Clustering and the spatial distribution of organic farming in England and Wales

Dados Bibliográficos

ID8361237
AutoresBrian Ilbery (University of Gloucestershire), Damian Maye (0000-0002-4459-6630, University of Gloucestershire)
Ano2010
Data de publicação2010-05-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoArea (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0004-0894 • E-ISSN: 1475-4762
EditoraWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1475-4762.2010.00953.x
OpenAlexW2148070408
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas11
Referências citadas21

Previous geographical research on organic farming suggests a process of aggregation at the regional scale and spatial clustering at the local level, the latter in response to a neighbourhood effect and different socio-cultural factors. However, little research has been conducted on the geographical distribution of organic farming in a UK context. Using both secondary and primary data, this paper examines geographical aspects of organic farming in England and Wales. At a regional scale, three major concentrations of organic production are found to the south and west of a line drawn between Bangor in north Wales and Brighton in south-east England (the Brighton–Bangor line). One of these concentrations occurs in the counties of East and West Sussex in south-east England. Yet, within these two counties the pattern of organic farming is quite random and there is little evidence of spatial clustering, a neighbourhood effect or the influence of socio-cultural factors. Instead, many of the farms have converted from conventional farming since 1990 and are driven by a strong economic imperative, which encourages the use of national as well as local outlets to both sell their produce and purchase necessary inputs

Agricultural economics · Agriculture · Archaeology · Cartography · Cluster analysis · Context (archaeology) · Distribution (mathematics) · Economic geography · Economics · Geography · Neighbourhood (mathematics) · Organic farming · Regional science · Scale (ratio) · Spatial ecology · Ecology · Organic Food and Agriculture · Rural development and sustainability · Wine Industry and Tourism