Factors affecting non-adoption of organic farming: A systematic literature review

Introduction

The agricultural sector is very significant in food security, the environment and livelihoods of rural people globally (Sujianto et al., 2024) [32] . Due to the over-use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in traditional farming methods, the environment has been contaminated, and people have health issues (Fisher, n.d.) Consequently, organic farming has become one of the responsible alternatives to agricultural systems that promote environmental harmony and encourages soil wellbeing (Bottazzi et al., 2023) [5] . Although organic farming is environmentally and health-wise beneficial, its adoption rate has been lower in lots of the regions (Dubey & Nabi, n.d.). When converting a traditional farming system to organic farming, farmers tend to encounter various problems (Milestad and Darnhofer, 2003) [25] . Amongst these challenges, which influence the adoption decisions made by farmers are technical, financial and marketing related constraints (S. A. Singh et al., 2025) [31] . Previous studies have indicated that production barriers, marketing and financial limitations have been key to the hindrance in the adoption of organic farming (Ghanghas et al., 2021) [14] . The barrier depends on the farmers knowledge and training deficiencies to adopt organic farming practices (Rashidpour, n.d.). The lack of organic inputs such as compost, biofertilizers and pesticides also affects farmers ability to convert to organic farming (Zollet & Maharjan, 2021) [36] . Market related issues like lack of special markets and unpredictability of demand of organic products are further deterring farmers to the idea of declining to organic agriculture (Dev & Raj, 2025) [10] . The extension services are also some of the institutional barriers that affect the choice of farmers in adopting these (Canavari et al., 2022) [6] . Even though some studies have the barriers to adopting organic farming, they are still dispersed in the contexts and areas (S. A. Singh et al., 2025) [31] . The synthesis of the current literature should be systematized to determine the key influencing factors of the non-adoption of organic farming (Habanyati et al., 2024) [15] . A systematic literature review method aids in a synthesis of the evidence generated by a variety of researches and gives a comprehensive view of barriers to adoption (Azam and Shaheen, 2019) [4] . This paper seeks to generalize the literature in avenues that affect the nonadoption of organic farming and to classify the literature into a number of key thematic variables.

Research Question

Why are farmers not adopting organic farming?

Research Objectives 1. To identify the major constraints influencing farmers non adoption of organic farming. 2. To classify the constraints into thematic categories. 3. To synthesis the empirical findings of the constraints affecting organic farming adoption.

Methodology

The current research takes the systematic literature review approach in reviewing articles shortlisted, within the period of three months time superseded by the researcher. Though the review was not registered at databases like PROSPERO a structured review protocol was adhered to so as to make the study selection and analysis process transparent and consistent. Only studies published in the past 2010 -2025 were considered in the literature to capture recent developmets. The review and determined the different problems the farmers are struggling with to embrace organic farming and what they hope the policymakers would offer.

Database and Search Strategy

The researcher has identified the articles about the barriers and obstacles mentioned in the Google scholar and the Research Gate and shared articles in the search engine about the search word(s) showed below (Farmer and barriers or challenges or constraints and adoption) in both the Google scholar and the Research gate -130 articles were collected using the search engine: (Farmer and barriers or challenges or constraints and adoption).

Screening process

The duplicate records were eliminated in the second stage out of 130 articles the 25 duplicate records were eliminated and the total amount of articles left 105 articles, 28 non relevant articles were removed, 15 articles concentrating on consumer aspects were not taken into consideration and 12 articles were removed after reviewing the abstract.

Inclusion and Exclusion criteria

The inclusion and exclusion criteria used for full text review are presented in table 1 Throughout the process of reading the entire text, 2 articles associated with chemical farming were discarded. Also, 4 low-methodology articles and 3 articles that failed to comment on barriers and articles that had no sufficient data were eliminated. Lastly, 36 articles were chosen to conduct the systematic review. The process of data extraction was to go through the selected articles and extract important variables, themes and findings with respect to non-adoption of organic farming. The relevant information including the objectives of the study, methodology and barriers were properly documented and clustered into thematic variables.

