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Overcoming the Barriers to Organic Adoption in the United States: A Look at Pragmatic Conventional Producers in Texas

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  • Douglas H. Constance

    (Department of Sociology, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas 77341-2446, USA)

  • Jin Young Choi

    (Department of Sociology, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas 77341-2446, USA)

Abstract

Organics is the one of the fastest growing segments in food sales. Though the amount of certified organic land is increasing, the supply of organic foods lags behind demand in the United States. The reasons for this gap include a lack of government support for organics, and the peculiarities of organics as an innovation. In an attempt to close this gap, and increase the environmental sustainability of U.S. agriculture, this paper has two objectives. The first is to document the structural and institutional constraints to organic adoption. This is accomplished through a review of organic programs and policies in the U.S., in particular the National Organic Program. The second objective is to investigate the predictors of interest and the perceived barriers to organic adoption among pragmatic conventional producers in Texas, compared to organic and conventional producers. This is accomplished through a survey of a representative sample of producers in Texas. The results indicate that more than forty percent of producers who currently have conventional operations have at least some interest in organic production (pragmatic conventional producers). There are significant differences among the three groups in their structural and attitudinal characteristics related to organic adoption. For the pragmatic conventional producers, an increase in revenue would be a major facilitator of organic adoption. Their high levels of uncertainty regarding organic production and marketing, and especially organic certification constrain organic adoption. The results also reveal that the institutional setting in the U.S. hindered adoption. The paper concludes that increased institutional support would facilitate organic adoption.

Suggested Citation

  • Douglas H. Constance & Jin Young Choi, 2010. "Overcoming the Barriers to Organic Adoption in the United States: A Look at Pragmatic Conventional Producers in Texas," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 2(1), pages 1-26, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:2:y:2010:i:1:p:163-188:d:6749
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Tim O'Riordan & Dick Cobb, 2001. "Assessing the Consequences of Converting to Organic Agriculture," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(1), pages 22-35, January.
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    1. Ariana P. Torres & Nicholas A. Lancaster & Luiz H. B. Vilas Boas, 2020. "Categorizing Organic Grain Buyers in the Midwestern United States," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-16, June.
    2. Natalia Brzezina & Katharina Biely & Ariella Helfgott & Birgit Kopainsky & Joost Vervoort & Erik Mathijs, 2017. "Development of Organic Farming in Europe at the Crossroads: Looking for the Way Forward through System Archetypes Lenses," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-23, May.
    3. Delbridge, Timothy A. & King, Robert P., 2016. "How Important is the T-Yield? An Analysis of Reforms to Organic Crop Insurance," Staff Papers 244732, University of Minnesota, Department of Applied Economics.
    4. Łuczka, Władysława, 2020. "Institutional Barriers To The Development Of Organic Farming In Poland," Roczniki (Annals), Polish Association of Agricultural Economists and Agribusiness - Stowarzyszenie Ekonomistow Rolnictwa e Agrobiznesu (SERiA), vol. 2020(1).
    5. Anastasiadis, Foivos & Kolympari, Petroula, 2019. "Sustainable or conventional production? The influence of farmer demographic characteristics," Agricultural Economics Review, Greek Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 0(Issue 2).
    6. Beatrice Dingha & Leah Sandler & Arnab Bhowmik & Clement Akotsen-Mensah & Louis Jackai & Kevin Gibson & Ronald Turco, 2019. "Industrial Hemp Knowledge and Interest among North Carolina Organic Farmers in the United States," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-17, May.
    7. Waripas Jiumpanyarach, 2021. "Organic Agriculture: Farmers Perception and Adaptation in Northern Thailand," Asian Journal of Agriculture and rural Development, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 11(3), pages 245-254, September.
    8. Han, Guang & Arbuckle, J. Gordon & Grudens-Schuck, Nancy, 2021. "Motivations, goals, and benefits associated with organic grain farming by producers in Iowa, U.S," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    9. Irwa Issa & Ulrich Hamm, 2017. "Adoption of Organic Farming as an Opportunity for Syrian Farmers of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour and Structural Equation Modelling," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-22, November.
    10. Bruce, Analena B. & Farmer, James R. & Giroux, Stacey & Dickinson, Stephanie & Chen, Xiwei & Donnell, Michael O. & Benjamin, Tamara J., 2022. "Opportunities and barriers to certified organic grain production on rented farmland in the U.S. Midwest state of Indiana," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    11. Delbridge, Timothy A. & Connolly, Cristina, 2017. "The Neighbor Effect: The Nature of Spatial Externalities in the Decision to Adopt Organic Production Systems," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258358, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    12. Laura Restrepo Campuzano & Gustavo Adolfo Hincapié Llanos & Jhon Wilder Zartha Sossa & Gina Lía Orozco Mendoza & Juan Carlos Palacio & Mariana Herrera, 2023. "Barriers to the Adoption of Innovations for Sustainable Development in the Agricultural Sector—Systematic Literature Review (SLR)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-23, March.
    13. Glenn, Viola & Dale, Kelli & Sligh, Michael & Robinson, James, 2014. "Examining Adverse Selection in Organic Crop Insurance: Where Do We Go From Here?," 2014 AAEA: Crop Insurance and the 2014 Farm Bill Symposium: Implementing Change in U.S. Agricultural Policy, October 8-9, 2014, Louisville, KY 184264, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    14. Alotaibi, Bader Alhafi & Yoder, Edgar & Brennan, Mark A. & Kassem, Hazem S., 2019. "Training needs of extension agents’ regarding organic agriculture in Saudi Arabia," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    15. Giovanna Sacchi & Vincenzina Caputo & Rodolfo M. Nayga, 2015. "Alternative Labeling Programs and Purchasing Behavior toward Organic Foods: The Case of the Participatory Guarantee Systems in Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(6), pages 1-20, June.
    16. Hanna Górska-Warsewicz & Sylwia Żakowska-Biemans & Dagmara Stangierska & Monika Świątkowska & Agnieszka Bobola & Julita Szlachciuk & Maksymilian Czeczotko & Karol Krajewski & Ewa Świstak, 2021. "Factors Limiting the Development of the Organic Food Sector—Perspective of Processors, Distributors, and Retailers," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-22, September.
    17. Juan Carlos Sánchez Herrera & Carolyn Dimitri, 2019. "The Role of Clustering in the Adoption of Organic Dairy: A Longitudinal Networks Analysis between 2002 and 2015," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-19, March.

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