The Contestation of Organic and Non-Organic Agricultural Knowledge in Sustainable Agriculture

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the contestational process between organic and non-organic agricultural knowledge in the agricultural practices in Bonto Lebang, North Galesong, Takalar regency. This was a qualitative study exploring descriptive data in oral, written and attitudinal forms obtained from farmers and other parties concerned as an agent of sustainable agriculture in Bonto Lebang, Takalar regency. It was a case study focused on hermeneutics. The data used in conducting this research were primary and secondary data. The results of this research show that the contestation between organic and non-organic agricultural knowledge of seeds-providing, fertilizing or land-managing was given responses from each local of sub-systems such as household, government, local communities, and marketing. For the people in Bonto Lebang village Takalar regency in particular, knowledge of organic agriculture was in fact a deconstructed agricultural knowledge resulting from field experiences and some informations from the agricultural consultants that got improved from self-practices. Meanwhile, agricultural parts that mainly changed were the important parts namely maintenance using the vegetable pestiside and fertilization using the organic fertilizer. The novelty of this research is the ontology focused on knowledge or skills in organic agriculture as a social reality by assuming that behind any knowledge and skills there existed a power and authority to transform the knowledge into a social practice and then it gradually turned into social reality.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2017.v8n2p245