Designing Dreams or Constructing Contradictions? European Union Multifunctional Policies and the Polish Organic Farm Sector

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  • Author(s): De Master, Kathryn
  • Language:
    English
  • Source:
    Rural Sociology. Mar 2012 77(1):89-109.
  • Publication Date:
    2012
  • Document Type:
    Journal Articles
    Reports - Research
  • Additional Information
    • Availability:
      Wiley-Blackwell. 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148. Tel: 800-835-6770; Tel: 781-388-8598; Fax: 781-388-8232; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA
    • Peer Reviewed:
      Y
    • Source:
      21
    • Subject Terms:
      Foreign Countries; Agriculture; Ethics; Environmental Standards; Agricultural Occupations; Incentives; Context Effect; Barriers; Certification; Agricultural Production; Policy Analysis
    • Subject Terms:
      European Union; Poland
    • Accession Number:
      10.1111/j.1549-0831.2012.00071.x
    • ISSN:
      0036-0112
    • Abstract:
      Analysts have heralded the principle of "multifunctionality" undergirding the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy "Second Pillar" support mechanisms as a "new...and strong paradigm" for agriculture (van der Ploeg and Roep 2003), with the potential to re-embed social, environmental, and ethical concerns into the structure of the agricultural system. Multifunctionality-inspired agrienvironmental policies arguably represent an alternative to the productivist-focused structural forces driving global industrialized agriculture. Yet few empirical studies interrogate the links between the assumed benefits of these policies and farmer experiences. This article examines the introduction of European Union multifunctional agrienvironmental policies in Poland, specifically incentives and supports for certified organic farming, and demonstrates that while favorable incentive subsidies have promoted increased entry into the organic farming sector, inattention to contextual factors has generated barriers to entry and access, creating unanticipated vulnerabilities for Poland's organic farmers and subsequent contradictions in policy implementation. Furthermore, this article demonstrates that, although specific organic certification standards have changed little since Poland's accession to the European Union, the processes associated with new EU multifunctional policies have shifted toward greater institutionalization and bureaucratization, potentially thwarting the efficacy of multifunctional incentives for organic agriculture in the Polish context. (Contains 1 figure and 1 footnote.)
    • Abstract:
      As Provided
    • Number of References:
      42
    • Publication Date:
      2012
    • Accession Number:
      EJ974603