"We're Swimming UprWeam*... hto tbe Mainstrmm? An Ovc~ewof tbe Social, Ecanomic, and Institutions1 Aspects of Organic Farmiag in Nova Scot* by Suzanne Cagnon, B.A. A thesis subrnitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in partial fûlfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario May 14,1999 0 copyright 1999, Suzanne Gagnon National Library Bibliothèque nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 WeUington Street 395. nie Weilington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 OttawaON K1AONQ canada canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive Licence aliowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, dismbute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/nlm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retauis ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Abstnct Organic food has been gaining more and more popularity among Cariadian consumen in the last decade. The producers of the food, the organic farmers, are still struggling for recognition and support, from the general public, hm the agricultural community, and fiom govemments. This study looked at the small, but vibrant, organic farming community in Nova Scotia, to examine what are the social, economic, and institutional implications of this alternative type of farming. It was discovered that there is stiil much controversy in the organic movement in tenns of certification, the language that is used, and the funue of organic agriculture. Thank you to aii the fàrmers who filied out a questionnaire, who taiked with me during my field trip, and who kt me be part of their f8mi Me. Tbe idionnation and the experience that you shared with me is invaluable. Thank you to Dr. iain Wallace. my thesis supervisor, who encouraged me hm the beginning to foilow through with this topic, attd Who helped me bring this project to completion. Thank you to Professor Mike Fox for dingover my thesis and offêring very helpful cornments. Thank you to Canadian Organic Growers (Mary Perirnutter Scholarship), and to the Dementof Geography at Carleton (Ina Hutchisoa Ad), for believing in my stuây, and for giving me hd'ig to carry it out. Thank you to InterLibrary Loans at Carleton for finding aii the obscure research materiai that 1 needed. niank you to the 'Geograd Support Group': Tania, Ruth, Kenî, Micbaella, Neil, and Diane, for sharing al1 the problems, concems, and successes dong the way. Merci Roger pour ton support et ton aide technique. Table of ContenB -.. Abstract 111 Acknowledgements iv Table of Contents v List of Illustrations viii List of Tables ix List of Appendices X Part 1- The environment of organic agricilture and this thesis Cbapter 1: Wbat ir o-c .g*ul tuce... and why in Novi Scotia? 1 1.1 Introduction 1-2 Demystifying organic agriculture and expioring general assumptions 1.2.1 Organic agriculture 1.2.2 Cornmon assumptions 1 -3 Justification of topic 1.3.1 Why organic? 1.3.2 Why Nova Scotia? 1-4 Approach and methodology 1.4.1 Principles of organic agriculture and my research approach 1.4.2 Basic methodology 1.4.3 Limitations of the study Chapter 2: The literature on rural mtructuring and agricultural geography: how it ieads to research on alternative types of agriculture 3 1 2.1 Rural restructuring and agricultml geography 3 1 2.2 Classic writings in organic agriculture and alternative agicultural issues 35 2.3 Recent studies in alternative agriculture in the Canadian context 40 2.4 "Farmer-based" literature: A rich resource written by people at the source 46 2.5 Lnterdisciplinary American visionaries 50 2.6 Other important links with organic agriculture in the literature 52 Part 2 - Organic famers' ecosystems: Let's üik il1 this inforaution together Cbapter 3: Who is do& it and why? 57 -1 Organic growing in Nova Scotia 3.1.1 The evolution of organic growing in Nova Scotia and NSOGA 3.1 -2 The evolution of organic growing in Nova Scotia and the NSOGA 3.2 Profile of current organic growers in Nova Scotia 3.2.1 Spatial distribution 3.2.2 Farrn size 3.2.3 Length of operation 3.2.4 Main farm products 3 -2.5 Household structure. 3.2.6 Economic structure 3.2.7 Basic demographic information 3-3 Motivations for farming organically 3.3.1 Health issues 3.3.2 Environmental concems 3 -3-3 Lifestyle choices 3-3 -4 Economic considerations 3.3.5 Wsthe right thing to do" 3.4 Social issues linked to organic agriculture 3.4.1 Organic fmers and the rural community 3.4.2 Public education 3.4.3 Awareness in the agricuitural community 3.5 The language debate Cbapter 4: What are the economics of organic farihg? 