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Barriers for developing more robust organic arable farming systems in practice

Noe, E.; Sørensen, P.; Melander, B.; Olesen, J.E. and Fog, E. (2013) Barriers for developing more robust organic arable farming systems in practice. In: Løes, Anne-Kristin; Askegaard, Margrethe; Langer, Vibeke; Partanen, Kirsi; Pehme, Sirli; Rasmussen, Ilse A.; Salomon, Eva; Sørensen, Peter; Ullvén, Karin and Wivstad, Maria (Eds.) Organic farming systems as a driver for change, NJF Report, no. 9 (3), pp. 151-152.

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Summary

There is a gap between the scientific idea of robust and economically viable organic arable farming systems with optimized crop rotations for nutrient and pest management and how these systems look like in practice. In order to explore this gap, we visited and interviewed ten organic arable farms in Denmark. Our main findings are: 1) Organic arable farming operates in a very dynamic and changing environment in terms of prizing and market opportunities, and the main focus of the farm managements was the coping strategy within this changing environment; 2) The farming systems were continuously changing and developing, buying and renting more land, changing manure agreements and other forms of cooperation and arrangements; 3) Short term profit was paid much more attention than more theoretical expectation on long term profit or opportunities in relation to optimizing the production system. This again seems logical in relation to the very dynamic world that the farmers have to operate within; 4) Most of the farmers do not see their farm as a coherent system but as a coordination of a series of separate operations, which means that most decisions are taken with specific reference to the individual field in at the present situation without considering the long-term effects. Management focus is thus much more on solving problems as they are occurring, by adjusting their practice, than it is on developing a robust system preventing problems to occur. This partial focus is also strongly supported by the way in which extension services mostly operate.


EPrint Type:Conference paper, poster, etc.
Type of presentation:Paper
Agrovoc keywords:
Language
Value
URI
English
Arable farming
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_36528
English
Organic agriculture
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_15911
English
Economic viability
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_16098
English
Farming systems
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2807
Subjects: Food systems > Markets and trade
Knowledge management > Research methodology and philosophy > Research communication and quality
Research affiliation: Denmark > Organic RDD 1 > HighCrop
International Conferences > 2013: NJF Seminar 461 - Organic farming systems as a driver for change
Denmark > CROPSYS
ISSN:1653-2015
Deposited By: Sørensen, Peter
ID Code:24578
Deposited On:06 Nov 2013 10:01
Last Modified:12 Oct 2023 08:49
Document Language:English
Status:Published
Refereed:Peer-reviewed and accepted

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