Economic and environmental analysis of organic early potatoes

Italian organic farming has been experiencing an intense development phase in the last ten years, arising the interest at economic, political and social level for its general effects on population. In order to design the development models and understand the current differences between organic and conventional growing, we chose the comparative methods. The analysis carried out in 2012/2013 on Sicily potato growing out of a sample of 10 organic farms and 10 traditional ones. Results showed interesting differences among economic and environmental data between organic and traditional methods. Economic results are lower for organic growers, with higher profits for conventional potatoes, but the environmental implications are positive for organic farms. These aspects are the key for the evaluation of the "plus" for organic horticulture, consumers, the policy-makers, economic operators within the supply chain. The new community has a different role in the current organic agriculture, taking into account the growth of the market and the new rules of the community law which must be considered the most "plus" environmental of organic produce at the same level of fair trade products.