OrganicFarmersOpportunities,RealitiesandBarriers.docVIP

Organic Farmers: Opportunities, Realities and Barriers Dr. Leslie A. Duram Department of Geography and Environmental Resources Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901 duram@, 618.536-3375 This paper is organized in four sections. First, the interface between geography and agriculture will be described; second, an overview of the current research literature on organic agriculture will be presented; third, research from my book, Good Growing: Why Organic Farming Works (2005) will be described in detail; and finally, I will draw some general conclusions about the realities of adopting organic agricultural techniques. Geography and Agriculture The discipline of Geography is commonly misunderstood to include only simple facts, such as: “What is the capitol of Zimbabwe?” But, in fact, Geography includes much more, as indicated by the roots of the word: GEO is EARTH and GRAPHY is TO DESCRIBE. So, geographers describe the Earth through various means, including maps, data collection and analysis, descriptive texts about landscapes, and in-depth spatial analysis through Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Overall, geography deals with space and place; the interaction between humans and the environment; and linkages between and among places. Because of this comprehensive approach to research and concern for environmental sustainability, Geography is particularly successful in the study of agricultural topics. Within the broader concept of sustainable agriculture, one specifically defined methods is certified organic farming. Data on U.S. organic agriculture is limited, as it was only recently included in the US Census of Agriculture. Thus most data is based on research surveys and informed estimates. For example, it is estimated that 1-7% of farmers use organic methods. In fact, certified organic cropland doubled in the 1990s and there are currently 2.34 million acres of certified organic farmland in this country. Interestingly, there are signi