Views of Organic Farmers

Organic farmers from different regions of the United States identified a wide range of risks to their operations in a series of focus groups during 2001and 2002. The focus groups were facilitated by the University of Maryland in cooperation with a research team from USDA's Economic Research Service to explore the risks faced by organic farmers, how they are managed, and needs for risk management assistance. Contamination of organic production from genetically-modified organisms was seen as a major risk, particularly by grain, soybean, and cotton farmers. Focus group participants producing grains and cotton—many of whom knew about and had obtained crop insurance— raised concerns about coverage offered, including the need for insurance to reflect the higher prices received for organic crops. Most fruit and vegetable producers participating in the focus groups had little knowledge of crop insurance. When provided with basic information about crop insurance, operators of small fruit and vegetable farms were skeptical about its usefulness for their type of operation. Key words: focus groups, organic farming, crop insurance, organic certification, genetically modified organism