Norwegian agriculture faces mounting pressures, both economically and socially. Cultural motivations for preserving cultural landscapes and biological diversity will most likely become increasingly important.<\/p>\n
\u2013 In many cases, researchers wonder why farmers continue to run their farms despite agriculture\u2019s low profitability. The \u201cgood farmer\u201d-approach claims that farmers remain in agriculture because they receive non-monetary rewards. This includes the satisfaction of successfully practicing good agriculture, as well as receiving recognition from people who are important in the farmer\u2019s community, says Ruralis researcher Rob Burton.<\/p>\n
Burton is the lead author of the book \u201cThe Good Farmer\u201d which recently hit the shelves. The book explores \u201cthe good farmer\u201d and provides a framework for understanding the farmer\u2019s behavior in a cultural perspective.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Previously, we have focused on financial incentives, and eventually also on motivations and how they relate to attitudes. But none of these factors adequately capture the importance of farming culture and the identity of farming communities, says Burton.<\/p>\n
The concept of \u201cthe good farmer\u201d explores the symbolic meaning of activities in agriculture. In working on his doctorate in the mid-1990s, Burton discovered the significance of being recognized as a \u201cgood farmer\u201d. This had to do with showing the neighbors that you were a good farmer, and that one\u2019s neighbors were judged by how farms appeared from the outside.<\/p>\n
Whether someone was a good farmer or not was determined by driving past each other\u2019s farms and evaluating crops and livestock. Farmers understand how difficult it is to produce good crops and livestock and that visible in the fields. By reading these features of the landscape, farmers can identify \u201cgood farmers\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u2013 An occasional mistake might evoke good-natured teasing, but if the products were of poor quality over time, the farmer could lose his social position in the farming community, Burton says.<\/p>\n
While the notion of the good farmer is universal, what symbolizes a good farmer changes over time and from place to place. In the Midwest of the United States, for example, grain silos are a symbol of good agriculture, as they tower over the landscape and can be seen from distances across the flat plains. They immediately indicate how large the farm\u2019s production is. Burton believes that new technology in agriculture will greatly influence the notion of what constitutes a good farmer.<\/p>\n
\u2013 More technology means that the farmer has less need for traditional skills. Other, more technical skills such as computer programming, database administration, electronics maintenance, etc. will be emphasized. When agriculture changes, the symbols of good agriculture change. If we end up with farms managed by robotic systems, the \u201cgood farmer\u201d, as we know him or her now, will disappear completely, Burton predicts.<\/p>\n
The book aims to leave readers with more knowledge about why culture is important in agriculture and what it means for farmers to be farmers. The book also provides researchers with a framework for studying culture in agriculture.<\/p>\n