Report describing three crop case studies investigating the detail socio-economic factors influencing the behaviour of various stakeholders regarding the use of organic seed

The aim of this task is to understand the reasons for market failure on organic seed markets and identify ways to overcome it, by describing and modelling the decision-making behaviour of operators connected either directly or indirectly to organic seed markets, including organic and conventional breeders, seed producers, farmers, food producers, traders and consumers. Three crop case studies will focus on a selected crop in the category of vegetables or fruit (led by FIBL-CH), cereals (led by UNIVPM) and forage crops (led by ORC). The selection will consider different aspects that are of varying importance in the different crops: use of local and/or international markets, functioning and failing supply chains, farmer-driven, commercial and community-based seed business models and farm saved seed based on the outcomes of T1.1 and T4.1. A potential case could, for example, centre on the organic tomato market in a region of Europe. Additional criteria include data availability, the presence of different forms of market interactions, use of less widely grown cultivars, reliance on organic multiplication of conventionally bred cultivars and the presence of derogations. The case studies will at first lead to a description of supply chain structure and business practises in the respective crop markets, including existing examples of food retailer/wholesalers that have actively encouraged the use of organic seed (e.g. organic potatoes in NL). For each case small stakeholder advisory group of project partners (including business partners of the consortium) will be established by the responsible partner.