Development of Organic Agriculture in Bulgaria (1990–2012): Actors, Relations, and Networks

Abstract

This article analyses the development of organic agriculture (OA) in Bulgaria. It especially examines the actors, relations, and structures that shape organic sector policies. The Bulgarian case shows that sectorial agricultural policies can originate without the direct representation of farmers. Due to the dominance of consultancy NGOs and academic institutions in the policy network, OA first appeared as a political rather than as an economic or social and agricultural topic. However, this specificity contributed to the weak development of the organic sector in the country. Ultimately, farmers became engaged in the policy network for the benefit of the sector when the EU implemented organic subsidies. The article is based on both qualitative and quantitative data and applies the policy network approach as the analytical framework. Our analysis contributes to enriching this approach by exploring the role of the state in terms of both political willingness and administrative capacity and shows that in a post‐socialist context, the policy outcome also depends on the synchronisation of these two roles of the state.

Evaluating the Path to the European Commission’s Organic Agriculture Goal: A Multivariate Analysis of Changes in EU Countries (2004–2021) and Socio-Economic Relationships

“…One of the factors, apart from subsidies, which support the development of organic farming, is farmer education. This includes increasing awareness of the beneficial impact of organic farming on the environment and health, as well as showing the positive economic sides of organic farming [50][51][52].…”

Rethinking Organic Farming in the Post‐Socialist Context: Lessons from Bulgaria

“…The Swiss consultants changed their strategy and began to support institution building and organisational development. The results of the efforts were, among others, the establishment of consultancy‐type NGOs, some of which remain core actors in the organic sector today (Slavova et al., ).…”

Opening the „Black Box” of Organic Agriculture in Bulgaria: the Problem with Top-down Institutional Development

“…These forces are provisionally called "internal" (domestic) and "external" (international) forces (Stoeva et al 2013).…”

“…Indeed, the first efforts to introduce market mechanisms to OA began at the end of the 1990s, when the first organic cooperative was funded by the Swiss support mechanisms, with short-term success. As a result of the efforts of the AC and Ecofarm Association, the first stand offering organic products appeared in 2000 in one of the largest cities in Bulgaria, although that initiative ceased within a couple of years due to a lack of consumer interest (Stoeva et al 2013). In 2005, organic products began to appear in certain supermarkets (Apostolov 2013).…”

“…The role of the OA Commission is difficult to assess because none of the key informants recognise it as a main player in solving problems or coordinating interrelationships among the three domains or between OA and the mainstream. of the organic community and the organic movement in general (Stoeva et al 2013).…”