The organic sector in Bavaria

Hinzpeter, Kilian (2025): The organic sector in Bavaria: challenges, opportunities and prospects. Dissertation, LMU München: Fakultät für Geowissenschaften

Abstract

In the context of anthropogenic climate change, the agricultural sector is identified as a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. In light of this global challenge, organic farming is seen as a promising alternative to conventional farming, and is central to many political programmes, including the EU’s Farm-to-Fork Strategy and the Bavarian BioRegio Bayern 2020 programme. However, the transition to a sustainable agricultural system characterised by organic farming, is a significant and complex undertaking. Not only is the mere conversion to organic farming required, but the underlying governance structures and consumer behaviour are also crucial for sustainable change in the agricultural system through organic practices. This cumulative dissertation aims to assess the state of the organic sector in Bavaria, identifying both the barriers and opportunities for its development, and exploring its potential to serve as a model for a broader sustainability transition in agriculture. The objective of this thesis is to gain a better understanding of the processes and potentials associated with organic farming in the transition to a more sustainable agricultural system. This work provides contextual background on organic farming, covering its origins and development, the standards and values that underpin it, the regulatory framework, related certification and logos, the policy support available and the key actors involved. These elements frame the subsequent analysis of the sector. The thesis adopts three research approaches. It employs an empirical mixed-method approach that combines interviews with organic farmers and actors from the organic sector in Bavaria, with the collection of quantitative data from certificates and document analysis. First, the thesis addresses the poor data availability that has prevented spatial analysis of different actors in the organic sector on a large scale. The results reveal spatial patterns of various actors within the Bavarian organic sector and offer insights into the structures, challenges, and possibilities associated with organic farming in Bavaria. These findings provide a foundation for future research into the impact of the spatial distribution of different actors and possible networks in the organic sector. This will facilitate the implementation of more targeted, large-scale measures at the institutional level, with the objective of overcoming challenges in the organic sector and strengthening and promoting organic farming. Second, research focuses on officially designated organic model farmers. Their interactions and connections with colleagues, suppliers, customers, and others are presented, and the rationale behind these relationships is analysed. This analysis identifies key policies that can be employed to strengthen organic farming and alter the agricultural system. Furthermore, the interactions and connections elucidate fundamental mechanisms of farmers, which illustrate their capacity to act as change agents in the transition to a more sustainable agricultural system. The potential for organic model farmers to exert influence over a range of actors within and beyond the organic sector could prove pivotal in the transition process. Thirdly, the functionality, advantages and disadvantages of the knowledge transfer network for organic farming based on organic model farmers, is examined. It illustrates the significance of knowledge provision for farmers with peers. Given the pivotal role of peer knowledge in the decision to convert to organic farming, the BioRegio Betriebsnetz, comprising 100 organic model farmers in Bavaria, represents a promising measure for accelerating the adoption of organic farming. This can advance a transition to a sustainable agricultural system. Although the participating model farmers report high levels of satisfaction and perceive the network's functionality and support to be satisfactory, the actual success of the network cannot be quantified due to a lack of available documentation. This knowledge transfer network can be used as a model for other regions within and outside Germany. The findings from the scientific contributions, when considered alongside the contextual background knowledge on organic farming, reveal new facets in the barriers and opportunities of organic farming in Bavaria and in a broader context. Together, this contributes to the ongoing debate surrounding the sustainability transition of the agricultural system. The thesis further indicates the potential of research into the relational dynamics and networks within and beyond the organic sector. Such research can identify opportunities and barriers to transition making toward sustainability. The thesis points to modifications to regulatory and economic frameworks governing the organic sector that could facilitate the continued development of organic farming and effect a sustainability transition of the agricultural system.

• Dokumententyp: Dissertationen (Dissertation, LMU München)
• Keywords: Organic farming, Transition, Agricultural System, Bavaria
• Themengebiete: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik ; 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik > 550 Geowissenschaften
• Fakultäten: Fakultät für Geowissenschaften
• Sprache der Hochschulschrift: Englisch
• Datum der mündlichen Prüfung: 14. Mai 2025
• 1. Bericht­erstatter:in: Winder, Gordon