Risk assessment in the conversion from conventional to organic production: case studies of the potato and tomato farming in the Netherlands and in Italy?

Summary

Over the last decades, European organic production has gained consensus and popularity among consumers, changing from a niche to a well-established market. All the same, only a small fraction of European Utilised Agricultural Area (UAA) is cultivated with an organic production strategy. Apparently, farmers still perceive the change from a conventional towards an organic production strategy as risky and uncertain. The current study aims to better define the major risks that Dutch and Italian farmers consider during the transition period. The report will focus on two specific crops, namely potatoes and tomatoes. Ultimately, the purpose of the research is to better define the risks involved for such crops in the analysed countries. As a matter of fact, the current literature is very broad and general, but hardly analyses single crop in selected Nations.