Encouraging organic cultivation practices in Swiss allotment gardens

Summary

Allotment gardens are usually managed by associations, with small allotment plots rented to individual tenant gardeners. Many garden associations have rules for organic production but the rules are neither followed nor policed. To find ways to motivate gardeners to manage their plots organically, we investigate the attitudes of Swiss gardeners towards organic gardening, and which motivations can be used to encourage and promote organic garden management. Interviews with 32 gardeners and other key informants from three Swiss target cities were analysed using content analysis. We found that organic practices are more likely when knowledge is held and that the social environment has a strong influence on behaviour, so potential exists for encouraging a culture where organic cultivation is the norm. Education strategies should therefore be developed in consultation with integration and education specialists to enhance their effectiveness by reaching their target groups in a way that encourages the cultural change.