Key drivers of organic rice productivity in Sleman and Magelang Regencies

Abstract

Organic farming system in Indonesia had been growing continuously in the recent years. Organic label could only be put on products which were complied with organic standards and regulations as well as certification requirements. As the world became more global, in addition to organic national certification, Indonesian organic farmers needed to comply with international organic certification so that they could enter the open market. This study attempted to: (1) provide a descriptive analysis of rice organic farmers' characteristics in two locations of organic farming, (2) understand farmers' knowledge and motivation on organic farming, and (3) analyse the gaps between farmers' practice in organic farming and certification standard requirements. Results of the study showed that, basically, all farmers understood the concept of organic farmers. However, the farmers had not fully implemented the procedures as required in the Indonesian National Standard (SNI), let alone international organic certifications (IFOAM and USDA). There were several aspects that need to be improved in order to close the gaps between farmers' practice in organic farming and certification standard requirements.