A quality measurement was carried out to ascertain the trustworthiness of the chosen studies. The articles were considered against peers based on characteristics like publication in peer reviewed journals, articulateness of objectives, relevance and methodological rigor of the article to the research topic. Studies that were not clear in terms of their methodology were not included in the final review. Data extraction and selection of the study was carried out by one researcher. A systematic and transparent method was applied and taken to reduce bias with pre-stated guidelines and additional screening of the chosen articles.

Synthesis analyses of the themes 1. Knowledge and Training

The systematic review produced shows that the most important barriers to organic farming adoption are knowledge and training(S. A. Singh et al., 2025) [31] Research has established that farmers are not aware of the principles, practices and long term benefits of organic farming(Dadheech and Kaur, 2025) [8] lack of knowledge about organic farming technologies is another factor The constant capacity building programs to enhance the skills of farmers is necessary and demonstrated through the literature available in various parts of India(S. A. Singh et al., 2025) [31] The literature highlights that extension support and training of the farmers are crucial to foster the adoption of organic farming(Habanyati et al., 2024) [15] .

Availability of inputs

One of the biggest challenges in transition to use of organic farming is the availability of organic inputs. These farmers often encountered unavailability of organic fertilizers, vermicompost and bio fertilizers in the local markets (Dadheech & Kaur, 2025) [8] . Many studies indicate that farmers lack the ability to maintain soil fertility within organic systems due to the absence of compost and manure (Habanyati et al., 2024) [15] Deficiency of high quality organic inputs leads farmers to be dependent on external sellers and it correlates with uncertainty in production (S. A. Singh et al., 2025) [31] . The late supply of disease free planting materials and the availability of organic inputs also discourages farmers to shift to organic farming (Aparna & Thomas, 2017) [2] . Studies found that inefficient distribution ways of inputs and lack of production of organic inputs in the region are the causes of supply side restrictions (S. A. Singh et al., 2025) [31] . The measures to promote farmers to adopt organic farming practices, as stipulated by the studies, involve availing organic inputs that are more affordable and local (Habanyati et al., 2024) [15] into the market.

Consumer awareness, demand.

Consumer demand plays a crucial role in determining whether or not farmers adopt organic farming practices (Rashidpour, n.d.) There is also a lack of consumer trust which erodes farmers trust in organic markets regarding their propensity to pay high prices (Dev & Raj, 2025) [10] . The farmers think that a lack of the demand of organic products is one of the major impediments to the development of organic farming (Rashidpour, n.d.). The absence of knowledge by consumers about organic products also harms farmers by affecting their price realization and market stability (Dev & Raj, 2025) [10] Market demand is also affected as consumers lack knowledge about organic labeling and certification processes(Rashidpour, n.d.).

Marketing

The research established that marketing related concerns are increasingly cited as the primary problem toward adopting organic farming. Lack of niche markets to organic produce based on many farmers hinders their ability to fetch the best dollar on their products (Aparna & Thomas, 2017) [2] . Research indicates that farmers lack coordinated marketing channels and lack market ties that can entice them to adopt organic farming (S. A. Singh et al., 2025) [31] As there are no direct purchasing agents of organic products farmers are often dependent on intermediaries (Dev & Raj, 2025) [10] . There is also a lack of profitability of selling organic produce because of expensive transportation and inadequate storage conditions (Aparna and Thomas, 2017) [2] . The lack of trustworthy market information and not stable market conditions are also cited as significant issues (Dev & Raj, 2025) [10] . Lack of farmer cooperatives and marketing organizations undermines the organic supply chain (Aparna & Thomas, 2017) [2] . The lack of access to markets also denies organic products access to larger markets (Habanyati et al., 2024) [15] To promote the adoption of organic farming, it is necessary to increase marketing infrastructure, improve the information systems of markets and establish specialised organic marketplaces (S. A. Singh et al., 2025) [31]

