Southeast Organic Agriculture Research and Education Forum
Project Director
Kokoasse Kpomblekou-A
Year Funded
2019
Award Number
2019-51300-30250
Funded Institution
Tuskegee University
Grant Program
OREI (Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative)
USDA NIFA Report
Project Overview
A one-day pre-conference forum was held at the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (SSAWG) conference in Little Rock, AR in January 2020. Goals of the forum were to enhance knowledge and acceptance of organic practices in the Southeast, create economic opportunities for limited-resource farmers, and build consumer understanding and interest in organic foods. Attendees included researchers, extension personnel, and organic producers.
Farmer Takeaways
(1) The Southeastern US lags behind other regions in organic specialty crop production and sales, in part because of a need for market development and consumer education.
(2) Southern organic farms face challenges with soil fertility, pests, and diseases.
(3) Farmer-scientist collaborations can facilitate progress toward overcoming these barriers.
(4) Research advances in vegetable cultivars, organic pest management, nutritional value of organic produce, marketing strategies, and more were presented at the symposium.