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own specific values instead of the IFOAM Principles (Schmid 2007 ; Gottwald and
Boergen 2009 ). 21 Their perspectives overlap somewhat with the IFOAM Principles.
But these advisors more often offer technical translations rather than the ethical
dimension. To what extent values have any relevance in the advisory process is
not well known, but the continuing trend toward economically based decision for
converting to organic (Padel 2001 ; Rigby et al. 2001 ) suggests that discussions
related to values are of little interest. 22
There are additional institutional challenges when private and public advisory
services agencies for non-organic farmer also advise the organic sector (Michelsen
et al. 2001 ; Michelsen 2002b ). Even when such services cover a wide range of
organic topics from soil management to marketing, they rarely are capable of, or
interested in introducing the IFOAM Principles. Value conflicts arise when advisors
do both—advise on organic as well non-organic farmers.
When we look for other discussions on values in the organic system, currently
organic farmer journals, farmer conferences and on-line organic sources are domi-
nated by debates and information about technical issues, control and certification,
and marketing. They rarely discuss the principles or the philosophical foundations
of the organic movement, as it is the same on organic farmer and major organic
scientific conferences. 23
13.2.4.3
Creating the Conditions and Environment for Learning Ethics
If ethics, and specifically the IFOAM Principles, are to play a more central role
in future development of the organic agrofood chain, information, knowledge and
learning opportunities are required to bring these ethics to the center of a reflexive
and on-going discourse (cf. Vermeir and Verbeke 2006 , p. 170; Stock 2007 )inall
types of organic learning activities that accompany the organic movement (Geier
et al. 2007 , p. 271).
These activities should include critical self-reflection on values within the context
of everyone's socio-cultural, economic, ecological and political conditions, and a
process for sharing widely the various interpretations of values along agrofood
chain. While organic advisors currently do not inform producers about values
(e.g., Khaledi et al. 2007 , p. 39), they could begin to play a constructive role
in stimulating such discussions. A precondition for this step is to establish an
educational program for advisors to teach ethics in organic farming. Advisors
could also serve as ambassadors between the two agricultural worlds (organic,
21 E.g., http://www.bioland.de/bioland/bioland/die-sieben-bioland-prinzipien.html
22 Christa Größ (leader of Bioaustria advisory service), personal communication, June 2013.
23 See e.g., the latest German speaking scientific conference on organic farming 2013: http://www.
wissenschaftstagung.de/ ; Bio Austrian farmer days 2013: www.bio-austria.at/bauerntage - at both
conferences there was not much awareness on values and specifically the IFOAM Principles are
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