Fruit Quality Trade-Offs in Organic Versus Conventional Sea Buckthorn Cultivation - A Case Study on Agri-Food Policy and Market Implications for a High-Value Niche Crop in Romania

Public policies such as the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) support organic conversion to advance agri-food security, market-price competitiveness and trade positioning, yet cultivar-matched fruit-quality evidence for high-value niche crops remains scarce. This pilot case study compared biometric, physicochemical, biochemical, and mineral fruit traits of three organically grown sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) cultivars ('Mara', 'Dora', 'Clara') and 'Clara' under conventional management from a Romanian orchard, linked to CAP support payments (€620/€442/ha/year) and a farm-gate revenue scenario using export price benchmarks (€4.0/kg). Conventionally grown 'Clara' produced larger, heavier fruit (549.3 ± 26.5 mg vs. 218.7–282.0 mg; p < 0.001) and higher polyphenol content (1446.0 mg GAE/kg) than organic cultivars, but lower DPPH antioxidant activity (57.6%) and lower soluble solids/sugar content (p < 0.01). Organic price premiums (15–40%) plus the CAP maintenance payment closed 18–45% of the estimated revenue shortfall relative to conventional cultivation. This trade-off between fruit size/polyphenol content and sugar/antioxidant quality only partly aligns with CAP payments, indicating that market-price premiums and trade positioning, not subsidies alone, are needed to make organic conversion of niche high-value crops viable and support agri-food diversification and rural resilience.