Organic Farmers and the Social Economy

by Jennifer Sumner and Sophie Llewelyn

A recent study of organic farmers in southern Ontario has found that they not only face a series of challenges, but often address these challenges through what is known as the social economy.

The social economy is made up of organizations that have social objectives central to their mission and practice, even though they operate in the market economy. These organizations use tools and some of the methods of business to provide social, cultural, economic and health services to communities that need them. Co-operatives, credit unions and non-profit organizations are just some examples of the social economy in action.

Organic agriculture has always been part of the social economy. Its origins, philosophy and practice align easily with the vision of a better world that is central to the social economy. Like other expressions of the social economy, the social values connected with organic agriculture stand alongside its economic values. But unlike many other forms of the social economy, the environmental values of organic agriculture share equal billing with its social and economic commitments.

This study found that organic farmers face a series of five, interconnected challenges in the areas of production, processing/storage, marketing, regulation and community. In terms of production, organic farmers lack access to knowledge about organic production methods, to production inputs and to qualified labour. When it comes to storage and processing, organic farmers are often out of luck – there is a lack of certified organic processors and slaughter facilities. With respect to marketing challenges, organic farmers lack access to markets for higher-priced organic meat and produce, and face increased competition within the growing organic sector. In terms of regulation, organic farmers who run small or medium-sized farms find that many regulations benefit larger operators at the expense of smaller ones. And when it comes to community, organic farmers face conflicts with neighbours over pesticide drift and GMO contamination, social exclusion and isolation because of their choice to farm organically, and limited access to neighbourly support such as farming advice or equipment sharing.

In spite of the resourcefulness of organic farmers, they cannot overcome these challenges as individuals. So they have come together to create, join and spread a range of social-economy organizations. The 49 respondents in the study reported activities with over 100 different social-economy organizations, including 19 producers’ co-operatives, three consumers’ co-operatives, 13 credit unions, 54 nonprofit mutual associations (including 13 economic associations and 41 social organizations), 13 nonprofits serving the public and 25 mutual insurers. While some of these organizations serve organic farmers exclusively, many more contribute to the livelihoods of farmers of all stripes and to rural communities in general.

Although most of the farmers in the study are members of a producers’ co-operative, the study also highlights organic farmers’ participation in other social-economy organizations. For example, organic farmers belong to a number of organic nonprofit mutual associations, such as the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario (EFAO) and the Canadian Organic Growers (COG), which help them to access knowledge, production inputs, marketing information and social support. They also join other nonprofit mutual associations, such as the National Farmers Union (NFU) and the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario (CFFO), which explicitly support family farming and sustainable agricultural practices. And organic farmers participate in a variety of nonprofits serving the public, such as 4-H, the Children’s Aid Society and local food banks. Some described their participation in one particular nonprofit serving the public, FoodShare, as an opportunity for learning and a catalyst for urban-rural exchange.

Other studies have clearly shown that organic farmers make economic, social and environmental contributions to rural communities. This study found that when farmers turn to the social economy to address the challenges they face, their involvement forges linkages among themselves, between organic and non-organic farmers, and within rural communities. These linkages, in turn, mobilize action that supports long-term sustainable community development. In this way, the involvement of organic farmers in the social economy helps to ensure that rural communities and the environment we all depend on are part of the reasons for, not the casualties of, doing business.

 

More complete details of this study are available in the forthcoming book entitled Why the Social Economy Matters, edited by Laurie Mook and Jack Quarter, and published by the University of Toronto Press.

Jennifer Sumner, PhD, teaches in the Adult Education and Community Development Program OISE/University of Toronto. Sophie Llewelyn is a PhD student at McGill University. Please send comments or questions by phone to 902-893-7256 or by email to oacc@nsac.ca.

 

Posted November 2008