Assessing the character of agricultural production systems: Issues and implications

Alternative agriculture can be viewed as an alternative belief system to that underlying conventional agriculture. However, alternative agriculture can also be viewed from a technological perspective—that is, as a set of substitute technologies to conventional agriculture from which a farmer can selectively choose. Definitional distinctions between low-input, organic, sustainable, and conventional agriculture become important with this second perspective. Different policy and research implications are generated from these competing perspectives.