Private sector support of the farmer transition to certified organic production systems

Dimitri, Carolyn; Baron, Haley

doi:10.1007/s13165-019-00265-3

Cited by 8 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 26 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…There have been a variety of responses to mitigate the shortfall. Some organic food manufacturers are providing direct support to farmers to increase supply (Dimitri and Baron, 2020). Some organic certifiers, such as Oregon Tilth, Inc., provide information and support for transitioning farmers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perspectives on organic transition from transitioning farmers and farmers who decided not to transition

Stephenson

Gwin

Schreiner

et al. 2021

Renew. Agric. Food Syst.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Despite continuous growth in demand for organic food and farm products, US domestic supply is not keeping pace. Increasing domestic supply requires, in part, that more farms transition to certified organic production. This in turn requires a better understanding of the transition process. This paper reports on a national survey of farmers transitioning to organic certification through participation in the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program Organic Initiative (EQIP-OI). Our analysis focuses on what motivates farmers to undertake transition to organic certification and what obstacles they confront in the process. The survey population included farmers in the midst of the transition process and farmers who began transition but decided not to pursue organic farming, allowing us to compare both groups to farmers who successfully transitioned to certified organic. Because farmers do not control all of the factors that influence their success, we use a ‘spheres of influence’ framework to analyze obstacles at four levels: the farm, local and regional infrastructure, the marketplace and policy. Our results improve our understanding of the transition process and apply to a wide range of stakeholders and service providers who support farmers in different ways, through crop research, infrastructure development, market development and policy.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perspectives on organic transition from transitioning farmers and farmers who decided not to transition

Stephenson

Gwin

Schreiner

et al. 2021

Renew. Agric. Food Syst.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Some customers try to purchase organic foods outside of their usual shopping places, but to overcome this barrier, the availability of organic foods in modern distribution channels should be improved [92]. A study conducted among the US organic food retailers [95] showed that many companies are willing to help farmers to convert to organic food production as food companies aim to improve the availability of organic products in their supply chain. Moreover, some studies [36,65] have reported technical issues associated with organic production, such as poor distribution systems for products and limited processing capacities.…”

Section: Technological Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Limiting the Development of the Organic Food Sector—Perspective of Processors, Distributors, and Retailers

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Our study aimed to explore the factors limiting the development of the organic food sector in Poland from the perspective of processing, distributing, and retailing companies. We used a qualitative approach with in-depth semi-structured interviews with the management board representatives of 17 large- and medium-sized enterprises and the owners of 10 small and medium companies. The potential limiting factors, including legal, economic, technological, and environmental factors, were identified by reviewing the corporate and market reports of processing and retailing companies operating in the Polish organic sector. We used a thematic analysis recommended in the literature to analyze qualitative data. The main factors indicated by the managers were the legal concerns, limitations resulting from a lack of constant supply of organic raw materials, and increased competition on domestic and international markets. In addition, business activities in the Polish organic sector were affected by the instability of the financial situation in terms of financial liquidity, adequate cost, capital structure, and credits. The results of the study may be of value for policymakers to ensure sustainable development of the organic food sector in Poland.

show abstract

“…weed management challenges [46]; • cost of organic certification [46,47]; • recordkeeping requirements of organic certification [46,47]; • lack of financial support during transition, when farmers face lower yields, higher costs, and generally receive conventional prices [48,49]; • insufficient premium prices to cover higher costs of production after being certified organic [48]; • concern over near-term yield and crop quality losses [12]; • challenges inherent in learning a markedly different paradigm for crop production and pest management with little or no technical support from existing institutions [50]; • fraud that undercuts the organic premium and undermines confidence in the organic label [51]; and • lack of sufficient infrastructure [50].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Organic Farming Lessens Reliance on Pesticides and Promotes Public Health by Lowering Dietary Risks

2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Organic agriculture is a production system that relies on prevention, ecological processes, biodiversity, mechanical processes, and natural cycles to control pests and maintain productivity. Pesticide use is generally limited or absent in organic agroecosystems, in contrast with non-organic (conventional) production systems that primarily rely on pesticides for crop protection. Significant differences in pesticide use between the two production systems markedly alter the relative dietary exposure and risk levels and the environmental impacts of pesticides. Data are presented on pesticide use on organic and non-organic farms for all crops and selected horticultural crops. The relative dietary risks that are posed by organic and non-organic food, with a focus on fresh produce, are also presented and compared. The results support the notion that organic farms apply pesticides far less intensively than conventional farms, in part because, over time on well-managed organic farms, pest pressure falls when compared to the levels on nearby conventional farms growing the same crops. Biopesticides are the predominant pesticides used in organic production, which work by a non-toxic mode of action, and pose minimal risks to human health and the environment. Consequently, eating organic food, especially fruits and vegetables, can largely eliminate the risks posed by pesticide dietary exposure. We recommend ways to lower the pesticide risks by increased adoption of organic farming practices and highlight options along organic food supply chains to further reduce pesticide use, exposures, and adverse worker and environmental impacts.

show abstract

Private sector support of the farmer transition to certified organic production systems

Cited by 8 publications

References 26 publications

Perspectives on organic transition from transitioning farmers and farmers who decided not to transition

Perspectives on organic transition from transitioning farmers and farmers who decided not to transition

Factors Limiting the Development of the Organic Food Sector—Perspective of Processors, Distributors, and Retailers

Organic Farming Lessens Reliance on Pesticides and Promotes Public Health by Lowering Dietary Risks

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About