Photo credit: SmcGarnigle

A study recently published in the journal Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems by researchers at the University of Oregon aimed to understand whether organic farming in Washington and California creates more job opportunities than conventional farming. Using data from the USDA’s Agricultural Census, researchers compared average hired farm labor at the county level. They found that organic farms employed more farmworkers per acre of land, and workers on organic farms were typically hired for longer period. Together these results suggest that organic farming not only creates more job opportunities but also more secure (longer-term) employment opportunities.