Participant selection

Using Patton’s (2001:243) sampling definitions, this study used mixed purposeful sampling including intensity sampling (information rich cases that manifest the phenomena intensely), chain sampling (cases which are able to lead to other information rich cases) and opportunistic or emergent sampling (following new leads and taking advantage of the unexpected).

The study used production to consumption cycles starting in the Blackwood Catchment. The ten supply chains chosen including two examples of each commodity, broadly covers the major non-meat industries in the region (dairy, horticulture, wine, grains and wool).

The supply chain activity explored was mostly situated within the regional (e.g. Western Australia) and sometimes national scope. In all but one case, a proportion of the products do leave the state and a number of them are exported. One of the products is purely for export, due to the producer’s perception of a lack of Australian market for ‘sustainable’ products. The export component is considered secondarily to the regional and national scope of this project. That is, the objective of exploring the importance of sustainability values for Australian export products, whilst no less important, was tangential to the domestic context. However it is recognised that exports are of critical importance in agricultural sustainability in Australia, particularly with the current trend of rising export prices. Relative to imports, average export prices (of all commodities) have risen by around 65% since 2002 (The Weekend Australian, 14- 15 June). An issue relevant to exports that was explored in this study is the lack of processes in Australia to support sustainable food and fibre systems in comparison with the many

certification and other processes overseas.

Nine of the ten case study chains were initiated from farms in the Blackwood River catchment, South West Western Australia. The tenth case study product originated from a market garden farm located in the Perth outer suburbs. This case study was used as there were no conventional strawberry growers available within the catchment for comparison with the organic strawberry example.

Details on the location of the farming and manufacturing operations in each of these supply chains is not specified in this dissertation because of the need to respect and maintain the confidentiality of these people and their businesses. This is discussed further in the section on ethics in the research.

5.3.1 Best case selection

Purposeful or “theoretical” selection with an intentional bias was used to select ‘information rich cases for study in depth’ (Patton 2001:230). Purposeful sampling in this study aimed, as Patton describes it, ‘to yield insights and in-depth understandings rather than empirical

generalizations’ (ibid). Because environmental assurance and other systems that recognize and support whole of supply chain sustainability are not common practice in rural WA and arguably Australia (outside of organics), a random selection would have very likely returned limited or even nil data on this topic.

Best practice farmers and consumer case studies were deliberately chosen as they are the most likely examples to expose the drivers of and impediments to the transfer of sustainability values along the supply chain. These case studies are also likely to provide rich information on the topic and allow central themes to emerge (Ritchie & Lewis 2003). The ‘extreme cases’ (Patton 2001) selected were growers known to have environmental and social values that challenged or complemented economic values associated with their production systems in a visible and public way. Intensively studying a small number of these ‘illuminative cases’ (Patton 2001:232) should lead to a better understanding of the drivers and impediments to ‘sustainable’ approaches.

Farm managers were chosen for interview through the researcher’s community landcare network. All farmers in this study were considered to be environmental best practice farmers and were selected on that basis, using a number of signatures to define best case including involvement in NRM and agricultural sustainability programs, and on-farm activities such as soil and water conservation and biodiversity protection. It was understood that all ran successful commercial enterprises that fit within the over $50,000 per annum bracket. They had all

undertaken significant industry best practice and landcare efforts on their landholdings and all spoke of strong environmental values as major drivers in their farming business and lifestyle (not to neglect the major driver of economic sustainability).

All farming families selected as case studies were actively managing their properties to improve the environmental conditions as well as the financial equity and family values of their farm businesses. They all used a whole–farm approach based on a good understanding of the limitations of the farm resources. This was developed mostly over many years of committed effort towards environmental and industry best practice but also though implementing property management plans, biodynamic and organic systems and implementing whole of farm systems such as keyline, rotational grazing and regular soil testing and fertiliser practices.

All but one of the growers was known to me and all immediately agreed to participate when their involvement was requested. Requests for involvement included an explanation that the research would consider methods for better recognition and rewards for sustainable farmers. It was also promoted as helping to inform the future of the BestFarms project. Six of the ten farms were involved in BestFarms, which also served as a signature of the best practice status of the farmers.

5.3.2 Comparison – certified and conventional chains

The decision to study both a certified chain and a conventional (non-certified) chain for each of the five products has contributed a range of data for comparative analysis. Whilst certification for environmental and social sustainability values was an important focus of this study, there is no such certification system in existence in Australia and a proxy certification system was required. Hence, organic certification was used for four of the certified products. A product certified under a European certification system was the other certified product.

Advantages of including a certified and non-certified chain include the ability to contribute data on drivers and impediments in both systems. With both approaches considered, information from both production to consumption systems for the same product (essentially) can be incorporated in the analysis.

Because there is some level of argument as to whether organic certification systems are including environmental and social sustainability issues adequately (e.g. Watts & Suter 2005) analysis of these systems can also determine how adequately organic certification systems are addressing a range of sustainability issues.