Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-31T23:51:47.807Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Do the new organic producers differ from the ‘old guard’? Empirical results from Norwegian dairy farming

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 February 2007

Ola Flaten ,
Gudbrand Lien ,
Martha Ebbesvik ,
Matthias Koesling  and
Paul S. Valle
Ola Flaten*
Affiliation:
Norwegian Agricultural Economics Research Institute (NILF), Box 8024 Dep., NO-0030, Oslo, Norway,.
Gudbrand Lien
Affiliation:
Norwegian Agricultural Economics Research Institute (NILF), Box 8024 Dep., NO-0030, Oslo, Norway,.
Martha Ebbesvik
Affiliation:
Norwegian Centre for Ecological Agriculture, NO-6630, Tingvoll, Norway,.
Matthias Koesling
Affiliation:
Norwegian Centre for Ecological Agriculture, NO-6630, Tingvoll, Norway,.
Paul S. Valle
Affiliation:
Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Box 8146 Dep., NO-0033, Oslo, Norway,.
*
*Corresponding author: Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Conventional farmers converting to organics have contributed to most of the rapid expansion of organic farming in recent years. The new organic farmers may differ from their more established colleagues, which may have implications for the development of the organic farming sector and its distinctiveness vis-à-vis conventional production and marketing practices. The aim of this study was to explore Norwegian organic dairy farmers' personal and farm production characteristics, farming goals, conversion motives, and attitudes to organic farming, grouped by year of conversion (three groups). A postal survey was undertaken among organic dairy farmers (n=161). The results show that the newcomers (converted in 2000 or later) were less educated than the early entrants (the so-called ‘old guard’) who converted in 1995 or earlier. The frequency of activities like vegetable growing and poultry farming among the old guard was high. The late-entry organic herds were fed with more concentrates and had a higher milk production intensity, showed a higher incidence of veterinary treatments and less frequent use of alternative medicine than the herds of the two earlier converting groups. For all groups of farmers, the highest ranked farming goals were sustainable and environment-friendly farming and the production of high-quality food. Late entrants more often mentioned goals related to profit and leisure time. On average, the most frequently mentioned motives for conversion were food quality and professional challenges. The old guard was more strongly motivated by food quality and soil fertility/pollution issues than the others, whereas financial reasons (organic payments included) were relatively more important among the newcomers. All groups held very favorable views about the environmental qualities of organic farming methods, albeit with different strengths of beliefs. Even though trends towards more pragmatic and business-oriented farming were found, the majority of the newcomers were fairly committed.

Keywords

organic farmingmilk productionyear of conversionfarming goalsmotives for conversionattitudesanimal healthfeedingconventionalization
Type
Review Article
Information
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems , Volume 21 , Issue 3 , September 2006 , pp. 174 - 182
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

