Who rules by apparatuses? The production of norms and standards for organic food in Brazil

Abstract

This paper analyzes the construction of the systems of evalua- tion used in Brazil for organic foods, inspired by the sociological debate on apparatuses and governmentality. It focuseson the disputes concerning the production and control of the appa- ratuses that shape the system of quality guarantee for organic foods, with especial attention to the certification mechanisms. The research has combined documental analysis and interviews with the social actors concerned with the regulation instances for this market. The results expose an appropriation movement of the rules, standards and labels by the dominant actors in the agri-food sector. However, it also shows a counter-movement emerging from innovative experiences of participatory certifica- tion. In this sense, the example of the Ecovida Agroecology Ne- twork reveals the social skills of the challenging actors to build new technical and institutional apparatuses, shifting the power configurations in government arenas.