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Mapping farmers' perceptions of conversion to organic farming. A case study in Austria.

Ika Darnhofer
[History] Paper presented at the European Society for Rural Sociology, 20th Biennial Conference, Sligo, Ireland, 19-22 August 2003
January 2004

When exploring the degree to which the organic movement has managed to effect change in the broader structures of rural society, farmers' perceptions and actions play an important role. The case study attempts to elucidate the extent to which the issues of the organic movement are present in farmers' management decisions. Interviews included on the one hand farmers considering conversion to organic farming, focusing on the changes they expect from conversion, and on the other hand organic farmers, focusing on the extent their farm system is different as a consequence of conversion. To graphically represent the (expected) changes in farm organisation, the perceived interactions between operations, as well as the relationship to the farmer's values, the interviews with twelve pig farmers were summarised using cognitive maps. Preliminary analysis shows that key concerns are securing farm income while avoiding excessive work load. Thus, although pigs were considered attractive as they offered the opportunity to add value to on-farm production, they were also seen as labour-intensive and as such in conflict with increased desire for leisure time and the ability to leave the farm for vacations. A strong debt aversion also meant that farmers were only willing to engage in pig rearing if the necessary adaptation of the stables to organic standards could be done at low cost. Issues that are key considerations for the organic movement, such as closed nutrient cycles (supply of pig manure for field crops, use of on-farm feeds), or local marketing of the produce were seldom mentioned. However, most farmers also testified of a change in their appreciation of organic farming: they now acknowledge that organic farming "works" and accept characteristics of organic farming such as lower yields or more weeds. Farmers also appreciate the higher level of skills required in organic farming.