Taking Root in the Peri-Urban Area of Bursa: Embedding Organic Farming as a Social Practice

Abstract

This study analyses the processes of adoption and sustainability of organic farming in the metropolitan periphery based on Social Practice Theory (SPT) and Critical Realism. The empirical study conducted in the province of Bursa, employs both quantitative and qualitative methods. The main argument of this study is that the sustainability of organic farming does not depend solely on individual preferences of policies. The sustainability of organic farming depends on it becoming a routinized behaviours that are shared by individuals. In this context, the aim of the article is to understand the factors that enable organic farming as social practice. The findings indicate that four main dynamics shaping the development of organic farming in Bursa: Contract farming, public projects, collective learning, and entrepreneur farmer. In transitions initiated by firms or public institutions, farmers' everyday practices are not aligned with the knowledge, skills, and materials required for organic farming practice. In contrast, farmers whose everyday practices are aligned with the requirements or organic farming are more likely to sustain it. In conclusion, sustaining organic farming requires more than access to markets or financial support. In conclusion, the diffusion and sustainability of organic farming should be understood as a multidimensional and relational process, and policy interventions should be designed according to local contexts.