苑裡有機農業之動態在地實踐

Abstract

1980年代起，有機農業在農委會的輔導下開始在台灣萌芽，並與在地概念緊密連結。有機農業也常理所當然地被賦予健康、安全的特質。然而，在發展過程中卻出現彼此各異的有機農業在地論述。 本研究聚焦有機農業如何在台灣的苑裡多樣化實踐，自1980年代，苑裡的有機農業由農改場、糧商和四位農民開始發展，至今不僅發展為西部平原上最大的有機稻產區，還兼作小麥、黑豆等作物，呈現出有機農業的多元樣貌。 本研究以文獻分析、訪談和觀察法考察苑裡有機農業的實踐，分析此地如何在有機農法中回復或是創建一套在地說法，以及在地農民在如何與不同的外來群體、外來作法和作物互動中持續改寫在地。最後，於在地益發多樣且農民能動愈彰顯的情況下，本研究重新思考有機與慣行之間明確但實際上是有問題的區隔。 本研究中列出有機農業與在地概念討論常陷入的二分迷思，包括區分有機�慣行以及在地�外來，這樣的二分討論是有問題的，在Nygren (1990)的研究中，先破除了在地知識與現代科學二分的想像，並提出更具尺度彈性的處境知識（situated knowledge），呼籲找出誰對知識篩選擁有導引權。而Nygren指出的知識複雜過程，可由McFarlane在2009年提出的跨地域裝配（translocal assemblage）加以解釋，裝配（assemblage）展現的是權力轉化過程之多樣型態，這樣的型式可以納入不同的脈絡和各異的事物，再以跨地域（translocal）作為前綴，將在地與全球尺度模糊化，合併產生跨地域裝配概念，從苑裡農民與各個群體、各式作法以及各種作物互動的過程，看見跨越地域的連結，不只是地圖上地點之間單純的牽連，更是行動互相關連，苑裡農民與苑裡內外各群體之間互相交換意見、知識、實踐、物質及資源，透過上述，在地概念不再是靜態的名詞，而是意義不斷創造的一個過程。 藉由在地知識作為一個概念過渡，本研究打破有機農業與在地概念的二分，再以跨地域裝配說明苑裡農民與各個群體、各式作法以及各種作物互動的歷程，有機農業的知識實則傳遞於在地農民與外來群體之間，也流通於有機農業與慣行農業之間，藉此淡化二元對立的色彩，並以更全面的角度理解當代的有機農業。

Since 1980, organic agriculture in Taiwan has been developed in consultation with Council of Agriculture. A standard operating procedure of organic agriculture has been built up by “local knowledge.” Therefore, without doubts, the organic product has been given remarkable accomplishments as healthy and safety. However, organic farmers developed another set of local discourses of organic agriculture in sequence. This study focuses on how local knowledge of organic agriculture has been practiced in Taiwan’s Yuan-li Township. Since 1980, organic agriculture in Yuan-li has been developed by Agricultural Research and Extension Station, one rice seller and four farmers. Nowadays, it has become the largest organic rice area in western Taiwan and a diverse organic agriculture as farmer plant organic wheat and other organic grains. This study was conducted by qualitative research methods to analyze how local knowledge has been practiced by related actors. Consequently, organic farmers can become knowing agents once again. And this study rethinks the questionable distinction between organic agriculture and conventional agriculture. This study indicates locals and outsiders, local knowledge is distributed among, moreover, organic and conventional agriculture. By challenging the binary concepts, organic agriculture and local concepts could be reconfigured meaningfully. Nygren (1999) underlines situated knowledges as challenge of dichotomies between local knowledge and science knowledge. Furthermore, the complicated knowing process could be interpreted by the concept of translocal assemblage. McFarlane (2009) highlights translocal assemblage for understanding social movements. By examining how local farmers in Yuan-li interact with new communities, methods and crops, this study shows organic agriculture development which exchanges ideas, knowledge, practices, materials and resources across sites rather than just the connections between sites. By taking local knowledge approach, this study challenges the binary imaginary about organic agriculture in local concepts. And then, using translocal assemblage to interpret the case of Yuan-li, it shows knowledge of organic agriculture is distributed among local farmers and the exterior, and shared with organic farmers and conventional farmers. Above all, this study mainly took the analysis of organic farming practices in Yuan-li as an example of contemporary agriculture.