Organic agriculture: The trade-off between financial and non-financial benefits

Abstract

The threats of climate change have compelled humans to consider the environmental impact of their decisions, including those relating to agricultural practices. Organic agriculture is believed to be a mitigating factor when it comes to climate change. This paper explores the perceptions of organic farmers regarding the benefits of organic agriculture, from a financial and non-financial perspective. It also highlights the trade-off between the perceived non-financial and financial benefits of organic agriculture. A convenience sample of 26 farmers was obtained. The utility of a convenience sample was necessary due to the unavailability of a complete database of organic farms in South Africa. Results indicated that the perceived non-financial benefits of organic agriculture were considered to be the most important consideration for the decision to farm organically. The results confirmed and augmented those found by other authors, namely that the environmental benefits of organic agriculture were considered to be very important to organic farmers.