地域農業者組織における有機農業導入をめぐる 志向性とその意義

──和歌山県の紀ノ川農業協同組合を事例に──

抄録

　　In Japan, organic agriculture emerged as an antithesis to industrialized agriculture, which has often implied commitment by followers to pursue alternative relationships between producers and consumers. This may lead to the emergence of a false binary, where organic agriculture is portrayed as an exemplar of alternativeness and polar opposite of conventional agriculture. However, some farmers’ groups opt for mixed strategies, such as reduced pesticide use, or partial organic certification in order to more incrementally expand organic agriculture among local farmers. This paper draws on a case study of the Kinokawa Agricultural Cooperative （KAC）located in Wakayama Prefecture to explore how local farmers and farmers’ organization introduce certified organic production alongside the continued use of non-organic production methods such as conventional and reduced pesticide production. Since its establishment, the KAC has sold its farm products mainly to consumer cooperatives, which emphasize reduced pesticide use in ensuring food safety. KAC farmers adopt certified organic farming only for particular crops. The reasons for official certification are diverse: having secured markets through KAC, being invited to apply from other member farmers, seeking entry to specific value added markets, and challenging themselves to develop new production skills. KAC’s orientation toward organic agriculture is not to position organic monolithically as their ultimate goal, but as one component of a suite of farming styles that serve to enhance the viability of local agriculture by upgrading organizational capacity. This allows for a more inclusive process to encourage member farmers to gain access to organic agriculture.