Examining the Experiences of Agricultural Growers in Florida in Transition to Organic Agriculture

Florida is a large agricultural state with the production capacity and consumer demand for fruits and vegetables grown organically, without the use of herbicides, pesticides, or genetic modifications. Despite this, Florida growers are not transitioning to organic production methods, as one would expect, considering national consumer demand trends toward organic produce. This study was conducted to investigate why Florida growers are not transitioning to organic production methods despite potentially lower inputs, higher prices, and greater sustainability. The reasons for this gap between supply and demand have not been understood, and the purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to discover the perspectives and lived experiences of Florida fruit and vegetable growers regarding the decision to transition to organic production methods. In the context of Rogers' diffusion of innovations framework, 31 growers were interviewed, from a geographically representative sample of Florida farms. The findings of this study showed that there are a number of reasons or themes why growers are not transitioning to organic methods and getting certified, including the USDA mandated 3 year transition period, questionable demand for organic produce, lower organic yields, higher organic costs, excessive reporting requirements, and differing grower motivations. The results support Rogers' conclusion that adoption is inversely related to complexity; the more involved and difficult an innovation is perceived to be, the less likely it is to be adopted. Adopting organic methods and pursuing organic certification is a complex paradigm shift for growers, and the uncertainty regarding difficulties and costs involved in transitioning to organic were not worth the trouble to many growers. Recommendations for future research include expanding the study into other states to determine what Florida-specific factors might be influencing adoption, as markets and motivations may differ among regions. Rogers' (2003) complexity, relative advantage, trialability, observability, and compatibility may be leading to different diffusion and adoption rates among different sized farms, and different crops.