Cost and energy evaluation of organic cauliflower in sole crop and living mulch systems

Summary

This paper presents the findings of an assessment aimed to evaluate, in terms of cost and energy consumption, the introduction of living mulches in different organic vegetable systems producing cauliflower. The study was carried out in three European countries (IT, SLO and DK) in the frame of the InterVeg project (Core Organic II). The achievements demonstrated that, in economic terms, farmers’ choice of a specific technique, like living mulch instead of sole cropping, can be influenced by two key elements: human labor and fossil fuel consumption. Different organic systems have a different proportion in using the two inputs depending on the specific farm strategy.