What is it about?
Organic farming is under constant pressure to consider new technologies, but how do they decide which technologies are suitable? Using qualitative interviews (focus group interviews) we have shown that Danish organic farmers tend to use scientific knowledge rather that experience based knowledge when determining if a technology is acceptable.
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Why is it important?
Our findings suggests a mismatch between the farmers and the organic movement organisations. Thus, in contrast to the Danish organic farmers who rely on scientific knowledge and arguments; the international organic movement organisation, IFOAM, in their principles for organic farming also stress the importance of experience-based knowledge.
Perspectives
Since organic farmers, at least in a country like Denmark, do not draw on their concrete practical experiences when determining which technologies are relevant, it is our hope that this article will highlight the need for the organic movement to develop closer connections to the farmers. This includes the development of methods to tap into the vast practical experiences of the organic farmers and apply these when assessing the risks of new technologies suggested for organic agriculture.
Professor Jesper Lassen
University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Knowledge and Precaution. On Organic Farmers Assessment of New Technology, Sociologia Ruralis, December 2016, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/soru.12157.
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