IS A PROJECT OF THEIS A PROJECT OF THEIS A PROJECT OF THEIS A PROJECT OF THE NNNNATIONALATIONALATIONALATIONAL CCCCENTER FORENTER FORENTER FORENTER FOR AAAAPPROPRIATEPPROPRIATEPPROPRIATEPPROPRIATE TTTTECHNOLOGYECHNOLOGYECHNOLOGYECHNOLOGY
www.
attra.
ncat....
More
IS A PROJECT OF THEIS A PROJECT OF THEIS A PROJECT OF THEIS A PROJECT OF THE NNNNATIONALATIONALATIONALATIONAL CCCCENTER FORENTER FORENTER FORENTER FOR AAAAPPROPRIATEPPROPRIATEPPROPRIATEPPROPRIATE TTTTECHNOLOGYECHNOLOGYECHNOLOGYECHNOLOGY
www.
attra.
ncat.
org
By Patricia Sauer and Preston Sullivan
NCAT Agriculture Specialists
December 2000
INTRODUCTION
Various factors have stimulated interest in crop
diversification in recent years: commodity price
instability, decreased or eliminated farm
subsidies, increased pesticide-resistance in pests,
and losses in genetic biodiversity.
At the same
time, consumer dietary changes have generated
new markets for alternative food products.
Experimenting with an alternative crop involves
both risks and opportunities, from both the
production and the marketing standpoints.
An
alternative crop may make a positive contribution
by increasing the diversity of the farm’s income
base, spreading out risks, reducing weaknesses in
the farm system, or broadeni
Less
