Organic rice farming (ORF) is getting more attention from many parties because conventional rice farming (CRF) has environmental issues and because people’s awareness of healthy food is increasing. The social, economical, and environmental challenges make ORF a potential path forward. This study aims to understand farmers’ responses to ORF. Data were collected through interviews with 37 respondents from Central Java and 67 respondents from South Sulawesi. The respondents, chosen randomly, represented 40.38% CRF farmers and 59.62% ORF farmers. A mean was used to present the difference between CRF and ORF farmers’ responses in each variable. Multiple linear regression was used to describe the factors affecting these responses. Results showed that ORF farmers’ mean on all response variables was higher than CRF farmers’, except market opportunity (MKOP), which showed only a slight difference in means at 4.357 (CRF) and 4.371 (ORF). MKOP is the one area of trust for both CRF and ORF farmers. Both responses from CRF and ORF farmers have value for use by stakeholders to develop Indonesian ORF.

Organic rice innovation has several advantages, such as a higher selling price, better health aspect, and environmentally friendly, and more and more farmers are interested in innovating. There is a government policy to develop it. Farmers plant organic rice because they have motivation. This motivation study utilized Maslow’s needs theory, intending to describe the motivation of farmers in organic rice farming in Gempol Village, Karanganom, Klaten. The data were analyzed descriptively using scoring techniques, obtained through the census research method, namely interviewing 37 organic rice farmers in Gempol Village. The results revealed that the average score regarding the motivation of organic rice farmers in Gempol Village was 92.39 (67.39%) from a score range of 25 - 125, categorized as “high”. In more detail, the motivation needs of physiological, social, appreciation, and self-actualization were all in the high category, while the safety needs belonged to the moderate category. To meet the needs for a sense of security, farmers should invest some of their organic rice income in livestock activities, whether large or small livestock, or poultry.