Knowledge and innovation exchanges in organic farmer groups: empirical evidence from Germany

Although farmers assert that there is a culture of open exchange in the organic community in Germany, there is currently insufficient knowledge about the structures needed to support inclusive, long-term, and thematically focused exchanges among farmers and other relevant stakeholders. Such exchanges are crucial for driving innovation and development in organic agriculture, as organic practices and technologies are often complex, vary by region, and are not suitable for standardization. This research, based on qualitative fieldwork conducted on organic farms in the three states of Brandenburg, Lower Saxony, and Bavaria in 2021, addresses this knowledge gap by exploring organic farmers’ perceptions of regional knowledge and co-innovation exchange. Focusing on farmers who are members of organic producer associations (OPAs), the research primarily relies on participant observation and interviews conducted on organic farms. It is supplemented by interviews with other stakeholders, such as agricultural specialists and OPA advisors. The data was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Across the states, we demonstrate how a farmer’s membership in any OPA connects and unifies farmers through a shared identity and provides structures for collaboration and knowledge exchange. On this basis, we identify OPAs as a boundary object. We also show how OPAs at the regional level can connect local, analogous farmers and facilitate important multi-actor partnerships. A major finding is thus that farmers appreciate and benefit from OPAs as they facilitate regional, specialty, and long-term groups for farmer-to-farmer and multi-actor co-innovation and knowledge exchange. Further facilitation of such assemblages is important in Germany, and, we argue, elsewhere.