Conventionalization or diversification? Development in the Danish organic production sector following market expansion

Summary

The organic food market is constantly evolving and organic products are exchanged at multiple markets constituted by particular forms of interaction between producers and consumers. The aim of this paper is to explore how the market influences organic production by looking at the relation between the market and producers engagement towards trust and quality building as well as farm level production strategy. We distinguish between four different market agencements, an arrangement of actors with agency: 1) standardizing market agencement, 2) personalizing market agencement 3) virtualizing market agencement and 4) aesthetifying market agencement. Through qualitative interviews with organic producers, several different strategies are identified. The data indicates that the market relation of the farmer influences production strategy and how trust and quality is build. In the standardizing market agencement producers applies an adaptable production strategy, trust and quality is bound to standards and labels. In the personifying market agencement the production strategy is diversified, trust and quality is negotiated directly. In the virtualizing market agencement production strategy is also diversified, trust and quality is negotiated indirectly via internet or mediated by word of mouth and in the aesthetifying market agencement production strategy is dedicated, trust and quality relies on external qualification