Abstract
M. Comm. (Financial Management)
The threats of climate change have become too serious to ignore. It has
thus become necessary for humans to consider the environmental impact
of their decisions, including the decision regarding which agricultural
practices to use. Organic agriculture is believed to be a mitigating factor
when it comes to climate change. It has the additional benefit of
contributing to human health due to the fact that the consumption of
organically grown food reduces exposure to potentially harmful pesticides.
In this study the perceptions of organic farmers regarding the benefits
and disadvantages of organic agriculture, from a financial and nonfinancial
perspective, were gauged. A convenience sample of 26 farmers
was obtained. The utility of a convenience sample was necessary due to
the unavailability of a complete database of organic farms in South Africa.
The results of the study indicated that the non-financial benefits of
organic agriculture were considered to be the most important
consideration for the decision to farm organically irrespective the high
input cost associated with it. Indeed, high input costs were identified as
the greatest disadvantage of organic agriculture. The results of the study
contribute to the existing body of knowledge of the trade-off between the
financial and non-financial benefits of organic agriculture in South Africa.