LIVELIHOOD STRATEGIES ON DANISH ORGANIC FARMS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO FARM BASED RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Household livelihood strategies among Danish organic farmers are identified using combinations of off-farm income levels, time used for farming, and farm size. This is based on interviews carried out in 2002 with 10 % of the Danish organic farmers representing the national distribution of organic farm types as well as major landscape systems. The relationship between these strategies and farm-based rural development is investigated in terms of engagement in other farm-based activities and landscape management, and it is discussed how different strategies may be interpreted and the questions it raises to the further development of the organic farming

Structural development in Danish agriculture and its implications for farmland nature

During the last decades, development of Danish agriculture was characterised by concentration of land on fewer and larger farms and consequently increasing farm sizes. On basis of three case studies supplemented by national data we explore relationships between farm size change and farmland nature in terms of field sizes and hedgerow densities. Data point to a significant relationship between farm enlargement and increases in mean field sizes. Furthermore, mean field size is negatively related to densities of hedgerows. For the coming decades, scenarios for Danish agriculture point to a continued increase in farm sizes. We argue for an increased focus on the effects of a continued scale enlargement on farmland nature in terms of changes in field size structure. In order to reduce harmful influences of scale enlargement, we suggest that in relation to changes in field structure, agricultural policies should focus on restrictions on removal of old hedgerows and on subsidies for planting of ne

Nature quality in organic farming: A conceptual analysis of considerations and criteria in a European context

Nature quality in relation to farming is a complex field. It involves different traditions and interests, different views of what nature is, and different ways of valuing nature. Furthermore there is a general lack of empirical data on many aspects of nature quality in the farmed landscape. The present paper looks at nature quality from the perspective of organic farming, which has its own values and goals in relation to nature – the "Ecologist View of Nature". This is in contrast to the "Culturist View" characteristic of much conventional agriculture and the "Naturalist View" characteristic of the traditional biological approach to nature quality. This threefold distinction forms a framework for exploration of nature quality criteria in the farmed landscape. The traditional work on nature quality has mainly focused on biological interests based on a Naturalist View of Nature. In this paper we will explore how criteria for nature quality based on the Ecologist View can be developed and thereby feed into the ongoing discussion of the development of the organic farming practises. We suggest additional criteria for nature quality based on an Ecologist View of Nature: biodiversity; habitat diversity, extent and structure; functional integrity of habitats and agroecosystems; and landscape integrity, accessibility and experientiality. The larger set of Naturalist and Ecologist criteria can provide a wider and more balanced basis for developing nature quality indicators that are relevant in the farmed landscapes. This broader approach to nature quality is also expected to benefit the general societal discussions and decisions on farming and nature

Organic Farming - structure, production and nature management

“Nature Quality in Organic Farming” - is a research project connected to the Danish Research Centre for Organic Farming. The aim has been to develop new methods for characterising nature content on organic farms, to investigate how nature elements are managed on different farms, and to discuss development strategies and ways to communicate this knowledge to different stakeholders. This following is a presentation of the results that emerged from an extensive interview survey with 347 organic farmers from 2002-03

Økologiske brug skaffer indtægt fra mange slags aktiviteter

Økologisk jordbrug dækker over en række forskellige strategier for levevis og produktion. Strukturudvik-ling og øgede bedriftsarealer er en realitet også for økologiske jordbrug, men andre måder til at sikre indtægten er fremherskende for store dele af økologerne. Herudover foregår der en lang række aktiviteter på bedriften udover selve fødevareproduktionen. Nogle af disse bidrager væsentligt til økonomien, andre har kun en lille økonomisk betydning. De økologiske jordbrug bidrager således til landdistriktsudviklingen, såvel ved sikringen af en fortsat bosættelse på landet, som ved en række aktiviteter, der formentlig kan styrkes ved et fokus på dette

Drivkræfter bag landmænds til- og fravalg af økologisk drift

I en lang årrække var økologisk jordbrug i Danmark i vækst, og det var nærmest utænkeligt at en større tilbagelægning kunne finde sted – der var end ikke et ord for et sådant fænomen. Imidlertid tyder analyser af avlerlisterne på, at den tilgang der var i antallet af økologer i 1990’erne dækkede over et større antal omlæggere kombineret med et antal bedrifter, der ophørte med økologisk drift. På baggrund af den nuværende situation med nogenlunde ligeligt fordelt tilgang, udvidelse og ophør med økologisk drift – i et arealmæssigt perspektiv – kan der kun gisnes om, hvor det økologiske jordbrug bevæger sig hen i de kommende år. Dette indlæg beskriver drivkræfter bag omlægning til økologisk jordbrug og tilbagelægning til konventionel drift på baggrund af to forskellige undersøgelser, der begge er dele af forskningsprojektet ”Naturkvalitet i økologisk jordbrug”, delprojektet ”Lokalisering af økologisk jordbrug” finansieret af FØJO II. Begge studier er kvalitative. Intentionen har således ikke været at vise hvor mange landmænds valg af om- eller tilbagelægning der kan tilskrives den ene eller den anden årsag, men at opnå en dybere og bredere beskrivelse af disse årsager, og herigennem at bidrage til videreudviklingen af det økologiske jordbrug

Økologisk jordbrug - struktur, produktion og naturforvaltning

”Naturkvalitet i Økologisk Jordbrug”er et forskningsprojekt knyttet til Forskningscenter for Økologisk Jordbrug. Formålet med projektet har været at udvikle nye metoder til at karakterisere naturindholdet på de økologiske bedrifter, at undersøge forvaltningen af natur på forskellige bedrifter, og at diskutere udviklingsmuligheder og måder at formidle denne viden på mellem interessegrupper. Denne rapport er en præsentation af de resultater, der kom ud af en omfattende interviewundersøgelse som 347 danske økologiske landmænd deltog i, i 2002-03