Agrarian Dreams: The Paradox of Organic Farming in CaliforniaIn this groundbreaking study of organic farming, Julie Guthman challenges accepted wisdom about organic food and agriculture in the Golden State. Many continue to believe that small-scale organic farming is the answer to our environmental and health problems, but Guthman refutes popular portrayals that pit "small organic" against "big organic" and offers an alternative analysis that underscores the limits of an organic label as a pathway to transforming agriculture. This second edition includes a thorough investigation of the federal organic program, a discussion of how the certification arena has continued to grow and change since its implementation, and an up-to-date guide to the structure of the organic farming sector. Agrarian Dreams delivers an indispensable examination of organic farming in California and will appeal to readers in a variety of areas, including food studies, agriculture, environmental studies, anthropology, sociology, geography, and history. |
Contents
| 1 | |
Roads to Organic Production | 23 |
Ideal Practices and Practical Ideals | 42 |
Californias AgroIndustrial Legacy | 61 |
A Geography of Organic Production | 89 |
From Social Movement to Industry via Regulation | 110 |
7 Organic Regulation Ramified | 141 |
8 California Organics Fifteen Years On | 172 |
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Common terms and phrases
acreage acres agrarian agrarianist agri agribusiness agroecological alternative basis buyers Cali California agriculture California organic CCOF CCOF’s Certified Organic chapter COFA commodity compost consumers conventional growers converted to organic costs County cover crops culture dairy direct marketing duction ecological economic effect environmental family farm farmers federal rule food system fruit ganic grower-shippers grown growth high-value IFOAM inputs intensification interviews involved Klonsky and Tourte label labor land values lease livestock major materials ment methyl bromide mixed growers NOSB ofthe ofthese ofthis operations organic agriculture organic certification organic farming organic food organic growers organic industry organic movement organic production organic regulation organic sector packers percent pest pesticide political practices price premium processes region regulatory rent retail rural Santa Cruz sell social sodium nitrate soil sold specialty crop strawberry sustainable agriculture tion tomatoes USDA Valley vegetable wine grapes