Organic Farmers’ Networks and Their Role as Innovation Incubator in Swedish Peri-urban Countrysides
Type de matériel :
45
Innovations in agro-food systems based on environmental and sustainable values are growing in European peri-urban countrysides. Networking seems to have become a major tool for the diffusion of those innovations. Examining the case of several networks of organic farmers in the Stockholm metropolitan area, this study aims to analyse patterns of the diffusion of organic farming understood as an innovation, using the framework of the actor-network theory. Results show that networks support innovative practices in the agricultural and social fields by adding economic and social value that improve the viability of farms. Nevertheless, organic farmers’ networks remain marginal in Sweden, thus appear barely able to gather farmers together and to redefine the quality of food on local bases. Other patterns are identified as key factors in the diffusion of organic farming, such as geographical proximity or local agricultural groups.
Réseaux sociaux