WAS BEDEUTET BIO FUR EUCH? Exploring Collaborative Research on a Demeter Farm in Germany

Date of Award

2009

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

Second Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Baram, Uzi

Keywords

Collaboration, Demeter, Farming, Organic Agriculture, Germany

Area of Concentration

Anthropology

Abstract

This thesis explores the developing literature on collaboration by elucidatating the theoretical underpinnings of contemporary collaboration in anthropology and by placing collaboration on a spectrum—ultimately demonstrating the benefits of explicitly collaborative research within anthropology. The case study is ethnographic collaboration conducted on a Demeter-certified, organic farm in Germany in the summer of 2008. Through photograph-centered focus-group conversations, participants (including myself) discussed issues broadly related to organic agriculture in Germany. The thesis itself focuses on two of the prominent themes which developed through the research: the contemporary ambiguity of the term "organic" (or "BIO" as it is called in Germany), and the contextualization of Bio-Dynamic agriculture in the lives of the small farming community. Background on the development of Demeter farming and the politics of organic labeling in Germany allow a contextual view of those themes. The collaboration was brought to a public context through a multimedia exhibit held on the New College of Florida campus in November, 2008.

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