If organic and agroecological farming are the answer, why isn’t change happening faster? (webinar summary)
On 23.04 an online seminar was held with the participation of experts, farmers and researchers from the pan-European projects “Agroecology Transect” and “Visionary”. A study of 2500 livestock farms in Switzerland was presented, as well as a study of organic farms in Scotland, Spain, Denmark and Germany. The text provides a summary of the main topics discussed during the event. You can watch the full recording here.
Andreia Arbenz - an agricultural scientist and PhD researcher at Agroscope, Switzerland, and the University of Bonn, Germany, told us about a study of 2,000 grassland farmers in the mountainous regions of Switzerland that provides a holistic assessment of their intention to adopt agroecological practices. The topic is important because in Europe there is still no comprehensive evidence on the driving forces behind agroecology adaption.
The study focuses on 4 elements of agroecology, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- Diversity includes a variety of species, genes and ecological interactions in farming systems. Swiss grassland context – examples that result in more resilient system: promoted by different animal species and breeds within the farm. Also using extensive pasture that contains a variety of grasses. Diversify incomes of the farm through introducing activites such as farm shops, ecotourism, advisory services etc.
- Synergies are beneficial interactions between elements like soil, trees, livestock, water. The goal is to optimize the resources used, to reduce costs but also to enhance the food systems with resilience and stability. Swiss grassland systems – incorporating trees and hedges of grasslands which increases diversity and provides shelter for animals. Reduce the concentrated feed by relying more on grass resources or alpine pastures.
- Efficiency means using resources wisely by managing diversity and synergies. Swiss grassland systems – reducing independence on external input and make the best use of what is already available within the farm – limit the purchase of feed and fertilizers. Keeping animals healthy by proper nutrition and clean environment.
- Recycling reuses nutrients, water and biomass losses within farms. Strengthen the long-term sustainability of the farm. In Swiss grassland systems that includes using the by-products and residues (return nutrients to the soil), installing solar panels and heat pumps, or collect rain water and use it on the farm.
The highest adoption intention was observed for recycling practices - 34%, followed by synergies - 24%, diversity - 21% and efficiency - 8%. These results are explained by the presence of several main factors:
- Age of farmers – older people have difficulty adapting to changes
- The size of the farm and whether the farmers are already familiar with the concept.
- Meteorological conditions – whether climate changes, temperatures, precipitation are present.
- Behavioral practices – risk tolerance, environmental and moral concerns.
Regarding policies that could encourage the transition to agroecology, the experts working on the study found that a one-size-fits-all approach is not effective. Instead, targeted strategies that align with the specific behavioral drivers of each element are essential.
The second study is an attempt to understand the drivers and barriers in food systems to transition to organic farming. It was presented by Dr. Shadi Hashemi, a scientist at the University of Aberdeen specialising in sustainability transitions, with a focus on sustainable production, supply chains and consumption. In 2023, there was continued growth in organic farming. According to data from that time, around 11% of agricultural land in the EU was organic, with Austria leading the sector with almost half of its arable land. In Denmark and Germany it is around 12%, Spain – 11%. Scotland lags significantly behind at just 2.2%, with a decline rather than inertia there.
A key finding for the four countries that are focus of the study – Germany, Denmark, Scotland and Spain – is that the governance of the food market and supply chains puts great pressure on organic farmers, putting them at a disadvantage. The small scale producers are unable to attract price premium and are unable to access the market. The others – they wouldn’t be able to attain the promised price premiums that they were hoping for when they converted to organic. The retail distribution creates unequal power dynamics in the supply chain. The absence of organic wholesalers add to that absence of limited value chain infrastructures such as processors for example. Vicious cycle within the market that doesn’t allow farmers to attain economic value what would allow them to sustain their environmental approach. In Denmark for instance it’s mainly export oriented production where they have tripled organic exports in the past 10 years. At the same time, the Danes rely heavily on imported fruits and vegetables, and dairy products. This also results in unfair competition in the market and increasing price volatility that doesn’t really help local region producers.
Another example – in Scotland the main problem is the lack of local infrastructure for the supply chain. For livestock farmers this is the lack of enough slaughterhouses. The ones that are available prefer to work with large volume suppliers in order to be able to make a big profit. So organic livestock farmers do not have access to them – they are blocked and forced to send animals to other parts of the UK. And this increases costs and therefore the price of meat.
In summary, the lack of effective local governance and the absence of accessible local infrastructure burden and compromise the profitability of organic farmers. This would affect their confidence and lead to hesitation and the risk of abandoning these practices.
During the study, some solutions were proposed by stakeholders. In Scotland, for example, some farmers have focused on direct sales to diversify their income. The positive side of this practice is the direct contact between producers and consumers and more effectively promoting the values of organic farming. However, consumption is a very difficult segment to penetrate in the long term - people have daily routines and habits and this affects their commitment to buying from direct sales channels. In order to attract loyal consumers, producers need to learn different skills, such as business and marketing. This negatively affects their well-being - on the one hand, they have to invest money, time and human resources in skills that are fundamentally different from agriculture. Larger farms, on the other hand, cannot rely entirely on direct sales because there is a risk that they will not be able to sell their production and thus lose their livelihood. And the problem with slaughterhouses remains in the meantime.