Re: on going organic

Bob MacGregor (rdmacgregor@gov.pe.ca)
Wed, 24 Feb 1999 11:26:01 -0400

I don't know whether it is sparking farmers' imaginations or not, but the best motivator I've seen is successful neighbours. If a farmer who is uneasy about his current/conventional production practices is hesitant to make the switch because of uncertainty about being able to make a go of it (hey, this is just normal risk aversion), all he needs to see is that one or more of his neighbours has gone organic and is doing well. The worst example is the bankrupt organic farm.
Most conventional farmers are used to dealing in commodities. If switching to organic means adopting a whole new marketing position, it is scary. I'd love to see the examples of organic _commodities_ produced competitively with their conventional/chemical counterparts. In the long term, relying on a premium price as supply expands is a shaky position.

BOB

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