Perspectives of master’s graduates on organic agriculture: A Portuguese case study

Abstract In recent years, organic agriculture (OA) has experienced notable growth across European countries. This work aims to enhance understanding of the current state and prospects of the OA sector in Portugal, based on a case study where 13 interviews were conducted with professionals holding master’s degrees in OA, obtained in the School of Agriculture of the Polytechnic University of Coimbra. These interviews followed a full-structured script comprising 23 questions. The results revealed primary challenges in OA, such as education-related hurdles (e.g., lack of qualifications), training obstacles (e.g., shortage of trained individuals transitioning to organic farming (OF), issues related to recognition and career development, and insufficient information targeted at farmers), as well as challenges in OF inputs (e.g., scarcity of organic fertilizers, organic seeds, and biopesticides), market issues (e.g., difficulties in finding market channels), and financial vectors (e.g., lack of support). This study is limited by its small convenience sample, so findings should be interpreted with caution and are not fully generalizable. According to our case study results, the future development of OA in Portugal relies on effectively addressing these challenges through a multi-actor, transdisciplinary approach that involves farmers, consumers, educational and research institutions, and public and private sector stakeholders.