Productivity and technical efficiency of organic farming – A literature survey

Abstract

The following article summarizes the findings of 30 studies on efficiency and productivity of organic farming systems. In a lot of studies organic farms shows a lower productivity than conventional farms, however, we cannot find evidence for a systematic lower efficiency. Environmental variables (if included) show a strong impact on efficiency and productivity of organic farms. We finally discuss conclusions from the productivity and efficiency literature.

Keywords: technical efficiency, productivity, organic farming, environmental efficiency