This new situation is advantageous as it allows farmers the benefits of price premiums at an earlier stage. The key to organic production lies in looking at the whole agro-ecosystem, which often means major changes for farmers who may require considerable support, at least in the early stages of conversion. Reduction in yield can be expected in the first year or two until the ecosystem reaches a new equilibrium and farmers may lose revenue unless financial support is available. In the international market, the price for organically produced cotton fibre is related to the price of conventional production. At the farmers' level, the story is much more complicated and the actual benefits are difficult to quantify.
Experience is limited to a few seasons at most and experiments involving small farmers are very new.