ADOPTION AND IMPACTS OF ORGANIC FARMING: CASE OF WINTER TOMATO PRODUCTION IN BANGLADESH

Abstract

Organic farming is significant because it has the potential to spread environmentally friendly farming methods that rely less on synthetic chemicals. It improves soil health, food safety, and environmental impact, benefiting farmers and customers in the long run. The goals of the study include investigating the sociodemographic traits of tomato producers, determining the factors that influence the adoption of organic tomato farming by binary probit model, and assessing the effects of adoption using a PSM by studying 200 randomly selected farmers. The results indicate notable disparities between organic and inorganic tomato farmers with regards to age, earning member, farming experience, using mobile, extension contact, and landholding. In comparison to inorganic farming, organic tomato farming exhibits higher profitability and a superior benefit-cost ratio. The benefits of organic farming are further supported by propensity score matching analysis, which highlights organic tomato growing has statistically significant higher benefit-cost ratios (BCR), lower overall costs per hectare, and higher selling prices per kilogram than conventional inorganic cultivation. Although there are a number of challenges for tomato producers using organic agricultural methods, the main one is the lack of financial support. Managing diseases and pests, labor expenses, erratic yields, a lack of resources, and knowledge gaps are a few of the major difficulties organic tomato farmers face. These results offer insightful information to stakeholders and policymakers working to advance organic and sustainable farming practices in Bangladesh.