for the resilience
of the kiwifruit industry environmentally if a greater proportion of orchards became
organic, there was a murmur of disagreement within the organic stalwarts. They
were very concerned that such an action would reduce the organic premium they
receive for their fruit. For them, they walk the balance of producing a regular
and large enough supply for a constant market but not producing so much that
they lose their market scarcity. However, rather than wishing the whole world's
food production to become organically grown, to be the method regarded as best
practice, perhaps having organic production as just one of the ways of being a “good
farmer” keeps the global food system dynamic and alive to ever-changing alternative
possibilities, more able to respond to the changes and challenges we face now and
in the future.
10.10
Conclusion
In this chapter, under the premise that organic farming needs to be studied in the
context in which it is practiced within the global agricultural supply chain, we
have discussed how the practices and presence of organic farming can contribute
to the resilience and sustainability of the food production system. To do this we
examined three interlinked theses using the results from the ARGOS research
program as the empirical example. First, we provided support for the argument
that studying organic farming in isolation limits the understanding of the breadth
of its contribution. Obviously it can be studied in isolation, but the study is richer
if organics is studied in the context of the agricultural sector as a whole, where
links and contrasts can be made to other farm management systems, across different
sectors within agriculture and within a supply chain. Even organic practices and
compliance are in a constant state of negotiation as certifiers face questions and
challenges from within and outside their jurisdiction.
Second, we considered how organic practices enhance the resilience of the
sectors in which organic products are produced. The ability to supply organic
kiwifruit to the global market has strengthened the resilience of the kiwifruit supply
chain. Organic practitioners can be seen as repositories of redundant knowledge not
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