Perspectives on Perennial Grain Crop Production among Organic and Conventional Farmers in France and the United States

Perennial grain crops are currently being developed, yet little is known about farmer interest in these new crops. We conducted an online survey in France and the United States to evaluate interest in perennial grains. Results show that 57% of the farmers who responded reported they were &ldquo
interested&rdquo
or &ldquo
very interested&rdquo
in growing perennial grains, whereas 41% reported they needed more information. Respondents consistently ranked &ldquo
to increase or maintain farm profitability&rdquo
and &ldquo
to improve soil health&rdquo
among the top reasons why they were interested in growing perennial grains. Reasons why farmers were interested, as well as their concerns about growing perennial grains, differed by country and farm type (i.e., conventional vs. organic). More farmers in France than in the United States ranked &ldquo
to reduce labor requirements&rdquo
and more conventional farmers than organic farmers ranked &ldquo
to reduce inputs&rdquo
among their top reasons for their interest. Farmers were also asked about integration strategies and management. More farmers in the United States than in France and more conventional farmers than organic farmers reported that they were interested in dual-purpose perennial crops that can be harvested for both grain and forage. Results from this survey can guide future perennial grain research and development.