Background: The global surge in demand for organic produce presents a lucrative opportunity for smallholder farmers to escape poverty traps through agribusiness integration. However, the transition to organic farming entails significant changes in cost structures and requires navigating complex market access channels.

Objective: This study aimed to conduct a comparative economic analysis of organic versus conventional tomato production and to evaluate the determinants of formal market access among smallholder farmers.

Method: A cross-sectional survey of 200 smallholder tomato farmers was utilized. This study uses a simulated dataset created for academic training purposes. Gross margin analysis was employed to assess profitability, while a binary logistic regression model was used to analyze factors influencing access to high-value formal markets.

Key Results: The simulated data revealed that organic tomato production yielded a significantly higher gross margin ($2,845/ha) compared to conventional production ($1,520/ha), driven by a 120% price premium, despite a 28% reduction in yield and higher labor costs. Furthermore, possession of organic certification and participation in farmer cooperatives were the strongest positive determinants of formal market access.