Role of Higher Education Institution with Promoting the Capacity of Organic Agriculture in the Community

Abstract

This research aimed to study the context, environmental factors, pattern, process, success factors, challenges and obstacles in promoting organic community agriculture of higher education institutions. This study also examined outputs and outcomes from the activities which higher education institutions have supported the organic agriculture in communities. In-depth interviews were conducted in 5 areas. Total participants (28 persons) were divided into 2 groups including lecturers and directors (13 persons) from higher education institutions and organic farmers (15 persons). The results showed that under the mission “provision of technical support for public” the higher education institutions have promoted the organic agriculture in the communities through 7 activities, including 1) identifying prototype area, 2) changing farmers’ attitude, 3) building capacity among farmers to understand the organic framing process, 4) supporting organic market, 5) certifying organic community agriculture, 6) promoting organic farmer aggregation and 7) generating the new organic farmers. The higher education institution started with different activities depending on the capacity, availability, and capital of the higher education institutions. To successfully support the community on organic agriculture, all the process needs to be done comprehensively and cover the whole community. The higher education institutions haved worked and learnt alongside with communities and regularly mornitored the progress. Therefore, to promote organic community agriculture, higher education institutions should act as the academic agency which supports up-to-date knowledge and information to comunities, builds communities’ capacity, and connects the communities with other stakeholders. Besides, the community has expected the higher education institutions to take a role as the certification agency for organic products and innovation generators to meet the demand of organic agriculture in the future.