01Dabbert,, S., Häring,, A.M., and Zanoli,, R. (2004) Organic Farming: Policies and Prospects, Zed Books, London, UK.Google Scholar
02Yussefi,, M. (2005) Current status of organic farming worldwide. In Willer,, H. and Yussefi,, M. (eds). The World of Organic Agriculture. Statistics and Emerging Trends 2005. International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements Bonn, Germany. p. 9–18.Google Scholar
03Michelsen,, J. (2001) Recent development and political acceptance of organic farming in Europe. Sociologia Ruralis 41: 3–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
04Milestad,, R. and Hadatsch,, S. (2003) Growing out of the niche—can organic agriculture keep its promises? A study of two Austrian cases. American Journal of Alternative Agriculture 18: 155–163.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
05Buck,, D., Getz,, C. and Guthman,, J. (1997) From farm to table: the organic vegetable commodity chain of Northern California. Sociologia Ruralis 37: 3–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
06Tovey,, H. (1997) Food, environmentalism and rural sociology: on the organic farming movement in Ireland. Sociologia Ruralis 37: 21–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
07Guthman,, J. (2004) The trouble with ‘organic lite’ in California: a rejoinder to the ‘conventionalisation’ debate. Sociologia Ruralis 44: 301–316.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
08Goodman,, D. (1999) Agro-food studies in the ‘age of ecology’: nature, corporeality, bio-politics. Sociologia Ruralis 39: 17–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
09Kaltoft,, P. (1999) Values about nature in organic farming practice and knowledge. Sociologia Ruralis 39: 39–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10Campbell,, H. and Liepins,, R. (2001) Naming organics: understanding organic standards in New Zealand as a discursive field. Sociologia Ruralis 41: 22–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11Vartdal,, B. (1993) Motivasjon og meistring av omlegging til økologisk jordbruk. Rapport nr. 3/1993 Trondheim, Norway Senter for bygdeforskning.Google Scholar
12Padel,, S. (2001) Conversion to organic farming: a typical example of the diffusion of an innovation. Sociologia Ruralis 41: 40–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13Midmore,, P., Padel,, S., McCalman,, H., Isherwood,, J., Fowler,, S. and Lampkin,, N. (2001) Attitudes Towards Conversion to Organic Production Systems: A Study of Farmers in England. Institute of Rural Studies, The University of Wales. Aberystwyth, Wales, UK.Google Scholar
14Debio. 2005. Statistikk 2004. Driftsenheter arealer, produksjoner, bedrifter, osv. Debio, Bjørkelangen, Norway. Available at, Web site http://www.debio.no/ (verified 9 February 2005).Google Scholar
15SLF (The Norwegian Agricultural Authority) 2005. Produksjon og omsetning av økologiske landbruksprodukter 2004. Rapport-nr.: 8/2005. Statens landbruksforvaltning, Oslo, Norway. Available at Web site http://www.slf.dep.no/ (verified 20 May 2005).Google Scholar
16LD (Ministry of Agriculture, Norway) 1999. St.meld. nr. 19 (1999–2000). Om norsk landbruk og matproduksjon. Det kongelige landbruksdepartement, Oslo.Google Scholar
17Flaten,, O. (2002) Alternative rates of structural change in Norwegian dairy farming: impacts on cost of production and rural employment. Journal of Rural Studies 18: 429–441.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18Storstad,, O. and Bjørkhaug,, H. (2003) Foundations of production and consumption of organic food in Norway: common attitudes among farmers and consumers. Agriculture and Human Values 20: 151–163.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19Koesling,, M., Ebbesvik,, M., Lien,, G., Flaten,, O., Valle,, P.S. and Arntzen,, H. (2004) Risk and risk management in organic and conventional cash crop farming in Norway. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica Section C—Food Economics 1: 195–206.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20Flaten,, O., Lien,, G., Koesling,, M., Valle,, P.S. and Ebbesvik,, M. (2005) Comparing risk perceptions and risk management in organic and conventional dairy farming: empirical results from Norway. Livestock Production Science 95: 11–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
21Bennedsgaard,, T.W., Thamsborg,, S.M., Vaarst,, M. and Enevoldsen,, C. (2003) Eleven years of organic dairy production in Denmark: herd health and production related to time of conversion and compared to conventional production. Livestock Production Science 80: 121–131.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22TINE. (2003) Årsrapport 2002. Organisasjonsavdelingen TINE Norske Meierier. TINE Norske Meierier, Oslo, Norway.Google Scholar
23Krutzinna,, C., Boehncke,, E., and Herrmann,, H.-J. (1996) Organic milk production in Germany. Biological Agriculture and Horticulture 13: 351–358.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
24Fairweather,, J.R. and Keating,, N.C. (1994) Goals and management styles of New-Zealand farmers. Agricultural Systems 44: 181–200.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25Bergevoet,, R.H.M., Ondersteijn,, C.J.M., Saatkamp,, H.W., van Woerkum,, C.M.J., and Huirne,, R.B.M. (2004) Entrepreneurial behaviour of Dutch dairy farmers under a milk quota system: goals, objectives and attitudes. Agricultural Systems 80: 1–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
26Lund,, V., Hemlin,, S., and White,, J. (2004) Natural behavior, animal rights, or making money—a study of Swedish organic farmers' view of animal issues. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 17: 157–179.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
27Lund,, V. and Algers,, B. (2003) Research on animal health and welfare in organic farming—a literature review. Livestock Production Science 80: 55–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
28Reksen,, O., Tverdal,, A., and Ropstad,, E. (1999) A comparative study of reproductive performance in organic and conventional dairy husbandry. Journal of Dairy Science 82: 2605–2610.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
29Reed,, M. (2002) Rebels from the crown down: the organic movement's revolt against agricultural biotechnology. Science as Culture 11: 481–504.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
30Morris,, C. and Winter,, M. (1999) Integrated farming systems: the third way for European agriculture? Land Use Policy 16: 193–205.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
31Spicer,, J. (2005) Making Sense of Multivariate Data Analysis. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
32Brodt,, S., Klonsky,, K., Tourte,, L., Duncan,, R., Hendricks,, L., Ohmart,, C., and Verdegaal,, P. (2004) Influence of farm management style on adoption of biologically integrated farming practices in California. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 19: 237–247.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
33Rigby,, D., Young,, T., and Burton,, M. (2001) The development and prospects for organic farming in the UK. Food Policy 26: 599–613CrossRefGoogle Scholar