• Can organic crops increase farmer incomes in Bhutan?
  • Export of certified organic crops such as banana, cotton, tea or spices may be a valuable tool to raise farmer incomes (Jimenez et al. 2007; Bachmann 2012; Moumoni et al. 2013 ). The approach is consistent and has a growing potential also in Bhutan provided that marketing, infrastructure and logistics work.
  • What percentage of the agricultural area of Bhutan is Oa production?
  • Currently less than 10 % of the agricultural area of Bhutan is in OA production. We analysed the assumptions of the Bhutanese Government cited above from an agronomic perspective.
  • What are the economic and agronomic perspectives of organic agriculture in Bhutan?
  • The economic and agronomic perspectives of OA in Bhutan still need further analysis. The basic concept of market-oriented OA follows the simple equation that certified organic products, with an expected higher process quality than conventional goods, are rewarded by the consumer.
  • How much energy do Bhutanese eat a day?
  • Other grains such as maize and buckwheat are consumed at an annual rate of 118 kg per capita (MOAF 2013 ). The national average energy intake per person and day was 2,657 kcal in 2011 (MOAF 2013 ). Livestock and dairy products form an important part of Bhutanese diet and are consumed at least once a day.
  • What drives organic cotton production in Benin?
  • A recent survey on the adoption of organic cotton production in Benin showed that for farmers ( n = 100) the most important drivers for conversion were income stability (89 %) and income level (75 %) as a result of the premium of 20 % on top of conventional prices. Health issues related to pesticides were only mentioned by 36 % of the respondents.
  • Will Bhutan convert to organic agriculture by 2020?
  • In 2007, the Bhutanese Government announced a new agricultural policy focusing on the development of Organic Agriculture (OA) envisioning that the country fully converts to organic by 2020 (Duba et al. 2008 ).