The Transition of the Agro-Food System: Lessons from Organic Farming in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area

Abstract

The paper presents a study on the transition of the agro-food system in Portugal through the analysis of case studies in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. The theoretical framework draws on the literature on the transition of sociotechnical systems, taking into account the multidimensional nature of the food system (ecological, environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural). Social and institutional innovation, technological innovation, public policy impact, and the interactions with the dominant regime are the main dimensions guiding the study of the organic farming initiatives. We identified the supportive policy measures, the role of producers’ networks, the relevance of values, and the obstacles and challenges these initiatives face in their growth process. While the results are in line with the theoretical debate, they also provide new insights on the selection environment, the networks’ dual nature and the existence of different development paths within the organic food niche. One of the main conclusions is that organic farmers perceive the regulatory framework as unfair relative to that of conventional agriculture. Therefore, it is crucial to change this framework to speed up the transition of the agro-food system in Portugal and at the European level.

Economic and financial model to the mass‐rearing of Macrolophus pygmaeus (Rambur) (Heteroptera: Miridae), a biological control agent against the tomato moth Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in protected culture

“…Together, France (17.1%), Spain (16.6%), Italy (14.2%), and Germany (10.8%), accounted for well over half (58.7%) of the EU's organic area 54 . Data from 2019 show that only 5.3% of farming in Portugal was organic 55 . Currently, Portugal ranks 11th in terms of area (310,540 ha) and the rate of change between 2012 and 2020 was 59.1%, however, it is still low.…”

“…54 Data from 2019 show that only 5.3% of farming in Portugal was organic. 55 Currently, Portugal ranks 11th in terms of area (310,540 ha) and the rate of change between 2012 and 2020 was 59.1%, however, it is still low. The EU has set a goal of 25% of organic farming by 2030.…”

“…One of the possible reasons may result from the absence of public policies with incentives for changing the production model. Indeed, Salavisa et al 55 found that farmers perceive the regulatory framework as unfair relative to that of conventional agriculture. This means that the main question is not how profitable biological control techniques are for farmers.…”

Niche–Regime Interactions of Organic Model Farmers in Bavaria, Germany: Linking Activities of Individual Farmers

“…Research shows that OF in the Global South is one of many niches in the transition to sustainability, with a low level of institutional, political, and societal embedding [14,16,25]. In contrast, studies in the Global North treat OF as a niche, even though it enjoys widespread support (e.g., societal and consumer demand, as well as political and institutional recognition) [26,28]. While restricted by rules and regulations, there is still a high level of heterogeneity in OF, represented by the research on the conventionalization debate [45][46][47].…”

“…Farmers are the transition's executing actors and they have their own farm setups and trajectories, addressing sustainability issues individually, specifically, and by adapting them to their circumstances, reflecting the variety of possible agri-food transition pathways [7,24]. Recent research on OF and agricultural transition has been conducted with foci on the production type, geography, and transition state [14,22,[25][26][27][28]. Scrutiny of the niche nature of OF is important due to its different local circumstances and spatial development [29,30].…”