Organic Farming in Cornwall: Results of the 2002 Farmer Survey

Summary

A detailed survey of organic farming in Cornwall was completed duing the period August 2002 to February 2003. One of the main objectives of the survey was to describe current practices and constraints to organic production so as to aid the Organic Studies Centre in developing a research and training strategy that meets the needs of Cornish organic farmers. all 130 registered producer members of the Soil Association Certification Ltd (SACert) and Organic Farmers anf Growers Ltd (OF&G) were contacted. Of these, 120 were farming and 119 were interviewed. Data collected through closed questioning reflected a wide range of land-use, enterprise, marketing, husbandry, management, certification, income and environmental issues. Comments from farmers, recorded through open-ended questioning, are quoted and para-phrased throughout the report.
The survey has provided the first detailed description of organic production in Cornwall. These data will be used by the Organic Studies Centre at Duchy College to form the basis of a strategy for organic farming research and development relevant to Cornwall. The information gathered will also be used to inform other parties concerned with development of the organic sector in the UK generally, at the south west of England specifically. A second follow-up survey will be conducted during 2005. This survey would not have been possible without the considerable efforts of the data collectors and the goodwill, time and expertise ofthe participating farmers. These contributions are gratefully acknowledged.