4.1 Economic implications on farm, farm household, and nual community 4.1.1 Hued labor 4.1.2 Non-hired labor 4.1.3 Household labor and off-farm work 4.1 -4 Cornmunity connections 4.2 The market for organic products 4.3 Marketing and distribution of organic products 4.3.1 Marketing of organic products in Nova Scotia 4.3.2 Distribution of organic products in Nova Scotia 4.3 -3 Wholesalers and retailers 4.3 -4 Farmers' markets and farm gate des 4.3.5 CSAs: An option for the funire? 4.3.6 Premium prices for organic food 4.4 Economic bamers to organic f-g and the strategies to overcome them 4.4.1 Economic barriers to organic f-g 4.4.2 Strategies to overcome the financial barriers 4.5 "A good living?" 4.5.1 Do organic farmers want to make a Living with their fami? 4.5.2 1s it possible to make a living famiing organically? 4.6 Di fficulty in reconciling organic values with w mmercial interests Chapter 5: The orginbation and politics of orgnic growing? 5.1 The organic associations 5.1.1 Nova Scotia Organic Growers Association (NSOGA) 5.1 -2 Canadian Organic Gmwers Association (COG) 5.2 Working together 5.3 Certification and organic standards 5 -3 - 1 What does certification mean? 5 -3-2 1s it important and necessary? 5.3.3 Advantages of certification 5.3 -4 Disadvantages of certification 5-3 -5 Organic standards 5.3.6 National organic standar&...y es or no? 5 -4 Government support 5.4.1 1s there support for organic farming? 5.4.2 Should the= be govemment support for organic faming? 5.4.3 "The organic specialisf' Chapter 6: Where do we go from here? 6.1 "Swirnming upstream" 6.2 Barriers to organic growing 6.3 Needs for the friture 6.4 Trends for the fùture 6.5 Direction organic agriculture is moving in 6.6 Assessrnent of organic fdngand other research Appendices Table 3.1 The total number of certified organic famis pet province 199% 1996 TabIe 3.2 The total number of certifieci farms in Nova Scotia 1992-1998 Table 3.3 ïhe total nurnber of ceriified organic growers in Canada 1992-1998 Table 3.4 Motivations and advantages of farming organically Table 4.1 Points of sale for organic products in Nova Scotia List of Illustrations Figure 1.1 Continuum of agriculture Figure 1-2 Spatial distribution of questionnaire and inte~ewrespndents, Nova Scotia 1998 Figure 1.3 Nova Scotia county divisions Figure 3.1 Size of organic farms in Nova Scotia Figure 3.2 Length of operation, organic famis in Nova Scotia Figure 3.3 Howhold composition on organic famis Figure 3.4 Prime source of income of organic farmers Figure 3 -5 Gross farm sales on organic fms, 1997 Figure 3.6 Demographic information of questionnaire respondents Figure 4.1 Percentage of off-fann workers List of Appendices Appendix A: Codes used in persod interview transcnpts 205 Appendix B: Abbreviations 206 Appendix C: Informed coasent fom for personal inte~ews 207 Appendix D: List of the most fiequently-asked questions during personal inte~ews208 Appendix E: Cover letter and written questionnaire 210 Appendix F: Important addresses and contacts 218 - -- 'Part- ----- 1 - The- environment of orgaie agriculture and thb thaïs - - Chapter 1: Wbat W orgiaic agrïcultum... and why in Nova Scotia? 1.1 Introduction "Ir's (organic fmmining) becoming more mainstream niere 's more inferest in it There S more articles ail the fime, if seems. in the newspaper. 'P (Craig Medicraft) "Peopledo recognize ththe wurd orga~icmeas some fhïng-" (Janet Wallace) "Organic" has become a bu^ word in the food world. Here in North America, we ofien hear the word organic coming fiom Europe, with some European countries such as Denmark subsidizing the conversion to organic and faEilitating the marketing of organic products, so that conventional agriculture is gradually king phased out (Michelsen 1996). Measures such as these may seem a bit foreign and extreme in Canada and the United States, where agriculrural land seems plentiful and environmental concems in agriculture seem to îake the back burner to decreasing wheat and beef prices. In con- to Europe, organic famiing in North America is niIl in its early development stages and is generally considered a marginal agricultural activity, although it is slowly growing and gaining recognition.