RECONCILING THE DIVIDE: AN ANALYSIS OF FARMERS’ LAND STRATEGIES WITHIN THE CORPORATE-ENVIRONMENTAL FOOD REGIME A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Sociology University of Regina by Helen Marie Rud Regina, Saskatchewan February, 2013 © 2013: Helen Marie Rud UNIVERSITY OF REGINA FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES AND RESEARCH SUPERVISORY AND EXAMINING COMMITTEE Helen Marie Rud, candidate for the degree of Master of Arts In Sociology, has presented a thesis titled, Reconciling the Divide: An Analysis of Farmers’ Land Strategies Within the Corporate-Environmental Food Regime, in an oral examination held on December 7, 2012. The following committee members have found the thesis acceptable in form and content, and that the candidate demonstrated satisfactory knowledge of the subject material. External Examiner: Dr. Emily Eaton, Department of Geography Supervisor: Dr. JoAnn Jaffe, Department of Sociology Committee Member: Dr. Andre Magnan, Department of Sociology Committee Member: Dr. John Conway, Department of Sociology Chair of Defense: Dr. Mireille Mazard, Department of Anthropology ABSTRACT After twenty-five years of contested change following the collapse of the mercantile-industrial food regime, a corporate-environmental food regime appears to be consolidating. The new food regime consists of two distinct yet complimentary paradigms: the Ecologically Integrated paradigm, and the Life Sciences Integrated paradigm. Through the use of in-depth interviews with organic and conventional farmers living in southern Saskatchewan, this thesis examines how the management strategies utilized by Saskatchewan farmers fit within the larger world food regime in relation to farmers’ self-described identities. This study also explores the heterogeneity of management strategies, and the consistency of these strategies with the ideologies held by the farmers. Giddens’ theory of structuration, Gramci’s theory of hegemonic discourse, and the idea of the reflexive producer are used to explain how farmers make decisions concerning agricultural strategies and how these decisions impact the larger social structure. An analysis of the interviews suggests that producers exist within the emerging food regime on a continuum between the Ecologically Integrated paradigm (alternative producers) and the Life Sciences Integrated paradigm (conventional producers). Most producers frequently utilize production strategies based on their access to markets and specific groups of consumers, and on their personal eco-strategies. These farmers often identify as “conventional” or “alternative” producers, while having beliefs or using agricultural methods that are associated with the opposing paradigm. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of community in the transfer of local knowledge, including potential alternative farming methods. This study also illustrates that i Saskatchewan farmers face additional barriers in the potential for resistance against conventional agriculture due to the history of agriculture in western Canada, the lack of local processors, and the corporatization of land ownership. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, thank you to the farmers who participated in this study and shared their views with me. I learned a great deal from the men and women with whom I spoke; without them, this project would not have been possible. I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor and academic mentor, Dr. JoAnn Jaffe. Her support and guidance has greatly influenced not only the outcome of this project, but my intellectual growth as a student. I would also like to thank my committee members, Dr. John Conway and Dr. André Magnan for their excellent comments and suggestions. Financial support during the course of this program was provided by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research (FGSR) at the University of Regina. I was granted two Teaching Assistantships, a Research Award, a Graduate Scholarship and a Travel Award. The Department of Sociology and Social Studies also provided numerous Teaching Assistantships and two Mentoring Scholarships. I have been very fortunate during this degree to be surrounded by other graduate students from various disciplines who have been caring and supportive, while providing intellectual encouragement. In this regard, I would like to extend a very special thank you to Terra Brockett. She has provided stimulating conversations that challenge the way I understand the world, unconditional emotional support, and at one point, even a place to live. My partner, Jesse Bailey, also deserves a sincere thank you. The completion of this thesis would not have been possible without his persistent encouragement and support, and his attentive readings and re-readings of my project. iii DEDICATION I dedicate this thesis to my parents, Wayne and Georgette Rud. In addition to their constant support and encouragement, my parents are always willing and eager to discuss agriculture. As grain and hog farmers in Saskatchewan, their perspectives and lived experiences have been valuable assets in shaping this project. iv POST DEFENCE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Dr. Emily Eaton, the external examiner, for her thought provoking questions, comments, and suggestions for making the thesis stronger. Thank you to Dr. Mireille Mazard for acting as the defense chairperson. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................ i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................iii DEDICATION ................................................................................................................. iv POST DEFENCE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.............................................................. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................ vi LIST OF TABLES .........................................................................................................viii LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... ix LIST OF APPENDICES .................................................................................................. x 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Introduction and research questions.......................................................................... 1 1.2 Context of the study: the world food regime perspective......................................... 5 1.2.1 The colonial-diasporic food regime of 1870-1914.......................................... 7 1.2.2 The mercantile-industrial food regime of 1947-1973 ..................................... 8 1.3 The food paradigm framework ............................................................................... 11 1.3.1 The Productionist food paradigm.................................................................. 11 1.3.2 The Life Sciences Integrated paradigm......................................................... 13 1.3.3 The Ecologically Integrated paradigm .......................................................... 18 1.4 The corporate-environmental food regime ............................................................. 24 1.5 Organization of the thesis ....................................................................................... 29 2. ISSUES IN CANADIAN AGRICULTURE ............................................................. 31 2.1 Introduction............................................................................................................. 31 2.2 Restructuring of Canadian agriculture.................................................................... 35 2.2.1 The rise of neoliberalism and adoption of multilateral trade agreements ..... 35 2.2.2 Expansion of exports and agricultural spending cuts.................................... 38 2.2.3 Deregulation and privatization ...................................................................... 40 2.2.4 Agricultural research and intellectual property rights (IPR)......................... 42 2.3 Market competition and the commodity price cycle............................................... 43 2.3.1 Consolidation of the commodity supply chain.............................................. 43 2.3.2 Hyper-competition among farmers ............................................................... 46 2.3.3 Short-term volatility and long-term downward trend in prices..................... 48 2.3.4 Asymmetrical and unpredictable commodity price cycles ........................... 49 2.3.5 Problems of unpredictability ......................................................................... 50 2.4 Prairie farmers: participation and resistance........................................................... 52 2.4.1 Fractions among prairie farmers ................................................................... 55 2.4.2 Government policy and large farms .............................................................. 56 2.5 Impacts of farming strategies.................................................................................. 59 2.5.1 Implications of conventional methods .......................................................... 59 2.5.2 Implications of alternative methods ............................................................