MARKET RESEARCH POSTER PROJECT

These are group projects, performing market research for an organic farm. Groups can summarize their report on a poster and present to the class in 3-5 minutes. Some topics require direct research methods using primary sources and others use secondary sources. Some projects require telephone calls, visits to stores, etc. Allow time for students to work on these projects outside of class.

Topics

Direct research

  1. Compare the price of specific organic fruits and/or vegetables versus non-organic fruits and/or vegetables. The produce should be the same. It would be best if at least 2 visits were made, a few days apart.
  1. Survey of stores or markets in the local area offering organic produce. Be sure to survey the variety of produce and quality.
  1. Compare the price of organic produce among various stores and markets. Be sure to compare the same items and visit more than once.
  1. Survey the origin of organic produce and the certifying agent of the produce within a store.
  1. Local survey of sources for organic produce. Places to check are natural food stores, grocery stores, farmers’ markets, on-farm stands, roadside stands, restaurants, CSAs, etc.. Use of may be helpful.
  1. Poll – Take a poll of teachers and staff. Suggested questions:
  1. Have you ever bought organic produce?
  2. Have you bought organic produce in the last month?
  3. Why do you buy organic produce? (if they have)
  4. What is the biggest disadvantage to buying organic produce?

Indirect

  1. Where and how many organic farms are there in the United States and the world?
  1. Is the nutritional quality of organic food better than food that is not grown organically? Be sure to use more than one source – this is a controversial topic.
  1. Describe the history of the development of the National Organic Standards. Be sure to bring the history up to the current date, as there are new developments every year.
  1. Explore the topic of pesticides and organic produce. Choose one of the following topics: the presence of pesticides on organic produce, the effect on the environment of growing without pesticides or acceptable pesticides to use on organic produce.