Implications for Research

The study reported here shows a need for research and Extension efforts in the organic agriculture and food sector that span the agrifood chain, from inputs through production, processing, manufacturing, distribution, retail and consumer patterns. These needs are being driven by growing demand globally for organic foods. The findings herein are based on a research project in east-central Kansas, but arguably apply more broadly.

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One of the themes that emerged in the focus groups was the lack of information on organic production that is specific to local/regional climates, soils, and other conditions. We thought this might be particularly true for central Plains states, and polled the state SARE State Sustainable Agriculture Coordinators in the corridor of states from North Dakota to Texas (North/South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas). We asked them about their state's specialists and programs dedicated to organic production.

In short, there appears to be a dearth of programs dedicated to organic agriculture in this corridor of states, which corroborates the growers' sense in this study of the lack of regionally specific information. In the six states, none has a full-time faculty level Extension specialist dedicated to organic agriculture, though there are specialists in each state who devote partial time to organic work. Further, none of the states has a dedicated research program for organic production, though again there are partial appointments in at least three of the states that involve organic research. The University of Nebraska recently received a sizable grant for organic research over five years.

In terms of curriculum, none of the six states has a degree program or certificate program in organic agriculture. Two of the states have specific coursework in organic cropping systems. This seems to be in contrast to other regions of the country, where programs of study in organic agriculture have been instituted (e.g., Washington, Colorado, and Michigan state universities).

Moreover, the lack of dedicated organic programs in this corridor of states stands out when juxtaposed with the apparent opportunities for organic production of commodities in which these states have distinctive strengths. In particular, these are important states for beef, wheat, sorghum, soybeans, and irrigated corn and cotton. Also, the bulk of some lesser crops are produced primarily in this region, such as sunflower, oats, and barley. Thus, there are significant opportunities for conversion to organic production as well as opportunities in a variety of specialty products (e.g., organic flour, oatmeal, cereals, etc.).

The study reported here was designed to identify challenges and assess the information needs for organic production, processing, marketing, and retail, as perceived by growers and retailers. The perceptions and opinions of Extension professionals on these issues were not addressed in this study. Of course, many in Extension are well aware of current trends in the organic sector, are knowledgeable about the issues raised in this article, and have been grappling with how to respond programmatically to meet future needs in this area.

It would be a worthy research effort to also study the perceptions of Extension professionals on these issues. The comparison of those results with the present study would be a useful beginning to identify differences in understanding, problems in communication, and potentially a productive way forward.

Clearly, the study raises politically charged questions that are beyond the scope of this article. It also suggests a need and an opportunity for Extension and the organic grower/retailer community to engage in an open dialogue in order to compare and challenge each other's perceptions on these issues and work collaboratively to develop an effective programmatic approach to addressing this dynamic sector.