Conversion to Organic Farming and Social Justice: A Socio-Ecological Approach

Maria das Dores S. de Loreto
Universidad de Vicosa, Vicosa, Brazil, dorinhasaraiva@hotmail.com

Glen Filson
University of Guelph, Canada, gfilson@uoguelph.ca

Eleonora Cebotarev
University of Guelph, Canada, ecebotar@uoguelph.ca

Conversion to organic farming is one solution to the costs which globalization has imposed on the human and physical environment. In these systems, agro-ecological, socio-cultural, economic and institutional factors are integrated, affecting the daily life of the organic producers and their social network.

To understand this reality this study used a systemic and holistic socio-ecological approach as well as a network framework, because it presumes that farmers, researchers, certifying bodies, firms, government authorities and non-government organizations (NGOs) are all involved in the complex web of material and non-material relationships, that affect changes and decisions.

This analysis seeks to understand problems, issues, trade-offs, objectives and perceived needs for making appropriate decisions, which could connect sustainability to human rights, equity, responsibility and social justice.

Preliminary results based on secondary data and on the life story interview with a sub-sample of producers showed that the conversion process to organic farming depends not only on economic factors, but also on socio-cultural and institutional (both public and private) parameters. The implementation of organic farming has challenges and it is associated with a change of values, based on a philosophy and the life style of the actors involved in the organic system, with all their complexities and interest.

The model of development imperative in Canadian economy isn’t fair in terms of social justice and effective sustainability, because it is governed by neo-liberal economic forces that sacrifice the social dimension and don’t humanize the dynamics of the complex system of interest of the organic production.

Full Paper

Source
Presented at the Social Research in Organic Agriculture Symposium. Guelph, Ontario. January 2005


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