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Abstract
Organic agriculture is still inexpressive in Brazil. Its relevance,
however, has been growing significantly, following international trends.
This study analyzes basic characteristics of organic producers, contribut-ing to the present level of knowledge on this matter in Brazil. Using pri-mary data on organic farmers of a region close to Curitiba, in the southern
state of Paraná, we identify their main personal, technical and economic
characteristics. Our sample farmers were divided into two groups: farm-ers in the stage of conversion toward organic agriculture and farmers
already certified as organic producers. Results indicate the influence of
the education level and of other professional experiences as key elements
to characterize organic producers. Other relevant aspects are labor avail-ability and integration of farming, livestock and forest activities.