New forms of group farming in agriculture: A vision for the future or just rational adaptation to structural change? – Samdrift – trugsmål mot småskalajordbruket eller berre ei rasjonell føretaksøkonomisk tilpassing?

Over the last decades we have seen different new organisational forms in Norwegian agriculture. These forms are neither of the traditional type of processing or sales co-operatives, nor of the collective types seen in socialist countries or in Israel (kibbutz). Group farming or joint farming is an intensive form of co-operation in agriculture, where former family farmers join their resources, like land, machinery and buildings to farm as a joint enterprise. These are not collectives, because they still own their land. But they are neither production co-operatives in the traditional form, as they farm together in the primary production. In addition to Norway, you will find them in Asia (Japan, Korea, India, and Bangladesh), in Australia and in Europe (France, Germany, Switzerland,…). In Norway the number of group farms has increased rapidly in the last 10 years, reaching 1000 last year with more than 2300 farms as members, mostly in dairy farming. This has created a farm policy debate, and the main goal of the project is to explore the sociological, economical and political consequences of the quick growth of group farming. The study will be undertaken at the farm level, as well as at the local and national level. What motives do people have to farm jointly? What are the conflicts and bottlenecks? How is joint farming influencing the work environment, recruitment to farming and division of labour within farming?