ORGANIC FARMING RESEARCH FOUNDATION

4th National Organic Farmers’ Survey:

Sustaining Organic Farms in a Changing Organic Marketplace

OFRF 4th National Organic Farmers' Survey Results

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Methods

• Survey population developed by obtaining producer mailing lists from organic certification agencies.

• 22-page survey mailed in April 2002 to certified organic farmers throughout the U.S.

• 1,034 “completes” returned, a response rate of 16%

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OFRF 4th National Organic Farmers' Survey Results

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Respondent demographics

• 67% are full-time farmers

– up from 62% in 1997

• 51% transitioned from conventional farming

– up from 41% (1997) and 42% (1995)

• 36% have mixed operations

– up from 24% (1997) and 20% (1995)

OFRF 4th National Organic Farmers' Survey Results

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Respondent demographics

• Acres farmed, average = 277 – up from 233 in 1997

• Acres farmed organically, average = 184 – up from 140 in 1997

• 22% of respondents are women– percentage holding steady for OFRF survey respondents since

1993

OFRF 4th National Organic Farmers' Survey Results

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Q. How was your season last year? How were production and market conditions for your organic farm operation in

general?

• From the range of response choices provided, respondents identified crop or product quality as being the least problematic

• Weather was identified as being the most problematic among various production and market concerns.

52%

52%

55%

65%

67%

72%

81%

48%

48%

45%

35%

33%

28%

19%

Weather (f=996)

Weeds (f=953)

Yields (f=976)

Pest or disease problems(f=961)

Prices (f=961)

Market demand (f=967)

Crop or product quality(f=966)

Good or Excellent(few problems)

Fair or Poor(severe problems)

Production or market condition

Percentage of respondents

Fig. 4.1--Organic farmers experience of various production and market conditions in 2001.

OFRF 4th National Organic Farmers' Survey Results

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Q. This year, did the market for your organic farm product(s) expand, contract or hold steady compared to recent years?

• 44% reported market expansion

• 19% reported expansion or 20% or more

• Market held steady for 33%

• Market contracted for 6%

Market expanded

20% or more19%

Market expanded 5% to 19%

25%

Market held steady

33%

Market was mixed, varied

among products9%

Market contracted5% to 19%

3%

Market contracted

20% or more3%

Figure 4.2--Rate of organic market expansion or contraction for organic farmers in 2001. 974 respondents.

OFRF 4th National Organic Farmers' Survey Results

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Q. This past year, did average prices for your organic farm products go up, down or hold steady compared to recent years?

• 52% of respondents indicated that organic prices held steady in 2001

• 26% indicated that prices went up

• 15% said prices went downPrices held steady

52%

Prices went up 5% to 19%

23%

Prices went up 20%

or more3%

Prices were mixed4%

Prices went down 20% or more

4%

Prices went down

5% to 19%11%

Figure 4.3--Trends in average prices for organic farm products in 2001. 992 respondents.

OFRF 4th National Organic Farmers' Survey Results

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Q.What volume percentage of your organically grown product(s) were you able to sell at an organic price premium?

• 92% were able to obtain organic price premiums

• 41% obtained organic premiums on 100% of their organic product

• Another 30% obtained premiums on at least half of their organic product

100% of organic product

sold41%

Don't know6%

None of organic product sold

8%1%-50% of

organic product sold

15%

51% to 99% oforganic product sold

30%

Figure 4.4--Percentage of organic product sold at organic price premiums in 2001. 996 respondents.

OFRF 4th National Organic Farmers' Survey Results

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Q. How much, if any, of your organically grown product was sold into the conventional market?

• 55% of respondents sold no organic product into the conventional market

• 37% sold some portion of their organic product into the conventional market

None of product sold

55%

100% of product sold3%

Don't know8%

51% - 99% of product sold7%

1% to 50% of product sold

27%

Figure 4.5--Percentage of organically grown product sold into the conventional market in 2001. 981 respondents.

OFRF 4th National Organic Farmers' Survey Results

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Q. If you sold any organic product into the conventional market, what circumstances let to selling your organic product as conventional product?

46 • Out of those respondents who did sell some organically grown product as conventional product respondents identified organic market was unavailable or not found as the most common reason for doing so.

5%

15%

16%

32%

51%

Other reasons (f=17)

Organic price was low (f=46)

Grade selection -- culls sold asconventional (f=49)

Conventional price wasgood/high (f=98)

Organic market wasunavailable, not found (f=157)

Percentage of respondents (multiple responses per respondent are possible)

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Reasons organic product was sold as conventional product

Fig . 4.6--Reasons why organic product was sold into the conventional market in 2001. 302 respondents.

OFRF 4th National Organic Farmers' Survey Results

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