Economic benefits and environment impacts of organic cropping in Beijing suburb area

With the increasing concern of urban residents for food safety and environmental protection, urban organic farming industry has developed rapidly in recent years. It is of great significance to clarify the development status, economic benefits and environmental impact of urban organic planting industry for the sustainable development of organic planting industry. In this study, we analyzed the economic benefits and environmental impacts of organic crop production based on farm survey data, cost-benefit analysis and life cycle assessment (LCA) based on farm survey data. This study showed that organic cultivation of five crops reduced environmental impact but also reduced crop yields compared to conventional crops. Due to the higher cost input of organic production, although organic cultivation increases the profitability of crops, its cost-to-profit ratio is lower than that of the corresponding conventional control. There are significant differences in the economic and environmental performance of different crops. Compared with conventional planting, organic cultivation reduced the environmental impact (LCA integrated index), and its decrease of different crops was potatoes and tubers> nuts> vegetables> fruits > vegetables. Taking into account food security (yield differences), consumer affordability (price differentials) and its reduces of environmental impact (LCA composite index), governments should increase subsidies for the production of organic potatoes and potato crops. Compared with other developed countries and regions, the scale of organic planting development in Beijing is still at a low level, and the Beijing Municipal Government should take further measures to encourage the development of organic agriculture. This study provides data support and basis for the formulation of ecological compensation standards for organic agriculture in Beijing.