The social economics of organic production in Columbia's Farmer's Market

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The research involves preliminary field investigation of the impacts of social demands on economic decisions made by producers, such agricultural management among farmers participating in Columbia's Famers Market. The focus of the research will be on determining if social pressures to change agricultural management practices (increase of demand for organic products) have had any effect on the farmers. Also of concern to the research is how consumer requests for changes have affected farmers' agricultural decisions over time. The research will enhance MU visibility through its contribution to a growing social interest on agricultural production and management processes, to humanistic economic research on the social factors affecting economic decisions, and to anthropological work on the rapid growth of social interest in food production. The overall objective of this proposed research is to analyze the management and decision making of farmers in the Columbia's Farmer's Market to see the influence of social factors.