The book gives an overview of the organic sector, both in Italy and in the US, and to show how agricultural economists are performing analyses dealing with organic produce on different points in the supply chain. The book covers economic issues raised by organic farming, taking into account the consumer's needs but also the managerial and budget constraints experienced by the farmers. Farm management methodologies, as well as marketing analyses have been applied to specific research topics involving several industries in the agri-food sector. The papers strive to answer questions that have a managerial relevance: e.g. Are the producers ready to adopt organic farming techniques, and are the consumers willing to pay a premium price for a certified organic produce? Most of the contributions were presented during the 8th Padova-Minnesota Conference on Food, Agriculture, and the Environment, held in Stout's Lodge, Red Cedar Lake, Wisconsin, on August 26-28, 2002. The editors have added authors to round out the subject.

The book gives an overview of the organic food sector, both in Italy and in the US. It covers economic issues raised by organic farming, taking into account the consumer's needs but also the managerial and budget constraints experienced by the farmers. The book also details how agricultural economists perform analyses dealing with organic produce at different points in the supply chain.