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mail and telephone survey of participants in the organic market from farmers to retailers. It included 236 responses to a mailed questionnaire and 21 in-depth telephone interviews
50 organizations involved in promoting organic
585 certified producers - 75,000 acres - also estimate another 600 growers who could be certified but are not (25,000 acres); estimate 6000 growers in transition; 65 companies involved in distribution, wholesaling, importing and export and processing
Respondant Characteristics - COG (1990) Survey
Commodity | Responses | Growth | Market | Costs | Premium |
Grains & Oilseeds | 54 | 155 | 15 | 0.80 | 34 |
Fruits | 42 | 177 | 12 | 1.15 | 34 |
Vegetables | 94 | 209 | 7 | 0.95 | 71 |
Meat | 51 | 166 | 1 | 0.90 | 39 |
Dairy | 18 | 108 | 0 | 0.85 | 13 |
Results based on 236 respondants
Growth - projected sales for 1991 as a percentage of 1989
Market - Number of respondants reporting sales in the United States
All reported sales primarily in the domestic market
Costs - Farm expenses as a proportion of conventional producers
Premium- Number of respondants reporting receipt of a price premium
grains - received price premium and expected considerable growth in sales - costs 80% of conventional
fruit - strong growth, mostly consumed in Canada, costs 15% above conventional
vegetables - strong growth, most consumed in Canada, costs 95% if conventional
meat - strong growth, consumed in Canada, costs 90% of conventional
dairy - weak growth (8%) - costs 85% of conventional
barriers to growth - economic conditions (operating funds, capital, low prices) lack of information, regulatory,
farms vary greatly - (158 respondants) - over 60% reported sales of less than $50,000 while sales up to $5.3 million were reported
- sales were expected to increase by 41% by 149 respondants
telephone survey - 21 retailers, growers, importers, exporters, wholesalers brokers, processors - chosen since they were identified as being "major players" in the market with at least several years experience
imports exceed exports, fruit and vegetables dominate the import market, also processed foods; grains primary in exports
- expected strong growth; prices highly volitile due to thin market;
imports dominate exports; grains and pulses exported to US and Europe,
fruit and veg dominate the import market
- barriers - inconsistent and limited supply, need for more marketing efforts, trade regulations, packaging regulatons, consumer education, information nees by growers; want government to financially support the industry, underwrite national standards by "favoured a hands-off role for government"
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