Selected Organic Agricultural Organizations’ Social Networks in the Promotion of Organic Agriculture in Quezon Province, Philippinesi

Using the relational approach to network analysis (SNA), this explored the importance of interlocking organizations, rather than the organization alone, that can facilitate the promotion of organic agriculture in Quezon Province. This study sought to answer these objectives: identify organizations’ underlying capacity that contribute to the achievement of their goals; characterize the social network formed by organizations; and identify the bases of their interaction. The five organic agricultural organizations were selected based on the criteria that members are practicing organic agriculture and they have been existing for at least five years. A total of 11 key informant interviews were conducted with the officers and staff of the five organic agricultural organizations in Quezon Province. Review of organizational documents was also conducted to complement the interviews. UCINET 6.528 was used to characterize the social networks and generate graphs for network visualization. The different organic agricultural organizations were established even before the promotion of organic agriculture. Though hierarchical in nature, responsibilities and decision making power were shared among members which fostered bottom-up and collaborative approach. Social networks were formed by establishing linkages either initiated by the organization or mandated under the program to enhance capacity building, to gain access to information and resources, and to seek cooperation. Being part of a social network helps enhancing organizational capacity, an imperative in achieving organizational goals, making them an important agents of program implementation. Hence, social network can facilitate more the delivery of services and disseminate information to a large extent.

Keywords –organic agriculture, organizational capacity, social network analysis, UCINET.