Is a business in sustainable agriculture a good idea?

A quick Google search returns information that sustainable agriculture is a valid market opportunity whose growth will continue at least for the next few years. That aside, the increasing interest in "organic", along with vegan/vegetarian diets appears to be creating even more room for products in this category.

As with all business ideas, vetting it with consumers within your target market (not friends or family, ever!) can help you to understand if the more specific business idea you have will be a winner or not. If you can show significant interest in your idea (which may or may not include actual sales of your "product", depending on what it is) then it may be worthwhile!

Of course, as a caveat, you should never rush into starting a new business without fully understanding the market landscape (competitors, market forces, proprietary technologies, etc.) and where you intend to fit into it. So please, do your research (or ask more questions here!).

Here's another perspective to consider: asking whether a business idea is good is one thing; asking whether starting a specific business is a good idea for you is another. Let's assume for a moment that sustainable agriculture is a market that is growing, and will generate lots of profits over the coming decade. Within that market, there are going to be a lot of great businesses that succeed, and a lot of mediocre businesses that will fail. That's normal. Whether your company will be one of those in the winning group is notoriously difficult to predict. It's certainly possible, but it can't be guaranteed. I'd suggest you read a few books on entrepreneurship to explore that idea further. (Actually, asking for great books on entrepreneurship might be a good question to ask on CareerVIllage).

So if we assume that nobody can tell you for sure whether you'll be a part of the winning group or the losing group, then the question of whether starting a business in this market is good for you is actually a question of whether you can handle the uncertainty. I can tell you for sure that being an entrepreneur is a wonderful experience, but I can also tell you that it's a difficult thing to do and that there will always be that risk that the odds don't go in your favor. To do it, you'll have to have a lot of grit, a lot of determination, and a willingness to do whatever it takes (emotionally and financially) to give it your best shot. What do you think?