17 research outputs found
A Review of the Social Benefits of Joint Farming Ventures
working paperThis paper will review some of the main benefits arising from farmersâ working together,
whether through Farm Partnerships or Share Farming arrangements. First, some of the
general social benefits are overviewed, and then brief case-studies are presented of the
specific benefits that have been experienced by farmers working together in the UK and
Norway
Agriculture, Rural Development and Potential for a âMiddle Agricultureâ in Ireland
Working PaperThis paper gives a brief overview of current farm viability in Ireland and summarises some of
the main âbarriersâ to farm familiesâ engagement in contemporary rural development
programmes. Against this backdrop, the paper discusses the potential of a middle agriculture
model for rural development. The capacity of such a model to address some of the economic,
social and cultural predicaments of Irish family farms is outlined. The potential of the model is also discussed in terms of how it may respond to contemporary EC rural development policy priority objectives
The Potential for Joint Farming Ventures in Irish Agriculture: A Sociological Review
peer-reviewedJoint farming ventures (JFVs) are promoted within Irish and EU policy discourses as
strategies that can enhance the economic and social sustainability of family farming.
Research has shown that JFVs, including arrangements such as farm partnerships,
contract rearing and share farming, can potentially enable farmers to work
cooperatively to improve farm productivity, reduce working hours, facilitate
succession, develop skills and improve relationships within the farm household. In
the context of increasing policy promotion of JFVs, there is a need to make some
attempt at understanding the macro socio-cultural disposition of family farming to
cooperation. Reviewing sociological studies of agricultural cooperation and taking
a specific focus on the Irish contextual backdrop, this paper draws the readerâs
attention to the importance of historical legacy, pragmatic economic and social
concerns, communicative norms, inter-personal relationships, individualism and,
policy and extension stimuli, all of which shape farmersâ dispositions to cooperation
and to JFVs specifically.This work was funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Ireland under the Research Stimulus Fund (RSF), Project Number: 11/S/151
The Rural Development Programme (2007-2013) and Farmer Innovation: A Review to Date and Look to the Future
working paperThis paper seeks to comment on farmer innovation in relation to the measures within the Rural Development Programme (2007-2013). Evidence is presented on the general extent of innovation among farmers and the specific uptake of measures within Axes 1, 2 and 3 of the RDP. Changes to, and curtailment of, measures within the various Axes since the inception of the RDP until April 2010 are identified. Following a discussion of some of the internal and external factors that promote or hinder farmer innovation and participation with the Axes, suggestions are made about how to increase farmer engagement with the RDP. It is concluded that for the remainder of the RDP, certain bureaucratic barriers, governance issues, resource issues, training needs, and research gaps must be addressed if farm households are to innovate to the extent that they are expected to as a result of the RD
The Potential of an Enhanced Cooperation Measure in the EAFRD (2014-2020): the case of Ireland
This report was funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) through the National Rural Network (February-May, 2012).The current Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on support for Rural Development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) includes Article (36) Cooperation that is potentially instrumental for realising the objectives of FOOD HARVEST 20204. The purpose of this report is to assess the scope and potential of Article 36 in the context of Irish agriculture and its findings have four key aspects. First, the main areas of confluence between Article 36 and primary policy objectives as set out in Food Harvest 2020 are identified. Second, a range of cooperation categories and types relevant to Article 36, many of which are operational in Ireland, are profiled. Third, drawing from case-studies of these co-operation types5, the operational characteristics of each type are presented, focusing on compatibility with Article 36. Possible supports that would encourage and assist the formation and operation of the cooperation types on a broad scale into the future, and also any possible constraints that would prevent success, are indicated. Fourth, a brief discussion of some key implementation considerations arising from the analysis overall is presented.Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marin
Barriers to uptake of technology in animal production
conference presentationPresentation from the Joint Teagasc-SRUC Conference "Rural Futures II: Towards sustainable solutions for Ruminant Pastoral Agricultural Systems in Scotland and Ireland
Barriers to Change: a Sociological study of Rural Development in Ireland
