?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=The+Impact+of+Organic+Cotton+Farming+on+the+Livelihoods+of+Smallholders.+Evidence+from+the+Maikaal+bioRe+poject+in+central+India&rft.creator=Eyhorn%2C+Frank&rft.creator=M%C3%83%C2%A4der%2C+Paul&rft.creator=Ramakrishnan%2C+Mahesh&rft.subject=+Crop+husbandry&rft.subject=+Soil+quality&rft.description=This+research+report+analyses+the+impact+of+conversion+to+organic+cotton+farming+on+the+livelihoods+of+smallholders+in+the+Maikaal+bioRe+organic+cotton+project+in+Madhya+Pradesh%2C+central+India.+For+that+purpose%2C+it+compares+farm+profile+data%2C+material+and+financial+input%2Foutput+and+soil+parameters+of+organic+and+conventional+farms+over+two+cropping+periods+(2003+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%93+2005).+The+results+show+that+organic+farms+achieve+cotton+yields+that+are+on+a+par+with+those+in+conventional+farms%2C+though+nutrient+inputs+are+considerably+lower.+With+less+production+costs+and+a+20%25+organic+price+premium%2C+gross+margins+from+cotton+are+thus+substantially+higher+than+in+the+conventional+system.+Even+if+the+crops+grown+in+rotation+with+cotton+are+sold+without+organic+price+premium%2C+profits+in+organic+farms+are+higher.+In+the+perception+of+most+organic+farmers%2C+soil+fertility+significantly+improved+after+conversion.+However%2C+the+analysis+of+soil+fertility+parameters+in+soil+samples+from+organic+and+conventional+cotton+fields+has+shown+only+minor+differences+in+organic+matter+content+and+water+retention.%0D%0AThe+research+indicates+that+organic+cotton+farming+can+be+a+viable+option+to+improve+incomes+and+reduce+vulnerability+of+smallholders+in+the+tropics.+To+use+this+potential+it+is+important+to+find+suitable+approaches+to+enable+marginalised+farmers+managing+the+hurdles+of+conversion+to+the+organic+farming+system.&rft.date=2005&rft.type=Report&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F10362%2F1%2Feyhorn-etal-2005-maikaal-research-report.pdf&rft.identifier=Eyhorn%2C+Frank%3B+M%C3%83%C2%A4der%2C+Paul+and+Ramakrishnan%2C+Mahesh+(2005)+The+Impact+of+Organic+Cotton+Farming+on+the+Livelihoods+of+Smallholders.+Evidence+from+the+Maikaal+bioRe+poject+in+central+India.+Research+Report.+[+Unpublished%2C+]&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F10362%2F