Barriers to the adoption of organic farming by cash-crop producers in Austria

Abstract

Abstract Most of Austria's organic farms are located in mountainous areas and produce mainly milk and beef, whereas a low percentage of cash-crop farms are organic. As a result, the demand for organically grown crops cannot be fully met by domestic production. This paper investigates the barriers to adoption of organic agriculture by cash-crop farmers in Austria. In a written survey, 383 conventional farmers provided information on their perception of organic farming and rated the importance of potential barriers to adoption. Technical challenges in cropping and additional labor requirements were rated as the most important barriers, followed by fear of decreased income and marketing problems. Structural and social issues, such as farm size and lack of support from family members, were less important.