3116: What are the key issues faced by organic producers?

Wynen, Els (2002) What are the key issues faced by organic producers? . Paper presented at OECD Workshop: Organic Agriculture - Sustainability, Markets and Policies, Washington, 23-26 September 2002; Published in Organic Agriculture - Sustainability, Markets and Policies.

Summary

Concerns facing organic producers can be divided into two main groups, production and marketing. In the early days of the organic industry, the production problems of farmers were emphasised, and research topics were often concentrated on soil, pests and diseases. More recently, as the industry matures and international trade of organic products has grown, the importance of market-related issues has come to the fore. On the one hand, the need for harmonisation of standards and acceptance of equivalence for market development — which would facilitate international trade — is recognised. On the other hand, a more serious push towards domestic consumption seems afoot, which would advantage domestic farmers but disadvantage producers in exporting countries.

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