Framework for Re-thinking Ethics in the Organic Movement - Re-Thinking Organic Food and Farming in a Changing World - page 252

the diverse discourses on values in recent years by all organic actors (Sects. 13.1.2 ,
13.1.3 , and 13.1.4 ). We close with a final comment on how well the typology
stands the test of describing current diversification of the organic agrofood chain
(Sect. 13.1.5 ).

13.1.1 Typology of Ethical Values in the Organic Movement

The uniqueness of organic agriculture, in comparison to other agriculture and
food system movements, stems from its long history in Europe, beginning in the
1920s, as a value 2 based movement opposed to conventional farming practices (see
Chap. 2 ) . Always called a movement, and developed and continually cultivated by
non-governmental organizations (Spoor 2002 , p. 6), organic farming has invariably
focused on creating an agricultural production and food system rooted in close
human-nature, value oriented relationships (Padel and Foster 2005 , p. 117). Over
the years, the movement has maintained its tradition of protest against the industri-
alization of society (see Chap. 2 ) . Core features of the movement have included: a
commitment to self-determination in farming, processing and trade; and openness
to a wide range of actors (from gardeners to consumers to intellectuals) who have
brought in diverse ideas about nature, farming and e.g., the exclusion of synthetic
chemicals (see e.g., Jones, Chap. 11 ) .
As organic production, processing and trade became more widespread, it also
became more regulated (Rigby and Cáceres 2001 , p. 25). Different actors in the
expanding and increasingly global organic market began demanding more controls
over organic (see Constance et al., Chap. 9 ) . In order to justify and to distinguish
organic products, but also to protect organic values from misuse and fraud (e.g.,
Hyman 2000 ;Zornetal. 2009 ), control and certification processes were put in place
that responded to the interests of different actor groups. But this step has also led
to a bureaucratized reality that has pushed many of the initial core values of the
movement to the sidelines (see e.g., Hatanaka, Chap. 3 ) .
With this diversification, the question arises, can these different types of prac-
ticing organic and discussing values be systemized and described by a typology
applicable along the organic agrofood chain? In this chapter, we identify and define
such a typology as a means to review systematically the diverse dimensions of
values practiced in the organic movement.
Our entry point is derived from the typology used by Alrøe and Noe ( 2008 )
(see also Verhoog et al. 2007 ) that offers a basis for classifying the range of value
sets represented by farmers, consumers, processors and supply chain actors. We
adapt their three-part typology of organic farmer orientations/motivations and values
in order to propose our own that is: sensitive to a range of ethical foundations;

2 The meaning of value in most sociological research on organic “is almost identical to the motives