eprintid: 9493 rev_number: 4 eprint_status: archive userid: 5734 dir: disk0/00/00/94/93 datestamp: 2006-12-20 lastmod: 2012-01-16 10:03:34 status_changed: 2009-08-20 14:34:19 type: workpaper metadata_visibility: show item_issues_count: 0 doclang: en projects: eu-conversion projects: uk-uni-reading refereed: never budget: 0 publicfulltext: TRUE creators_name: Holt, Georgina creators_name: Grey, Peter creators_name: Nielsen, Robert creators_name: Tranter, Richard title: A multi-country case study of the process of conversion to organic farming in the EU ispublished: unpub subjects: 1organics subjects: 4social subjects: 2farmecon keywords: Organic conversion, organic policy, case studies abstract: This paper reports on a series of case studies of the process of conversion to organic farming in five EU countries. The objectives of the case studies were: to identify factors affecting the decisions of conventional farmers considering conversion to organic farming; to identify problems that farmers thought they would face; and to consider and detail the financial impact of conversion on a range of farm businesses. National comparisons of the practice of conversion to organic farming reveals a wide diversity of support systems. Although these are in part necessitated by the diversity of enterprises suitable to different geographical locations, variation also results from different political agendas. Variation is also seen in farmer attitudes to organic farming. However, there are clearly concerns across countries in the financial benefits of, inputs changes for, and technical barriers to organic farming. Thus, in order to understand movements in, and out of, organic farming more fully, it is necessary to take a closer look at each of the countries here compared and to understand conversion within the national context. date: 2003-03 date_type: published institution: The University of Reading department: Centre for Agricultural Strategy referencetext: Balfour E. 1943. The Living Soil. Faber: London. CEC. 2003. Proposal for a Council Regulation establishing common rules for direct support schemes under the Common Agricultural Policy and support schemes for producers of certain crops. COM (2003) 23 final. Commission of the European Communities: Brussels. Carruthers SP, Harris PM, Tranter RB, Jones S, Miller FA, Bennett RM, Davis L, Stopes CE, Lennartsson, M, Rayns F. 1997. Organic Herbage Legume Intercropping Final Report. Centre for Agricultural Strategy, The University of Reading: Reading. Caspell N, Creed C. 2000. 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Being Objective about Objectivity: The Ironies of Standpoint Epistemological Critiques of Science. Sociology, 21: 773-791. Warren MF. 1998. Financial Management for Farmers and Rural Managers. Blackwell Science: Oxford. Yin RK. 1994. Case Study Research - Design and Methods. Sage: London. full_text_status: public fp7_project: no access_rights: info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess citation: Holt, Dr Georgina; Grey, Mr Peter; Nielsen, Mr Robert and Tranter, Mr Richard (2003) A multi-country case study of the process of conversion to organic farming in the EU. Working paper, Centre for Agricultural Strategy, The University of Reading . [Unpublished] document_url: /id/eprint/9493/1/OrganicEprints_comp_article.htm