Can models be useful for deciding to convert to organic fruit growing? An introduction to the discussion.

Modern high-input agriculture has produced great increases in crop yields but social and environmental costs have also been high. Over the past decades, sustainability has become more and more a guiding principle in agriculture. In this context, organic farming became recognised by farmers, policymakers and consumers as one of the possibilities for the farmer in a more sustainable way (De Cock L., 2005).