Organic systems can grow everything we need.
Major new study suggests chemical fertilisers are not so vital.
“Organic farming is much more productive than previously thought, according to a new analysis of agricultural studies that challenges the conventional “biased” view that pesticide-free agriculture cannot feed the world.
The study says that organic yields were only 19.2 per cent lower, on average, than those from conventional crops and that this gap could be reduced to just eight per cent if the pesticide-free crops were rotated more frequently.
Furthermore, in some crops – especially leguminous plants such as beans, peas and lentils – there were no significant differences in yields, the researchers from the University of California, Berkeley found…
…the yield gap could be reduced or even eliminated for some crops or regions,” said the study’s lead author, Lauren Ponisio, a graduate student in environmental science, policy and management.
The researchers suggest that organic farming can be a very competitive alternative to industrial agriculture when it comes to food production.
“It’s important to remember that our current agricultural system produces far more food than is needed to provide for everyone on the planet,” said Prof Kremen.
“Eradicating world hunger requires increasing the access to food, not simply the production. Also, increasing the proportion of agriculture that uses sustainable, organic methods of farming is not a choice, it’s a necessity. We simply can’t continue to produce food far into the future without taking care of our soils, water and biodiversity,” she added.”
This news was posted in the Independent; read more here.
VLA response:
It never ceases to amaze us this this is seen as new news, because back in the 1970s, if not earlier, proponents and founders and the Vegan Society were saying the exact same thing. People have also been farming organically, and very successfully, for years – so we know full well that it can be done.
There are a host of ways in whcih we can work with nature to grow crops very effectively – rotation planting and companion planting are two such methods and we can revitalise the soil using organic matter and plants (such as nitrogen fixing plants) with just a little planning.
Note the stagerring admission towards the end of the piece that clearly highlights the fact that we could feed the world population now, if only our food systems were different and fair. We do not need animal farming systems whatsoever.
Greed, selfishness and inequality are holding the human race back and the VLA seeks to fight for human rights as much as for other animals in this regard. We could end all suffering today if we chose to and it’s up to us to tell leaders and governments and those self elected to power, that enough is enough.