Research

Take a deeper look into the various barriers that farmers are facing when trying to become sustainable

Financial Barriers

While sustainable agriculture practices are seen to bring in more revenue to farmers, that is only after the sustainable practices have been fully integrated into the farm.

The transition period can be long for once-conventionally farmed land since the nutrients and soil must be completely replenished in a natural way.

Often, farmers face decreases in profitability off of their crops as yield uncertainty is a big financial risk as new practices are being tried out. After roughly five years of implementing the practices, crop yields are expected to stabilize and become more resistant to environmental and market changes. During this transitioning period, farmers need to have enough financial support to deal with the upfront costs whether that is through crop insurance or grants given to support the farmers.

Additionally, while sustainable farming eventually requires less expenses than conventional, the labor costs do increase. During and after the transition period, labor is expected to have a 20% to 2/3 increase in additional labor expenses. However, many farmers state that the land management is more fulfilling. A greater share of the profits is also given to labor income since there are lower fixed costs than conventional farms.

Overall, the transition period is costly and success is uncertain which acts as a barrier for farmers considering to become sustainable. The table below summarizes the quantified transition-induced costs of European farms. The costs are therefore expressed in EUR, however the data still offers insight to the similar costs U.S. farmers may be undergoing.

"The report found that during the three-to-five-year transition period, farmers can expect up to nearly a USD $40 per acre profitability loss due to decreased crop yields and capital outlays for specialized equipment. But the short-term financial risk to transitioning farmers can be mitigated by a myriad of support options including cost share programs, sustainable leases, improved insurance terms, regenerative crop warranties, government subsidies, price premiums, lending programs, and ecosystem services markets." - World Business Council for Sustainable Development (wbcsd.org)

Policy Barriers

Crop Insurance

"Moreover, crop insurance, which is often partially federal-funded, compounds the financial pressure on farmers to stick to corn and soy, says Jennifer O’Connor, author of a Patagonia-sponsored report on barriers to regenerative agriculture in the U.S. published in October 2020." - Science Line article

Centralization of Seed Industry

Nearly 50% of seed sales in the global market are from the same four companies: Bayer, Corteva, Limagrain, and ChemChina. Bayer, Corteva, and ChemChina are also responsible for 65% of the market concentration in herbicides and pesticides.

Today, major seed corporations that produce corn, soybeans, cotton, canola, sugarbeets, and alfalfa also supply herbicides and pesticides as a complementary product to purchasing the seeds. With these major corporations, it makes it hard for small farmers to succeed in the market and also makes it difficult for farmers to get away from conventional, pesticide-based farming practices when many of the seeds they purchase are genetically engineered and come with pesticides.

Organic Certification

The process for certifying a farm as organic is long and extensive, often being too expensive and having harsh requirements. For example, a farm must complete 3 years of chemical-free farming before they can be considered for organic certification. This can be a difficult task as it takes a long time for the soil health to be built back up after it has been treated with chemicals. Crops can become more susceptible to pests and weeds during this transition period, damaging crop yields and reducing profits for the farmer.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) tends to bend some of the certification rules for larger corporations since they bring in more profit. Smaller farms are then at the disadvantage, left to abide by the strict regulations and costly expenses.

Negative Social Stigmas

“Farming unconventionally can sometimes bring stigma, and in some extreme cases, farmers have described avoiding places like local coffee shops where their neighbors might be talking about them. For this reason, he adds, many of the farmers in his organization’s network join because it can be 'a tonic or cure for loneliness,' helping farmers find agricultural community without judgement.” - Science Line

“Conventional wheat producers experimenting with organic practices described planting their organic fields far from traveled roads so their neighbors won’t see them. These fields look different, often having more weeds, and they want to avoid being judged as a ‘bad farmer’.” - Aquaoso article

Although sustainable farming is on an incline, these barriers still act as a roadblock in many farmers moving away from conventional practices. Therefore, sustainable agriculture is not as common of a practice as we would hope. This can lead to some sustainable farmers not being able to find a community of like-minded farmers near them. As reported above, sustainable farming can have a negative stigma such as farmers neglecting their crops or not farming the "right way." Not having support in these circumstances can be isolating and lower a farmer's self esteem, making adopting sustainable practices discouraging from a social dynamic point of view.

Lack of Land Ownership

“The idea that farmers aren’t investing in their land and in more sustainable practices — it isn’t just because they don’t have access to the land over the long term. They often don’t have agency over what happens to that land," says Kathryn De Master, environmental science policy researcher at University of California, Berkeley - Science Line

According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture from the USDA, 39% of farmland in the U.S. is rented or leased, that being roughly 340 million acres. Financially, farmers that rent their land may not receive the financial benefits that eventually come with transitioning to sustainable agriculture. This is because the true sustainable benefits are often measurable far into the future after implementing the practices for a long period of time. Unfortunately, those who rent the farmland may not be on the land to experience those benefits. Those who rent may also not be granted the autonomy to grow different crops and implement new practices onto the farmland. This leads to lower adoption rates for farmers on rented land.