ABSTRACT
Studies of institutional factors influencing organic farming in the South have gained in importance in response to the ongoing globalization of the organic food system. Drivers and policy initiatives differ across countries and regions and the degrees and ways in which organic principles are locally embedded varies. This chapter analyses the general conditions for Certified Organic Agriculture (COA) in Brazil and China, exploring the history and scope of their national systems of regulation of and support for COA. The levels and nature of public and private agency are determined through the use of qualitative indicators covering a range of institutions, from public policy instruments such as national action plans, laws and public research through to private and civil society initiatives. The goal of this chapter is to present a framework for analysis of national institutional environments for development of organic sectors and findings from case studies of Brazil and China based on the same framework. Finally, analysis is made of differences and similarities between the institutional pathways of the organic sectors in the nations compared, identifying social and economic policy conditions under which certified organic production evolves at national and sub-national levels (‘glocalization’) in the context of globalization. Hosting the Olympic Games is one of the factors of shared importance. The chapter concludes that while both countries have an advanced set of institutions to serve certified organic agriculture, COA is quite differently embedded in Brazil and China and so are policy options.
