Article Abstract

Volume 27, No. (3), 2017 (June)
AN ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE BENEFITS OF ORGANIC FARMING IN PAKISTAN
1*M. I. U. Husnain, 2M. Khan and 3H. Z. Mahmood

1*M. I. U. Husnain, 2M. Khan and 3H. Z. Mahmood

1*COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad;

2COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Lahore;

3COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Lahore

DOI: NA
Page Number(s): 996-1004
Published Online First: June 01, 2017
Publication Date: June 01, 2017
ABSTRACT

Despite the acknowledged advantages of organic farming, questions remain about its productivity differential and financial viability to its counterpart conventional farming. We test this claim in Pakistan, by comparing the productivity and profitability of organic and conventional farms that grow two major crops, wheat and rice, based on primary data collected from 444 (220 organic & 224 conventional) farms located in three districts of Punjab province. We find that growing organic crops is at least as profitable as conventional crops despite their low yields due to lower input costs and higher commodity prices. The Benefit Cost Ratio is also higher for organic crops which suggest that farmers can get higher profits by moving from conventional to organic crops. Overall, input costs are 20% and 10% lower in organic wheat and rice farms relative to their conventional counterparts. Soil nutrient tests show that organic farms tend to better conserve soil fertility and system stability than conventional farms. Based on these private and public benefits, we argue that organic agriculture should be encouraged to ensure sustainable agricultural practices in Pakistan. Farmers’ tentative adoption of commercial organic farming will largely depend on how demand for organically farmed food continues to grow.

Keywords: Organic Farming, Conventional Farming, Wheat, Rice, Fertilizers, Pesticides

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Web of Science (SCIE)

SCOPUS (Q3)

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Journal Impact Factor: 0.5 | (JCR Year: 2025) | Cite Score: 1.3

HEC Category: W

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ISSN Details

Print ISSN: 1018-7081

Electronic ISSN: 2309-8694

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