Organic farming technique development

Organic agriculture is a know-how-intensive farming method. To be competitive, organic farmers need to experiment with new techniques, and must manage land, labour, capital and innovations quite differently from conventional farmers. How can research and development improve access for small farmers to this know-how and to specific inputs, such as seeds and biological methods of pest control ... 

Today, research in organic fanning in most countries is intended to improve farm production techniques (Wynen and Vanzetti 1999). A trend towards process issues - food quality, environmental and social consequences, policy development, marketing - and a shift away from technical issues can he observed. 

Organized conservation efforts in the Driftless Area by state and federal agencies began in late 1933. The newly developed techniques were brought to farmers in a very organized way. A survey considering crops, slopes and soils was made of each farm and a plan was devised. Because public subsidy of this problem was involved, farmers had to sign a contract to receive Ml benefits. 

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