Organic food and farming as a prototype for sustainable agricultures

Abstract

Many agricultural models claim to serve as a foundation towards sustainability. This introductory chapter examines how research results in organic food and farming (OF&F) may contribute to meaningful innovations and transitions for sustainable agricultures. To support this, we refer to three different interpretations of the concept of prototype. Each of them is developed in the three sections of the book. First, prototype theory is used as a mode of graded categorisation in cognitive sciences where categories are relative and boundaries may be fuzzy, making it possible to confront OF&F to other agricultures. The first section addresses production, protection and agro-ecological processes with the aim of increasing self-sufficiency. It addresses the validity domain of research findings for other agricultures. The second interpretation of OF&F as a prototype refers to its ability to outperform existing agricultures. This could also serve as a basis for outcome-based OF&F, which is currently mean-based. Three main challenges are developed in the second section: environmental issues, animal welfare and the quality of organic products. The third interpretation refers to OF&F development pathways. OF&F internal dynamics can be seen as enabling transformations. The third section combines two implications: renewal of an organic framework open to other stakeholders and identification of transition pathways for OF&F systems, including the territorial level. The prototype concept is useful for tackling the multiple challenges of the dynamic relationships of OF&F with other forms of agriculture. If OF&F is more than a niche, shifting from a prototype to a generalisable model still remains an issue.