Engaging the Organic Conventionalization Debate - Re-Thinking Organic Food and Farming in a Changing World - page 167

9.4 Pragmatic Conventional Producer

The historical trend of increased government support for organic production inter-
sects the theoretical concerns regarding the negative aspects of conventionalization
and bifurcation. As governments mobilize to increase production, social scientists
warn about the negative impacts of the industrialization of organics. As noted above
(see Dimitri and Oberholtzer 2009 ; Greene et al. 2009 ), in 2008 the US Farm Bill
amended organic policies and programs to increase domestic organic production.
USDA provided research monies and subsidies to offset the lack of information and
costs associated with conversion by conventional producers. The characteristics of
conventional growers, who might be interested in organics, including the barriers to
adoption, were a central focus of the research funding. This section of the chapter is
based on research in Texas funded by those USDA programs to investigate farmers'
attitudes regarding organics (York et al. 2007 ).
Conventional producers interested in organics have been referred to as “prag-
matic conventionals” (Fairweather 1999 ; Darnhofer et al. 2005 ; Constance and
Choi 2010 ). These producers tend to exhibit neutral or positive ideological attitudes
towards organics, but are concerned about the uncertainty and risks of organic
production. They are a potential pool of converters because they don't rule out
organic farming. More research is needed on the characteristics of pragmatic
conventional producers (Padel 2001 ).
While numerous technical, ideological, and financial barriers to organic adoption
have been identified globally (Freyer et al. 1994 ; Padel and Lampkin 1994 ;
Fairweather 1999 ; Lohr and Salomonsson 2000 ; Rigby et al. 2001 ; Schneeberger
et al. 2002 ; Costa et al. 2005 ; Darnhofer et al. 2005 ), in the US the lack of subsidies
for the 3-year conversion period was identified as the key constraint (Lohr and
Salomonsson 2000 ; Padel 2001 ; Duram 2006 ; Greene et al. 2009 ). The 2008 Farm
Bill removed that constraint in hopes that pragmatic conventional farmers in the US
would convert to organics.

9.5 The Research from Texas

In 2008, Texas ranked fourth in total cropland acres (155,957 acres) and second
in pasture acres (294,749 acres) (USDA/ERS 2012). Data reported in Table 9.2
reveal that the big increase in total certified organic acres in crops and pastureland
and number of operations in Texas occurred in the 1997-2002 period, prior to the
establishment of the NOP. Following the national trend outlined earlier in the paper
(see Table 9.1 ), the number of certified organic operations in Texas has increased
at about the same rate as the US overall (51.3 % and 55.0 %, respectively). Total
certified pasture and cropland increased slower in Texas than the US (49.8 % versus
123 %, respectively), with comparable increases for livestock and poultry.