MAKING POLICY – A NETWORK ANALYSIS OF INSTITUTIONS INVOLVED IN ORGANIC FARMING POLICY.pdfVIP

MAKING POLICY – A NETWORK ANALYSIS OF INSTITUTIONS INVOLVED IN ORGANIC FARMING POLICY Heidrun Moschitz (1), Matthias Stolze (2) (1) Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), CH-5070 Frick, heidrun.moschitz@fibl.ch, (2) Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), CH-5070 Frick, matthias.stolze@fibl.ch, Key words: agricultural p olicy, network analysis, organicf arming develop ment, institutions Abstract As organic farming has become an instrument of European agricultural policy, the organic sector is required more and more to become politically active. This paper presents results from an EU-funded proj ect i) analysing the development of organic farming institutions for the period of 1997-2003 in eleven European countries and ii) investigating networks of organic farming policy on national and EU levels following the network analysis approach. The study concludes that institutions within the organic farming sector in new EU member states are still developing, and their relationship with mainstream farming institutions is characterised by a state of competition. In 15 (old) EU countries and Switzerland, this relation is more oriented towards co-operation and has been described as being in a state of creative conflict. Countries with a high share of organic farming show signs of consolidation of their institutions. Organic farming policy networks are bigger in size and denser in these countries compared to the small networks in new member states. Organic farming organisations, as well as state institutions play an important role in all national networks for organic farming policy-making. On the EU level, the network of organic farming policy actors is still at an initial stage. The different