Svein Ole Borgen and Bernt Aarset
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of biotechnological inventions and innovations on the organization of the burgeoning Atlantic salmon farming industry.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of biotechnological inventions and innovations on the organization of the burgeoning Atlantic salmon farming industry.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors study how novel biotechnological inventions are utilized within Atlantic salmon aquaculture. The authors compare the findings with the historical development path of invention and innovation in the plant sector, and explore parallels and dissimilarities between the plant breeding sector and Atlantic salmon aquaculture.
Findings
The innovation capacity within Atlantic salmon aquaculture is distinct from the plant sector, but nonetheless likely to become equifinal. Similar to plants, the female fecundity of salmon is high. Hybridization, which is an effective mechanism for protection of investments in high fecundity organisms, is less effective in salmon farming because the genetic variability is higher in salmon. Hybridization provides plant breeders with significant power over grow-out farmers. The development path in Atlantic salmon sector is distinctively dissimilar from plants, but salmon farmers nonetheless appear to move toward the structural configurations that are parallel to the plant sector. The significance of new breeding technologies in Atlantic salmon farming ascends, and will play an increasingly important role in the further development of this industry.
Research limitations/implications
The study contributes to the prevailing knowledge of how inventions and innovations influence the future development of the Atlantic salmon industry.
Originality/value
Biotechnological inventions are evolving within aquaculture. So far, the implications of novel biotechnological possibilities for the Atlantic salmon sector have been underanalyzed. The paper explores these implications from the perspective of political economy.
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Svein Ole Borgen and Guro Aadnegard Skarstad
The purpose of this paper is to explore Norwegian pig farmers' motivation for improving animal welfare, and to develop the rudiments of a more general understanding of farmers'…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore Norwegian pig farmers' motivation for improving animal welfare, and to develop the rudiments of a more general understanding of farmers' animal welfare discourses related to motivation for improving animal welfare.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper presents a discourse analysis of qualitative interviews with 60 Norwegian pig farmers. Supplementary sources are governmental policy documents, research reports and statistics.
Findings
The pig farmers' motivation for improving animal welfare is a moral, economic and regulatory question. Their discourse on animal welfare must be interpreted in light of the specific contextual factors, such as public regulation and the market situation of agro‐foods in Norway, which contribute to shaping the farmers' practices.
Research limitations/implications
An implication of the study of interest for policy makers is that many pig producers currently look upon animal welfare as a “competitive‐free” zone. This appreciation impacts their attitudes towards animal welfare schemes and other measures that are intended to improve animal welfare. However, since the farmers' discourse is highly context‐specific, their motivation for entering specialised animal welfare schemes is also expected to change with future changes in the economic, political and regulatory context within which they are embedded.
Originality/value
The paper is a first‐of‐its kind investigation of farmers' conception of animal welfare in Norway. It provides novel insights into the Norwegian pig farmers' definition of animal welfare, and suggests how their motivation can be understood in analytical terms.