Ermolaeva Yu.V. Sociotechnical Transformations of Organic Agriculture in Russia through the Prism of the Multi-Level Perspective Concept. Sociologia Nauki I Tehnologij-Sociology of Science and Technology. 2024. Vol. 15. No. 2. Pp. 199-219.

Текст статьи на сайте журнала URL: https://sst.nw.ru/Files/2024/2024_2-12.pdf (дата обращения 02.12.2024)

Abstract

Organic agriculture in Russia has been actively developing since the beginning of the 21st century, but without active state support, it has formed a strong grassroots initiative, consisting of business and the non-profit sector. In this article the author concentrated on the socio technical sides of the organic farming transformation. Empirical data based on data from expert interviews and secondary analysis of the governmental statistics and scientific articles. The concept of a multi-level perspective examines the current state, transformations and nature of the transitions of organic agriculture in Russia. As a result, it was revealed that at landscape level of the formation of national policy the niche of organic agriculture was recognized and legal support appeared. But there are no economic tools that would help the niche make its product available for citizens, which creates a social and technological barrier for the socio-technical transition. On the other hand, the development of a niche is strongly hampered by external social policy: for example, sanctions, a military operation, price leap for technologies, international certification necessary to increase exports. At the level of the institutions and regimes, organic agriculture experiences the same institutional problems as traditional agriculture: the problem of developing rural infrastructure, lack of personnel, socio-demographic crisis. Despite the barriers, there appeared knowledge basis for organic agriculture, and business is patenting new biological and technical innovations, and digital solutions are emerging. Social niches grow unevenly within organic agriculture, big business became the hub for scaling innovations. Medium and small businesses grow slowly, because of the consumers purchasing power limits. The process of transformation of organic agriculture can be characterized as the beginning of the socio-technical transition and the creation of a strong grassroots niche of organic agriculture in Russia.