The Profitability of Alternative Cropping Systems: A Review of the Literature

Advances and Trends in Organic Fruit and Vegetable Farming Research

“…Although higher production costs (e.g., labor, weed, and pest control) and lower yields can be observed for some organic fruits and vegetables (Rembiałkowska 2007), higher profitability is often reported because of premium prices on the European and North American markets (Clark et al 1999;Kaval 2004;Raviv 2009;Granatstein et al 2010a;Raviv 2010;Anon. 2011;Schmutz et al 2011;Suja et al 2012).…”

“…2011;Schmutz et al 2011;Suja et al 2012). Indeed, the largest determinant of profitability was found to be the crop type, location, and price premiums (Kaval 2004). For example, organically grown tomato can be more profitable than a conventional crop when a premium price of 10-50% or even more depending on the market area is added (Kaval 2004;Anon.…”

The Science Behind Biodynamic Preparations: A Literature Review

“…Many organic methods have significant, positive impacts on such qualities as soil porosity Department of Horticulture, Washington State University Puyallup Research and Extension Center, 2606 West Pioneer Way, Puyallup, WA 98371-4998 and fertility, beneficial insect and microbe diversity, pest and disease suppression, and crop quality and yield. The benefits of these methods have been reviewed in the scientific literature (e.g., Dima and Odero,1997;Gasser and Berg, 2011;Kaval, 2004;Mason and Spaner, 2006;Pandian et al, 2005;Turner et al, 2007). Essentially, the only difference between organic and modern biodynamic farming lies in the application of Steiner's preparations (Carpenter-Boggs et al, 2000a;Giannattasio et al, 2013), which must be ''applied in minute doses, much like homeopathic remedies are for humans'' (Demeter Association, 2013).…”

Economic and Financial Comparison between Organic and Conventional Farming in Sicilian Lemon Orchards

“…The lemon tree, in fact, is well adapted to organic farming, being able to obtain high yield [9], especially for farms that implement all agricultural operations provided, such us increasing soil fertility with natural fertilizers and soil amendments, introduction of suitable monitoring systems with the aim of preventing or reducing possible phytophagous and fungus infestations by means of natural agents or suitable irrigations [10,11].…”