Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
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funded through this program have the potential to be highly relevant to
organic farmers and hopefully these research results will be disseminated in
a manner that is readily available to them.
We are just beginning to see results of research that targets organic farm-
ing, but there remains much room for improvement. A specific research
division should be set up by the USDA and each state department of agricul-
ture that funds research on holistic agroecosystems research that is relevant
to organic farmers. These programs must be linked directly to regional
concerns, so that organic farmers are surveyed and asked to rank topics of
importance. The key is to shift the focus from corporate research that tests
agrichemical applications for profit, to public research that investigates real
farm issues for the good of society.
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ROMOTING ORGANIC METHODS
A handful of specific policy actions could create an enabling atmosphere for
organic agriculture: establishing programs that pay farmers for their organic
conservation actions, creating offices that provide technical assistance on
organicmethods, allowing voluntary increases in the small farmexemptions
from organic certification, requiring country- or state-of-origin labels on
all food sold in the United States, and protecting the meaning of National
Organic Standards through the democratic process. Before discussing each
of these policy options, we must first place U.S. organic agricultural policies
within a broader context.
Drawing from European examples, Pugliese (2001) notes that organic
farming has attained sociopolitical acceptance due to the commitment of
early“pioneer”organic farmers, the current attraction of people from all so-
cial and demographic groups, and the emotional and sensory values toward
food that organic farming evokes. To some extent, the American experience
is similar. But in Europe, the status of organic farming puts it in a position
to work toward policy changes in the rural countryside, whereas the United
States is only in the initial stages of forming organic agricultural policies
with the establishment of the National Organic Standards in 2002.
The United States should learn from the European example: strong
governmental incentives can encourage and maintain organic agriculture
(Padel et al. 1999; Lohr and Salomonsson 2000). U.S. government policy
for organic farming needs to be built from the ground up. Subsidies should
be provided for farmers who are converting to organic methods, since the
three-year transition is a time of insecurity. During this time, organic pre-
mium prices are not yet available, new farming techniques must be learned,
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