Organic Learning Curve Costs More

Farmers transitioning from conventional practices to organic farming are on a much steeper learning curve than those transitioning to reduced-chemical farming, concludes new research.

Maria Boerngen, a doctoral student in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois found that the learning time investment during the transition to reduced-chemical farming was 2.9 hours per week, while during the transition to organic farming it was 5.2 hours per week. This transition period lasted one to two years. After that conventional farmers spend 3.3 hours per week in continuing education about farming, while reduced-chemical and organic farmers spend 3.9 hours per week.

The researcher concluded that it is important to place a wage value on farmers' time in order to measure the actual costs of learning, and that these learning costs should be included in research studies that look at profitability.