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Capitalism in Green Disguise: The Political Economy of Organic Farming in the European Union

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  • Charalampos Konstantinidis

Abstract

Following the post-1992 Common Agricultural Policy, organic farming has expanded rapidly in the European Union. This growth is often considered evidence of the success of a distinctive model of small-scale family-farm agriculture. However, I show that European organic farms display features (large farm size, low labor intensity, high prevalence of mechanization, and adoption of monocultures) that are characteristic of capitalist rather than peasant farms. These features raise doubts about whether European organic farming exemplifies repeasantization. JEL Classification: B50, O13, Q18

Suggested Citation

  • Charalampos Konstantinidis, 2018. "Capitalism in Green Disguise: The Political Economy of Organic Farming in the European Union," Review of Radical Political Economics, Union for Radical Political Economics, vol. 50(4), pages 830-852, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:reorpe:v:50:y:2018:i:4:p:830-852
    DOI: 10.1177/0486613417717482
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    1. Ika Darnhofer & Walter Schneeberger & Bernhard Freyer, 2005. "Converting or not converting to organic farming in Austria:Farmer types and their rationale," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 22(1), pages 39-52, March.
    2. Rigby, D. & Caceres, D., 2001. "Organic farming and the sustainability of agricultural systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 21-40, April.
    3. Andriana Vlachou, 2005. "Environmental regulation: a value-theoretic and class-based analysis," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 29(4), pages 577-599, July.
    4. Patricia Allen & Martin Kovach, 2000. "The capitalist composition of organic: The potential of markets in fulfilling the promise of organic agriculture," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 17(3), pages 221-232, September.
    5. Markus Schermer, 2008. "Organic policy in Austria: greening and greenwashing," International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 7(1/2), pages 40-50.
    6. Henning Best, 2008. "Organic agriculture and the conventionalization hypothesis: A case study from West Germany," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 25(1), pages 95-106, January.
    7. Stolze, Matthias & Lampkin, Nicolas, 2009. "Policy for organic farming: Rationale and concepts," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 237-244, June.
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    1. Alba Linares Quero & Uxue Iragui Yoldi & Oriana Gava & Gerald Schwarz & Andrea Povellato & Carlos Astrain, 2022. "Assessment of the Common Agricultural Policy 2014–2020 in Supporting Agroecological Transitions: A Comparative Study of 15 Cases across Europe," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-23, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    agriculture; environment; organic farming; European economies;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B5 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Current Heterodox Approaches
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • P16 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Capitalist Institutions; Welfare State
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy; Animal Welfare Policy

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