End of project reportTeagascâs Rural Economy Research Centre (RERC) and Rural Development Advisory Unit initiated a research project in 2006 to investigate the âBarriers to Changeâ experienced by farmers and fishers in adapting to challenges arising from a changed rural development mandate. Economic models developed by the organisation predicted farmersâ exodus over time from nonviable farming enterprises and in response to shifts towards postproductivist policies. A significant proportion of farmers, however, are continuing with what are officially categorised as nonviable farms and are slow to become involved in economic activities in line with the contemporary rural development agenda. In this light, the âBarriers to Changeâ project was designed to explore the sociocultural inhibitors to farmersâ engagement. The project also incorporated a casestudy analysis of a fishing community whose members are experiencing similar âbarriersâ.ICERTS Marine Beaufort Marine Award (2008-2015
Reconstituting Male Identities through Joint Farming Ventures in Ireland
peer-reviewedThe analysis of this article is located in the theoretical interplay between the concepts of identity and masculinity, contributing to the ongoing debate on gendered identities and masculinities in family farming. Our focus in this article is specifically on men who established formal collaborative arrangements (Joint Farming Ventures, JFVs) with fellow farmers, including family members. We present an empirical analysis of primary qualitative data, using the Biographic Narrative Interpretive Method (BNIM), which has particular analytical purchase in the study of identity. Our analysis finds that formal collaborative arrangements in the form of JFVs are employed as resilience strategies by male farmers. The strategies strive to continue the performance of some traditional masculinity traits but markedly involve the renegotiation of hegemonic masculine identity forms, resonant with debates elsewhere on reconstituting gender norms in family farming. Our narrative analysis finds that men's entry to and operation of JFVs entail a conscious and active relinquishing of dominant decisionâmaking power on their farms, an openness to the views and opinions of others, and a greater willingness to helpâseek and express emotions
Static Structures and Dynamic Processes of Participation and Access: a Case Study of Connemara Community Radio
CONNEMARA COMMUNITY RADIO (CCR) is a community-based radio station broadcasting from Letterfrack in the North West Connemara area of Co. Galway since 1995. On air for 10 hours daily, it is possibly the smallest community radio station in Ireland serving a remote, yet large and sparsely populated rural franchise area. One of the main motivations behind CCRâs original establishment was that the radio station would promote community development in its franchise area (Day, 2007b; Heanue, 2002). Set against the literatures on community radio (Day, 2007a, b; Kanayama, 2007; Rennie, 2006; SĂĄnchez, 2003; Heanue, 2002; Girard, 1992) and community development (Tilly, 2004; Moseley, 2003; Varley and Curtin, 2002; Lowe et al., 1998; Mannion, 1996; Curtin et al., 1991; Varley, 1991; Griffiths, 1974; Armstrong, 1971) this article uses a mixture of quantitative and qualitative data collected over the period 2000 to 2008 to analyse the community development aspects of this radio station. The explicit community development focus is important for two reasons. First, as a core principle, community radio seeks to contribute to community development. Second, North West Connemara as a remote, economically challenged rural area relies heavily on endogenous development and has a long-standing and vibrant community development sector (see Heanue et al., 2012). A central objective behind the establishment of CCR by Connemara West Plc was to support and engage in community development efforts. This article seeks to assess the extent to which that objective is being reached by describing and analysing various indicators and processes of participation of local people with the radio station and the form of access they have to it
Gender, Power and Property: âIn my own rightâ
working paperWomen on farms in Ireland are a subject of feminist analysis for five
decades. Salient themes are the constraints of patriarchal agriculture
(O'Hara 1997; Shortall, 2004), the invisibility of women's farm work
(Viney 1968; OâHara 1998), gender inequalities in ownership of farm
assets (Watson et al. 2009) and increasing professionalisation of
farmwomen outside of agriculture (Kelly and Shortall 2002; Hanrahan
2007). Most women enter farming through marriage and family ties.
Land ownership is identified by Shortall (2004) as the critical factor
underpinning male domination of the occupational category âfarmerâ
and considerable power differentials between men and women in
family farming. This is an area that requires further investigation. Our
analysis, framed by theoretical models of feminisation and
empowerment, explores cases where male farm property ownership
in Ireland is disrupted in conventional and non-conventional
agricultural settings. Do these cases provide evidence of new
opportunities for women to become farm property owners, and in
what contexts? What consequences do these opportunities have for
farmwomenâs empowerment and agency? How does womenâs farm
property ownership disturb rural gender relations in the context of
the family farm?Teagasc Walsh Fellowship Programm