creators_name: Flaten, Ola
creators_name: Lien, Gudbrand
type: conference_item
datestamp: 2006-05-10
lastmod: 2009-09-09 13:39:34
metadata_visibility: show
title: Organic dairy farming in Norway in relation to the ‘conventionalisation’ debate
ispublished: pub
subjects: 8policy
subjects: 1surveys
subjects: 4social
full_text_status: public
abstract: The new organic farmers may differ from their more established colleagues, which may have implications for the development of the organic farming sector and its distinctiveness vis-à-vis conventional production practices. The aim of this study was to explore organic farmers’ characteristics, farming goals and conversion motives, grouped by year of conversion (three groups). A survey was undertaken among organic dairy farmers in Norway. The newcomers (converted in 2000 or later) were younger and less educated than the early entrants who converted in 1995 or earlier. The newcomer herds were fed more concentrates and had higher milk production intensity than the herds of the two earlier converting groups. Newcomers more often mentioned goals related to profit and leisure time. The early entrants were more strongly motivated by food quality and soil fertility/pollution issues than the others, whereas financial reasons were relatively more important among the newcomers. Even though trends towards more pragmatic and business oriented farming were found, the majority of the newcomers were fairly committed.
date: 2006
date_type: published
refereed: never
citation: Flaten, Ola and Lien, Gudbrand (2006) Organic dairy farming in Norway in relation to the ‘conventionalisation’ debate. Joint Organic Congress, Odense, Denmark, May 30-31, 2006.
document_url: http://orgprints.org/7232/2/7232_Flaten.pdf
document_url: http://orgprints.org/7232/3/7232_Flaten.pdf