Organic and Conventional Agriculture- A Comparative Economics: Bulletin of Agrarian State University from Moldova: 2022; (5/462):123-130. ISSN 1994-2796 (Print) Scientific Article

The main problem of agriculture is finding a compromise between (1) food security and (2) minimal nega- tive impact on the environment. Currently, the first task is called upon to solve traditional agriculture, the second — organic. To identify the most sustainable type of agriculture, it is important to compare their economic aspects. When comparing, the analogy method was used. To assess the dynamics of demand for organic products and resources for their production, data from the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), the National Organic Union and the Union of Organic Farming were analyzed. The purpose of the study: to identify the benefits and opportunities of organic agriculture, the conditions for its long-term sustainability. The problem under consideration: the choice of the most appropriate type of agricul- ture for solving the main problems of the industry. The study showed that the driver for the development of organic agriculture in developed countries is consumer demand and a number of positive externalities, while the limiting factors for the wide distribution of this type are the high price of products, the decrease in the level of food security of countries, the need to increase the cost of research and development of specific technologies. In the short term, traditional agriculture will continue to dominate due to higher productivity. Organic agriculture, with an increase in research costs and the introduction of innovations, can compete with traditional agriculture in the long term.