The aim of this study was to compare the energy use in apricot production on organic and conventional farms in Turkey in terms of energy ratio, benefit/cost ratio and amount of renewable energy use. The total energy requirement under organic apricot farming was 13,779.35 MJ ha(-1), whereas 22,811.68 MJ ha(-1) was consumed under conventional apricot farming, i.e. 38% higher energy input was used on conventional apricot farming than the use on organic farms. The energy ratios of 2.22 and 1.45 were achieved under the organic and conventional farming systems, respectively. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.