Results revealed that, compared to conventional hazelnut producers, organic hazelnut producers were more educated, had larger hazelnut areas and spent more time on agricultural activities.
Although the organic hazelnut producers used more manure per unit of area than the conventional producers, there was no statistically significant difference between them.
Other studies showed that the costs in organic hazelnut production were between 4 and 6%6,16 lower.
On the other hand, conventional hazelnut producers did use synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
The organic hazelnut producers used no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.
The company selected producers with relatively larger hazelnut areas from the same region and made contracts with them.
However, the yield increased gradually after conversion and, in some cases, was even higher than conventional hazelnut production.
Apart from this, similar plant care techniques are applied by both organic and conventional hazelnut producers.
