Change and Adaptation in the Swiss Alps: Bargaining Processes and Rule Constitution in the Collective Alpine Farming

The swiss agriculture is in the middle of a profound process of change. The adaptation to a liberalized market, rising competition and structural changes are serious challenges for the whole agricultural sector. Affected by those changes is also, and especially, the alpine agriculture. During the last few years, new ways and models were increasingly discussed, which could help the alpine agriculture to persist within a fast changing economic, political and social environment.

In the alpine agriculture there are institutions that collectively manage their natural resources (cooperatives under private or public law, municipalities, associations of cattle holders aestivating their cattle on the alps etc.). Adaptation to a changing environment for them means that all actors – like farmers, alp staff, cattle holders and Communities – need to renegotiate rules, roles and tasks. Therefore, the institutional setting of these common property regimes basically determines their ability to change. A high institutional flexibility, i.e. mechanisms to enable collective decision making and action, is needed to adapt to external (market, climate, structures etc.) and internal changes (generation change, shift in ideological values, new member constellations etc.). Not every institutional setting is equally capable to adjust to change. Some institutions find a way to adapt or even benefit from changes through innovation; others end up in conflictive situations that hinder sustainable and innovative processes.

The focus of this research is the collective management of alps as a common property and the processes of change and adaptation it goes through due to changing conditions. The aim of this research is to identify conditions, which lead to institutional change that fosters ecologically and economically sustainable developments. As mentioned before and also reflected in the title, rule constituting and bargaining processes will play a major role. Also the evaluation of existing rules regarding their acceptance and impact at a local level will be a focal point. As theoretical background, the 8 Designe Principles of Elinor Ostrom (evaluation of the sustainability of the institutions) and the model of institutional change by Jean Ensminger (explanation of institutional change through the influence and interaction of external and internal factors) will be used.

The field studies will take place during two alp seasons (mid June to mid September 2010 and 2011) at community alps in Laax and Sumvitg (GR). Living and working on the alps is crucial to this research as it is the precondition to gain insights into emic views and perceptions that influence the behaviour of individuals and their role within the community.

Local perspectives have often been neglected in governmental decision making processes and previous studies in this field. Now, this qualitative and field study oriented approach shall bring new insights by giving local perceptions and impacts the attention and relevance they deserve.