@article{Cook:291727,
      recid = {291727},
      author = {Cook, Roberta L.},
      title = {Marketing organic commodities in California: Structure and  obstacles to expansion},
      address = {1988-07-02},
      pages = {27},
      month = {Jul},
      year = {1988},
      abstract = {Organic producers in California were surveyed by the  author and the Organic
Market News and Information Service  (OMNIS) to determine: 1) the size of the
industry, 2) the  commodities grown, 3) acreage under organic cultivation  and,
4) growers' perceptions of the production and  marketing obstacles limiting
expansion. The California  organic industry has grown significantly in the
1980s and  now is estimated to consist of approximately 900 growers  with
wholesale sales of about $50 million dollars. Thirty  six percent of the
respondents farmed on a mixed acreage  basis, and the average respondent farmed
38 acres  organically with an average farm size of 58 acres. Total  California
organic area harvested is estimated to be 30,000  acres, with fruits
representing about 61 percent of this,  and vegetables and nuts each about 13
percent of the total,  respectively. Just as for conventional growers, the
most  important marketing channel for organic producers is sales  to
wholesalers. However, sales directly to consumers  represent twenty one
percent of the total volume for  organic producers relative to one percent for
conventional  growers. Organic producers perceive that demand side  factors,
such as lack of consumer awareness of the benefits  of organic products, are
the principal constraints to  market expansion. In contrast, handlers view
limited supply  and lack of consistency in quality and pack as the  key
obstacles impeding expansion.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/291727},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.291727},
}