Food, Environmentalism and Rural Sociology: On the Organic Farming Movement in Ireland

Abstract

Meat, like all food, feeds not only our bodies but also our minds; it is more than just a meal, it is part of our way of life (Fiddes 1991, p. 6).CURIOUS, LF IMPUCIT, division of labour seems to have established itself A within sociology in regard to the study of food. On one side are rural sociologists who study the organization of agriculture and its variable local forms, and on the other, sociologists of food who locate themselves firmly within the sociology of consumption. The sociology of food, according to one leading text in the field, is about "eating, diet and culture" ('Mennell et al. 1992) and effectively defines economic, social, political and environmental aspects of food production as outside its scope. The sociology of agriculture in developed countries is largely understood as part of the sociology of work, organization and economic processes, and has very little to say about food consumption. An encounter with 'alternative' ways of thinking about food in society reveals that this division of labour leaves rural sociology with a very impoverished understanding of food, and as a result less able to address some critical changes occurring in contemporary rural areas of the developed world. Kloppenberg (1991) has argued that rural sociologists should be active agents in the construction of the alternative 'agricultural technoscience' which is an essential precondition, in his opinion, for the growth of a 'truly alternative agriculture.' This paper argues for a somewhat more humble role for rural sociology: that it learn from emergent alternative agricultural movements to reconstruct its own projects, most specifically in relation to the study of food.There are of course exceptions to the division of labour outlined above but they may only help to reinforce its general taken-for-grantedness. One such exception is Goodman and Redclift's (1991) Refashioning nature, which addresses

How organic farmers view their own practice: results from the Czech Republic

“…This approach also includes a large concern for the p henomenon of organic farming that often promotes personal engagement at a political level, as was observed in other studies (e.g. Tovey 1997). While these types of farmers are in the minority, they should not be considered unsuccessful or unimportant.…”

“…The actual research of this issue was initiated more than 10 years ago, discussed in publications of Tovey (1997) and Buck et al (1997). These authors were the first to point out that the growing organic sector could turn out to be similar to the industrial agriculture that it has traditionally opposed, therefore undermining the intrinsic values of organic ideology.…”

Dynamiques paradigmatiques des agricultures écologisées dans les communautés scientifiques internationales

“…La spécialité édaphique, déjà organisée, perdure en s'associant à de nouveaux thèmes comme la fixation du carbone (Fliessbach et al, 2000) et la biodiversité (Mader, 2002). Un cluster propre aux SHS, déjà apparu, étaye différentes analyses du développement du secteur : la structuration des agrifood systems (Allen et al, 2003 ;Buck et al, 1997), la conventionnalisation de l'AB (Allen et Kovach, 2000 ;Guthman, 2004) et les enjeux de conversion de ses acteurs surtout en Europe (Michelsen et al, 2001 ;Padel, 2001 ;Tovey, 1997). Enfin, une dernière spécialisation se forme autour des enjeux de l'alimentation en matière de sécurité et de nutrition (Bourn et Prescott, 2002 ;Woese et al, 1997).…”

Le label AB, dispositif de promesse ou de jugement ?

“…Des chercheurs ont appuyé cette crainte, explicitant divers mécanismes de pression -« conventionnalisation », « institutionnalisation » -que le « social » imposerait (Seppänen et Helenius, 2004 ;Leroux, 2006 ;Van Dam et al, 2011) ou que « le marché » exercerait directement (Buck et al, 1997 ;Guthman, 2000Guthman, , 2004Conner, 2004 ;Mutersbaugh, 2005 ;DuPuis et Gillon, 2009) ou indirectement (Tovey, 1997) sur ceux qui voudraient s'en exclure.…”