Environmental and social justifications for organic conversion subsidies are as pervasive in the United States as in Europe, but national policy does not explicitly support organic agriculture. Using Sweden's experience, we analyze factors that affect whether a subsidy is required to motivate...

Organic conversion subsidies used in Europe are less likely to be politically acceptable in the United States, where organic agriculture development is market-driven. Persistent barriers to conversion in the United States include limited availability of and access to production and market...