Scaling Up Organic Farming Adoption: Recommendations for Sustainable Growth

Adrian Müller

Research associate at the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL)

4 min read
04/02/2025
Scaling Up Organic Farming Adoption: Recommendations for Sustainable Growth

Authors: Corinne Obrist and Theresa Rebholz, FiBL

Many countries around the world have formulated targets to increase the share of land under organic agriculture, but progress varies greatly. A recently published study with involvement by FiBL summarises the global findings on what measures policymakers and practitioners can take to promote ecological forms of agriculture such as organic farming. In the article below the main focus point and recomendations of the review are presented. 

Introduction

The expansion of organic farming is a key policy objective in many countries due to its environmental and health benefits. More specifically, EU, for example, has set a target of 25% of farmland to be under organic agriculture by 2030. Several EU Member States such as Germany, Austria and Sweden have gone even further, setting targets of 30% by 2030. However, scaling up organic agriculture requires strategic interventions that address key barriers.

The study "Farmers’ adoption of organic agriculture – a systematic global literature review" by Niklas Möhring (University of Bonn), Adrian Müller (FiBL) and Sergei Schaub (Agroscope) has filled this gap. Based on a systematic review of 120 studies (carefully selected out of 18,129 scientific publications), scientists have extracted 182 policy action recommendations focusing on five major areas to support the adoption of organic agriculture: awareness and knowledge, cooperation, infrastructure and transaction, supply chain and markets, and public policies. 

Local adaptation is crucial

The potential effectiveness of policy measures is dependent on the regional context, stage of adoption and production system. While in less developed regions, the focus is on education, in established markets, political incentives such as subsidies are useful. Combined approaches, such as advisory services together with financial support, are particularly effective. There are still gaps in research in important exporting countries and in regions such as Africa or South America, where organic farming is not very widespread. Also, changes over time and the role of demand have hardly been studied to date.

Summarising recommendations

  • Awareness and Knowledge: In regions where the share of land under organic agriculture is low, informational and educational measures should be prioritised. One of the primary challenges to organic adoption is the lack of awareness and knowledge among farmers. Studies highlight the importance of educating farmers about the costs and benefits of organic farming. Information campaigns, workshops, and access to extension services have been effective in increasing willingness to adopt organic practices. Providing region-specific training programs can help farmers understand how to implement organic practices within their local agricultural context.
  • Infrastructure and Transaction Costs: Access to organic inputs, labor markets, processing facilities, and digital tools can reduce transaction costs. Investment in physical infrastructure such as transportation, storage, and processing facilities can improve supply chain efficiency. Reducing certification costs and streamlining the certification process can further encourage farmers to transition to organic farming.
  • Strengthening Farmer Cooperation : In systems that are more productive, providing support for agricultural cooperation and networks is important. Farmer-to-farmer networks, cooperatives, and producer groups play a crucial role in organic adoption. These networks facilitate knowledge exchange, access to organic inputs, and peer learning. Cooperative models also help mitigate financial risks by enabling shared resources and collective bargaining power. Encouraging community-based agricultural initiatives can significantly boost organic adoption rates.
  • Supply Chain and Market Development: Particularly in less productive regions, the creation of infrastructure and supply chains is crucial. For organic farming to be economically viable, a strong market infrastructure must be in place. Establishing reliable organic markets, increasing consumer awareness, and creating stable price premiums for organic products are critical. Policies should support the development of integrated supply chains, improve access to organic certification, and create incentives for organic producers to participate in regional and international markets.
  • Adaptation of measures - Public Policy Support: Policy tools should be adapted to local socioeconomic and ecological circumstances as well as to changes in the organic market over time. Government policies play a pivotal role in driving organic adoption. Subsidies for conversion to organic farming, tax benefits, and financial support for organic inputs can significantly lower entry barriers for farmers. Additionally, aligning agricultural policies with sustainability goals and reducing incentives for conventional farming can enhance the competitiveness of organic agriculture. Public procurement policies that prioritize organic products in schools and government institutions can also boost demand.

More than just political intervention

With the study, the researchers want to provide an overview of science-based recommendations for promoting organic farming. Measures must be based on local conditions and the state of development. While so far, the main approach has been to use policy to exert influence, advisory services, information and market conditions can provide important additional incentives.

Conclusion

Scaling organic agriculture requires a multi-faceted approach that involves knowledge dissemination, farmer cooperation, infrastructure investment, market development, and strong policy support. Implementing these evidence-based recommendations can create an enabling environment for farmers to transition to organic farming, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and resilient agricultural system.

  • Policy measures for promoting organic agriculture must be adapted to regional contexts and over time.
  • Optimal combinations of information and knowledge provision, subsidies and market development increase prospects of success.
  • Research should bridge methodological and geographic gaps, particularly for regions with a low percentage of organically farmed land.
  • Studies considering adoption processes over longer time periods and focusing on detailed mechanisms, cause-and-effect relationships and the demand side are important future research fields.

Further reading

Original article appeared in European Review of Agricultural Economics

Adrian Müller
Research associate at the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL)

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