INSTITUTIONS, ALTERNATIVE FARMING SYSTEMS, AND LOCAL REREGULATION

The weakening of the postwar nexus of a productivist agriculture and a distinctive system of regulating the rural economy has created new ch allenges for British rural institutions. The task of diversifying rura l and farm economies has required the institutions to change how they operate. Using the concept of the local mode of social regulation (MSR ) we explore the interrelationships between the development of alterna tive farming systems and the institutional regulatory environment, usi ng as a case study an area in northern England. We conclude by demonst rating how institutions cope with new policy challenges. The diversity of local responses to this challenge is illustrated and the links bet ween local and national MSRs are explored.