By: Wade Piprich

Keywords: organic agriculture, National Standard of Canada for Organic Agriculture, Ken Wilber, Integral Model, empirical, rational, contemplative, experiential, subjective, arts, intersubjective, morals, objective, science, sustainability, reductionism, integration, radius of concern, developmental levels, quadrants, holons, flatland

The following study critically analyzes the National Standard of Canada for Organic Agriculture (NSCOA) through the application of contemporary philosopher Ken Wilber’s Integral Model. The aim of this organic agricultural policy is to endorse the implementation of organic management systems on the organic enterprise to achieve environmental quality and sustainability and the ethical treatment of livestock. The Integral Model is an ‘all quadrant, all level’ approach which endeavours to equally embrace all the quadrants (subjective, intersubjective, and objective) and levels (empirical, rational, and experiential/contemplative) while avoiding reductionism to any one quadrant or level. The results of the critical analysis determined that the NSCOA is predominantly a single level (matter), two quadrant (objective) policy which is vulnerable to the problems of reductionism. The NSCOA neglects the subjective and intersubjective elements of the Integral Model and at best achieves physical sustainability and the physiological/behavioural treatment of livestock. In an effort to acknowledge all the quadrants and levels within the policy, numerous recommendations were made to incorporate the principles of the Integral Model into the workings of the NSCOA. [Co-Director’s note: this thesis involves the following elements of Integral Theory: quadrants of development and developmental levels. The concepts of holons/holarchy and flatland are also used. – Barrett]

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