Profitability and cost

The profitability and economic viability concerns are widely-known as the key reasons that stand in the way of the successful introduction of organic farming(Dev & Raj, 2025) [10] The studies indicate that the high cost of production is the element that prevents farmers with switching to organic farming practices (Ghanghas et al., 2021) [14] . High cost of certification and inspection procedures is another cost that is identified to be a financial strain to small and marginal farmers (Dadheech & Kaur, 2025) [8] . Farmers often view organic farming as labor intensive and therefore operating expense increases (Sujianto et al., 2022) [33] . Low premium prices, unreliable market demand, and financial risk and volatility during the conversion phase present financial risks to farmers (Habanyati et al., 2024) [15] access to credit and financial resources is an additional financial barrier influencing adoption decisions (Aparna and Thomas, 2017) [2] . The studies celebrate the fact that farmers wishing to convert to organic farming have financial difficulties since the cost of inputs and start-up costs are more expensive (Sujianto et al., 2024) [32] . The studies indicate that to make organic farming significantly more profitable, the premiums on prices should be constant, the costs of certification and the financial incentives should be improved (Azam and Shaheen, 2019) [4] .

Policy and Institutional support

Institutional and policy variables were found to be key determinants of organic farming adoption in the literature. There is no government support that makes farmers discouraged to switch to organic farming (Haneef et al., 2019) [17] Sometimes, institutional challenges are defined as debilitating financial support and subsidies (Aghabeygi et al., 2024) [1] . The limited access to credit facilities and institutional financing also limits the ability of farmers to invest in organic farming (Aparna & Thomas, 2017) [2] . There is a lack of technical support or advisory services offered in agricultural institutions (Rashidpour, n.d.). A further problem that inhibits adoption is the poor institutional coordination and poor extension infrastructure (S. A. Singh et al., 2025) [31] . Absence of certification infrastructure and local certification bodies are also among the limitations as the factors (Haneef et al., 2019) [17] In order to stimulate organic farming joint institutional support and policy level measures need to be increased (S. A. Singh et al., 2025) [31] and the regulatory supporting measures, financial assistance programs, and extension services should be reinforced(Dadheech and Kaur, 2025) [8] .

Conversion and yield risk.

The unpredictable yield in the transitional period is a typical problem of the farmers considering shifting to organic farming (Aparna & Thomas, 2017) [2] . The first loss farmers experience when they convert to organic systems of farming is loss of yield. The conversion periods make farmers against using organic methods due to common economic uncertainty (Habanyati et al., 2024) [15] . Due to the uncertainty about ecological response and productivity some farmers consider organic farming a threatening production methodology (Rashidpour, n.d.) It was found that organic farming requires many years to achieve positive ecological and economic outcomes (Habanyati et al., 2024) [15] . Climate variability is a production risk due to the need to adjust to pests and changing levels of soil fertility during transition(Aparna & Thomas, 2017) [2] . The perceptions of farmers with regards to risk also matter with regard to adoption decisions.

Certification complexity

The literature most often pinpoints the problems of certification as the barriers to the introduction of organic farming (Azam and Shaheen, 2019) [4] The farmers are convinced that the procedures of organic certification are complicated and complicated to complete (Aparna and Thomas, 2017) [2] . The high-certification and inspection costs are often mentioned as one of the financial obstacles by small and marginal farmers (Canavari et al., 2022) [6] . The lack of home-country certifying infrastructure and bodies also poses a limitation to the participation of farmers in organic markets (S. A. Singh et al., 2025) [31] . Farmers are not well informed with regard to certification and documentation (Rashidpour, n.d.). It is time consuming to comply with certification (Dadheech & Kaur, 2025) [8] . Research findings reveal that farmers are not able to achieve premium markets where they face issues with certifications acquisition (S. A. Singh et al., 2025) [31] . To promote the use of organic farming, it was essential to facilitate the certification procedures, enhance certification facilities (Dadheech & Kaur, 2025) [8] .

