The contribution of organic farming to rural development: An exploration of the socio-economic linkages of organic and non-organic farms in England

Abstract

a b s t r a c tOrganic farming has experienced considerable growth in recent years. Proponents of organic farming point to the environmental and nutritional benefits of organic systems, although these are contested by some. More recently, it has been argued that organic farming can provide rural development benefits through enhanced employment and through closer connections with the local economy, reconnecting consumers with producers and stimulating positive economic multipliers. Against the background of claims made for the rural development potential of organic farming, this paper considers the generation and retention of income, purchasing patterns, and direct employment impacts of a large sample of organic and nonorganic farmers in England. The paper reveals some important distinctions between the characteristics of organic and non-organic farms and farmers. It is argued that most of these differences do not stem directly from differences in farming systems but, rather, reflect considerable differences in the people who operate organic farms as well as the distinctive business configurations they frequently adopt.In confirmation of previous findings, organic farms are shown to employ more people, but the data reveal few differences between the local economic connections of organic and non-organic farms. In turn, this suggests that simply comparing organic and non-organic farm businesses is too blunt an approach. Instead, it is important to consider other factors such as the type of enterprises found on the farm and the marketing routes adopted by the business. It is argued that commentators need to adopt a more nuanced approach, recognising differences between farming systems, farm types, the configuration of farm businesses towards different marketing strategies and the inclinations of those who operate such businesses. This shifts the focus of the debate away from simplistic notions that equate organic production with local supply and assume a local economic benefit, towards a broader conception of the local agro-food economy in which some farms have strong local connections while others focus their efforts elsewhere and earn important export income for the local economy.

Vermicomposting with maize increases agricultural benefits by 304 %

“…Compared with chemical agriculture, organic farming has been thoroughly proven as beneficial in maintaining both biodiversity and environmental sustainability (Ahmad et al 2007; Leite et al 2010). Organic farming has been gradually adopted by agriculturalists, particularly in developed countries (Rigby et al 2001;Lobley et al 2009), because of its higher economic and ecological benefits.…”

Conventionalisation of organic farming practices: from structural criteria towards an assessment based on organic principles. A review

“…Research has also addressed the potential of organic farming to contribute to endogenous rural development, through fostering direct producer-consumer relationships (e.g., Moore, 2008;Renting et al, 2008;DuPuis and Gillon, 2009) or through service provision (e.g., Darnhofer, 2005;Schermer, 2006;Frederiksen and Langer, 2008;Lobley et al, 2009). Finally, a number of researchers have analysed the influence of legal regulations as well as of the entry of agribusiness and supermarkets into the organic food chain (e.g., Allen and Kovac, 2000;Alrøe and Noe, 2008;Tomlinson, 2008).…”

Small Towns and Agriculture: Understanding the Spatial Pattern of Farm Linkages

“…Amongst other findings, the mean value of transactions was found to increase with distance from the farm and farm size while smaller farms were found to have more transactions with rural-based businesses. More recently, Lobley et al (2009) adapted Harrison's approach to consider differences in the direct or "first stage" transactions of organic and non-organic farms in England. Based on survey data, transactions were classified according to whether they occurred within a set distance from the farm (10 miles) or, for those beyond this distance, according to administrative boundaries of ascending scale.…”

“…Similarly, the lack of difference found by Lobley et al (2009) between organic and nonorganic businesses may be because the distance they adopt to define a local transaction is too small to capture differences in the distribution of agribusinesses used by the two farm types.…”