Poll on an ecologically beneficial agriculture in the cantons of Basle (Switzerland)

The results of this socioeconomic investigation on agriculture, covering various branches of research on the situation and the future perspectives on methods in production respecting environment, are based on data collected in the region of Basle. The main points investigated in these written interviews were: the situation of information on methods used in agriculture respecting the environment, attitudes towards education and information, evaluation of their own production considering the compatibility to environment, participation, reasons affecting a change to methods of production respecting the environment and how to behave in the future, questions and problems concerning the economical choice of the firm and circumstances which can occur when changing to methods of production respecting the environment. About 11 % of the farms in the two cantons of Basle were interviewed. The answers were evaluated and compared considering the method of cultivation of the farm. During the second part of the investigation, on the basis of these results, the further development of IP farms and bio farms will be examined.