Labor

Labor and agricultural resource availability is an impediment to organic farming. Compared to conventional farming systems, organic farming methods use more labor (Tiwari et al., 2024) [34] . One of the most common grievances that farmers resort to is the shortage of qualified personnel to manage fields and to process organic inputs (Rashidpour, n.d.). Shortage of labor in critical farming activities (Aparna and Thomas, 2017) [2] . Agricultural activities like organic farming are less affordable to farmers because of low levels of capital and limited farm-level finances (Ghanghas et al., 2021) [14] . The adoption of organic farming by smallholders is also negated by the fact that they own small pieces of land, and they frighten farm resources (Azam & Shaheen, 2019) [4] . Farmers reckon that organic is more time-consuming and harder-working compared to conventional techniques (Janati et al., 2025) [12] .

Results and Discussion

The findings of this systematic study indicate that a combination of institutional, market-related, economic, and knowledge-related factors combines with poor adoption of organic farming (Aghabeygi et al., 2024) [1] The absence of training and information among farmers limits their understanding of organic farming practices and certification requirements, which is also observable in the reviewed literature (Rashidpour, n.d.). Likewise, in most regions the supply of organic inputs such as compost, biofertilizers and pesticides remains a significant level of production constraint (Dadheech and Kaur, 2025) [8] , since farmers often perceive organic farming as work intensive and costly particularly at the conversion phase, economic viability is also of prime significance (Habanyati et al., 2024) [15] These findings suggest that both farm level and The unwillingness of farmers in initiating organic farming is also fortified by the problems of market. The fact that farmers do not have specialized markets, the marketing infrastructure is weak, and the market relies on middlemen, makes farmers less certain about the sale of organic products as the market structure is worried about price premiums and the adoption decisions related to the growth of market-related awareness and uncertainty about market demand (Rashidpour, n.d.). Institutional and policy limitations also endanger adoption by restricting services to the poor through low extension services, low subsidies and challenges in obtaining certification (Dadheech & Kaur, 2025) [8] . The literature review reveals that the problem of the non-acceptance of organic farming is a multifaceted challenge that requires an integrated work in the marketing system, training, input provision and governmental assistance.

Future Research scope

The systematic review of the selected articles demonstrates several significant knowledge gaps in the literature on the adoption of organic farming. Few studies have examined behavioural and psychological aspects influencing the choice of organic farming, most research rather focuses more on the barriers of adopting organic farming which limit adoption; a possible exception is that little research has analysed the effects of alternative learning methods like farmer networks, extension models and participatory training programs on adoption outcomes (Ghanghas et al., 2021) [14] . The paper has failed to analyze the connection between consumer demand and the choices of farmers adoption adequately (Dev & Raj, 2025) [10] . Absence of longitudinal and region specific research studying the long run economic and productivity results of organic farming adoption (L. Singh & Dhaliwal, 2025) [30] . The research about certification infrastructure, institutional coordination and policy implementation is also absent (Łuczka et al., n.d.). There is a lack of effective integration of market development, policy support and farm level resources constraints into one analytical system (Sujianto et al., 2024) [32] .

Conclusion

This knowledge review of the literature demonstrates how several interacting obstacles in all the production, market and institutional spheres impact the non-implementation of organic farming (Dadheesch & Kaur, 2025). Based on the analyzed study lack of training opportunities, lack of technical knowledge and effective extension programs continue to hamper farmers confidence in organic farming practices (S. A. Singh et al., 2025) [31] . The lack of inputs in terms of bio inputs like fertilizers that are organic and a challenge in gaining access to bio inputs continue to continue to hinder the adoption (Aparna & Thomas, 2017) [2] . Marketing constraints like the reliance on middlemen, lack of certain markets and purchasing agencies further discourage farmers to adopt organic farming (Dev & Raj, 2025) [10] . Economic factors like certification costs, income variability during conversion, and lack of financial resources also play a key role in determining farmers decisions (Azam & Shaheen, 2019) [4] . The study indicates that to promote institutional support in adopting the organics agricultural practices, there was a need to create market infrastructure, ensure the supply of organic inputs and enhance training systems.

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