Organic Research and Development in Denmark (1996-2010) – Effects on the Organic Sector and Society

Andreasen, Lise; Rasmussen, Ilse A.; Halberg, Niels

doi:10.5539/sar.v4n3p173

Cited by 2 publications

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“…Latruffe and Nauges (2013) found that the probability of conversion of French crop farms depends on the technical efficiency preceding the conversion, but that the direction of the effect depends on the farm size and type of production. Andreasen et al (2015, p. 173) reported that many problems in the organic sector have been solved by targeted research efforts in that enable ‘higher yields, weed and pest control, animal health and welfare, the potential for phasing out the use of antibiotics in Danish dairy herds and reducing the problems caused by seedborne diseases’. In the case of Switzerland, Ferjani et al (2010a,b) pointed out that the technical situation in terms of the production, processing and marketing of organically grown foods could basically be rated as very positive.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors in the decision by Swiss farmers to convert to organic farming

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Tschanz

et al. 2018

Renew. Agric. Food Syst.

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Demonstrated economic benefits of conversion to organic agriculture, combined with solutions to technical and production-related problems, suggest that farmers in Switzerland should have converted in large numbers to organic production. However, the number of organic farms in Switzerland has remained virtually constant in the last 10 yr, so it appears there are other factors that influence the decision of whether or not to convert. Several studies have sought to identify the factors that influence the decisions by farmers whether or not to convert to organic, but have found a range of factors that appear to be context dependent, while others can be seen as context transcendent, which makes it difficult to draw generalizable conclusions. The aim of this study was to identify how Swiss farmers’ decisions reflect the interaction of perceptions, relationships, policies and economic factors, which either enable or provide barriers to conversion. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2015 with 39 farmers of mixed and arable farms in the German- (n = 24) and French-speaking (n = 15) parts of Switzerland. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed according to their content. The results show that the decision of whether or not to convert relies on belief that technical problems have been sufficiently solved, as well as a range of social factors. Farmers perceive social pressure for them to be productive, but non-organic farmers often incorrectly perceive organic farming as not being oriented toward production. Furthermore, ‘official’ advice, which could correct this misperception, is sought about how, rather than whether, to convert and typically comes after farmers have made their decision. Major barriers in an area with a low density of organic farms are the lack of supply and delivery points within an acceptable travel distance, and lack of peer networks to provide informal support. On the basis of these findings, we propose that strategies to encourage conversion should be based around two main pillars: investment to create a network of supply and delivery points in areas with low density of organic farms; and actions, such as information events, to encourage dialogue between conventional and organic farmers to counteract feelings of ‘us vs them’.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%