Organic dairy farming in Norway in relation to the ‘conventionalisation’ debate

Summary

The new organic farmers may differ from their more established colleagues, which may have implications for the development of the organic farming sector and its distinctiveness vis-à-vis conventional production practices. The aim of this study was to explore organic farmers’ characteristics, farming goals and conversion motives, grouped by year of conversion (three groups). A survey was undertaken among organic dairy farmers in Norway. The newcomers (converted in 2000 or later) were younger and less educated than the early entrants who converted in 1995 or earlier. The newcomer herds were fed more concentrates and had higher milk production intensity than the herds of the two earlier converting groups. Newcomers more often mentioned goals related to profit and leisure time. The early entrants were more strongly motivated by food quality and soil fertility/pollution issues than the others, whereas financial reasons were relatively more important among the newcomers. Even though trends towards more pragmatic and business oriented farming were found, the majority of the newcomers were fairly committed.