Interest Groups and the Governance of Growth in Organic Farming

Summary

In this paper we probe the issue of developing capacity by exploring the organisational evolution of the key organic interest groups in Australia, the UK and Denmark. A comparison of the Organic Federation of Australia (OFA), the British Soil Association (SA) and the Danish National Association of Organic Farming, NAOF (later the National Organic Association, NOA) is particularly useful in investigating the nuts and bolts of interest group capacity development and adjustment. They emerged from a similar milieu; yet they developed their capacities very differently. While all three associations have developed capacities for the promotion of the organic sector in relation to consumers, farmers and government, they differ significantly in relation to capacity development as it pertains to policy implementation. The key differences can be explained by variation in the organic farm policies of the three countries. The comparison also demonstrates that existing groups can adapt capacities when policy changes, even where neo-liberal inspired policy strategies are deployed.