Norwegian experience with conversion and support payments for organic farming

The development of organic farming is an integral part of Norwegian agricultural policy. Governmental conversion and support payments to organic farmers have been, and still are, important tools to reach the political goals established for organic farming in Norway. Norwegian experiences with conversion and support payments directed towards organic producers will be the main focus of this paper. The paper describes how the subsidy system in Norway has emerged and the impact support payments have had on the development of organic farming. The subsidies are especially effective in increasing acreage demanding productions, but are not effective in enhancing acreage-intensive productions. Conversion and support payments can be effective tools to steer the development in the right direction but they are not effective if used as the only development tools.