English Organic Producer Survey 2013

Summary

This report summarises the results of a survey carried out with English organic producers in November and December 2013 as part of the Organic Data Network Project.
There are approximately 2724 English organic producers and 223 of these participated in the survey, a response rate of just over 8%.
The sample is not representative of the total population of English organic producers, see the data collection and analysis section for more details, but gives a snapshot of the situation for a large number of producers.
The survey covered a range of farm types, though completed surveys showed greater coverage of beef and sheep and under-coverage of cereal holdings. The geographical distribution showed a slight under-coverage of the east of the country.
The producers were asked about their business intentions for the future with the majority indicating that they were not planning to change their business but some indicating that they may increase/intensify production. They were also asked about their intentions specifically with regards to remaining in organic production. The majority of organic farmers in England indicated that they plan to remain in organic farming in the medium to long term and 40% indicated that they plan to remain in organic farming for over 10 years suggesting that they are very committed to organic farming.
There was a mixed picture with regards to producer perceptions of the performance of organic enterprises from November 2012 to October 2013.
Overall, the majority of English organic producers surveyed intend to continue farming organically. They indicated that they farm in this way for their livestock and for the environment, but profitability may not be sufficient to cover rising costs and allow re-investment in their business. However, many commented that they would still farm in a low-input or environmentally friendly manner if they were not organic. Some producers also expressed a desire for more market information and greater market transparency and it is hoped that the survey and this report represent a first step towards this.