Steak up to the horns!

Abstract

Recent conversations concerning organic food systems have focused on the conventionalization hypothesis, which posits that the organic food sector has become increasingly bifurcated between ''historical'' players in the organic movement on one side, and on the other by distributors and industrial operators recently arrived in the sector, who practice a more conventionalized form of organic agriculture which is now on the ascendancy. The most prominent explanations for the growth and dominance of a conventionalized organic food system have been economic, based in the logics of input costs, especially land rent. We use the cases of the Belgian Blue commodity system and the Belgian organic beef commodity system to argue that conventionalization is also cognitive. To understand the role of cognition in the ascendance of the conventional organic food sector, we utilize concept of ''re´fe´rentiel''-or system of cognitive references-as developed by Muller and Jobert. We believe that comparing organic and conventional practices as two systems of cognitive references makes a deeper understanding of conventionalization possible in two ways: first because it makes it clear that the two systems coexist on a cognitive level, understood in a broad sense as tightly knit sets of knowledges, beliefs, standards, and images. Secondly, the concept of référentiel enables one to understand how the conventional system can become irreversible (lock-in effect) and thus incompatible with the development of the organic system.

Exploring Rotational Grazing and Crossbreeding as Options for Beef Production to Reduce GHG Emissions and Feed-Food Competition through Farm-Level Bio-Economic Modeling

“…In fact, there have been instances where finished animals have been sold for less than if they were sold in foreign markets. The implementation of such system redesign does not only lead to modifications during the production phase but to modifications on the whole value chain up to the consumers, with a need to overcome some lock-ins at different levels [ 39 ]. While crossbreeding with an Anglo-Saxon breed was considered in this study, the potential of using early-maturing phenotypes within local breeds could be a lever to promote the adoption and the valorization of grass-based beef production.…”

The Multi-Level Perspective in Research on Sustainability Transitions in Agriculture and Food Systems: A Systematic Review

“…Likewise, Diaz et al [109] and Ingram [84] posit that niche-regime interaction can create windows of opportunity for niche actors to gain support by creating coalitions and networks with sympathetic regime actors. However, niche actors should be aware that the regime, and its actors, may tend to marginalize niches [91] or conventionalize/co-opt them [79,[128][129][130][131]. The notion of 'anchoring' is similar to that of 'bricolage' [132], a process that allows the integration of heterogeneous elements and collaboration between different actors that wish to foster transition [99].…”

A new systemic approach to characterize agroecological systems

“…Besides being both a science and a practice, agroecology is becoming a social movement whose aim is not only to limit the negative impacts of certain agricultural practices but also to design alternative proposals to implement transitions. Since its beginnings, the definition of agroecology has broadened and now addresses the entire food system, understood in its multiple dimensions (Francis et al, 2003) and the multiplicity of social, political and economic issues and actors involved in agricultural transformation (Stassart andJamar, 2008, Doré andBellon, 2019). Agroecological systems need to be productive, input-efficient, socially equitable and economically viable, all at the same time (Altieri, 1995).…”