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Organic farming a realistic alternative national |
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 Wednesday December 18, 2002 21:01 by David Suzuki ucantouchthis at hotmail dot com
 "Crop yields, on average, were 20 per cent lower using organic methods, but they required 56 per cent less energy per unit of yield. Organic plots also had 40 per cent greater colonization by fungi that help plants absorb nutrients, three times as many earthworms and twice as many pest-eating spiders." http://memes.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1413&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 Science: Organic farming a realistic alternative "Crop yields, on average, were 20 per cent lower using organic methods, but they required 56 per cent less energy per unit of yield. Organic plots also had 40 per cent greater colonization by fungi that help plants absorb nutrients, three times as many earthworms and twice as many pest-eating spiders." Science Matters by David Suzuki Science Matters is published weekly in newspapers across Canada. To post your comments about this week's topic, or others, please visit our discussion forum.
Jun 07, 2002 Strange how a movement that began with the best of intentions has managed to generate so much animosity. I'm talking about organic farming. But while a few people seem convinced it's a scam, the research continues to suggest otherwise. Organically grown food is certainly popular. People buy it for any number of reasons - they say it tastes better, they're concerned about the effects of pesticide residue on their families' health and they believe it is less harmful to the environment. They're willing to pay a premium price for it too. Because the organic movement is relatively new, there has not been a wealth of scientific data to confirm organic farmers' anecdotal observations that this method produces good yields while maintaining healthier soils and ecosystems. Such claims are too good to be true, according to some proponents of industrial agriculture. A few years ago, the Nature of Things did a program on organic farming. I thought it was a Mom and apple pie-type show that everyone would love. To my amazement, we were inundated with letters of outrage from university agriculture facilities and chemical companies, arguing that conventional monocultures with copious inputs of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides were the only way we could possibly feed our growing human population. Today, some critics seem genuinely angry at the success of the organic movement. They've written books and published articles in journals saying that organic farmers are starry-eyed idealists who are trying to bring back 19th century farming practices which will reduce yields by four times and thus, if widely adopted, will lead to mass starvation. But organic farming isn't about turning back the clock, it's about moving forward. It's about smart farming to help maintain healthy ecosystems. Conventional farming produces high yields, but there are also enormous costs - pollution of groundwater, rivers, lakes and coastal areas, and reduced soil productivity through nutrient leaching. The use of pesticides and herbicides also kills beneficial non-target species and poses a health risk to farm workers and potentially to consumers. None of these "external" costs are factored in to the price of conventionally grown crops. Organic farming seeks to reduce these external costs and it seems to be working. According to a landmark 21-year study recently published in the journal Science, organic farming can produce good yields, save energy, maintain biodiversity and keep soils healthy. The study took place on 1.5 hectares in Switzerland using four farming methods and several different crops. Crop yields, on average, were 20 per cent lower using organic methods, but they required 56 per cent less energy per unit of yield. Organic plots also had 40 per cent greater colonization by fungi that help plants absorb nutrients, three times as many earthworms and twice as many pest-eating spiders. Some crops fared better under organic systems than did others. Potatoes, for example, produced 38 per cent lower yields, but winter wheat was just 10 per cent lower. The researchers sum up, "We conclude that organically manured, legume-based crop rotations utilizing organic fertilizers from the farm itself are a realistic alternative to conventional farming systems." Other studies have also shown similar results. A comparison study completed last year on apples, for example, found that organic crops can produce yields similar to conventional crops, and they taste better. Another paper published in the Journal of Applied Ecology last year found that using organic methods to grow tomatoes can promote biodiversity while maintaining productivity. It is important to keep in mind that there is much that we don't know about agriculture and there is likely no ultimate answer to our food production needs. To feed our growing population we have to be open to all ideas, new and old. And we mustn't let the entrenched interests of the commercial agriculture and biotechnology industries dictate the future of our food when less intensive and damaging alternatives are available.
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Comments (5 of 5)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5The total population of the world is six billion. One quarter of the world's population–1.5 billion people–are living in extreme poverty.
In order to raise the yearly income of this segment of the population to US$ 2,000 per person per year, and eliminate poverty worldwide, US$ 3 trillion need to be generated every year on a permanent basis.
Data from the FAO suggests that in forty developing countries alone there are more than one billion hectare of unutilized land with agricultural potential.
Even one half of this–500 million hectare–will be able to generate US$ 3 trillion per year.
Broadly considering the profit from organic farming at the rate of US$ 6,000 per hectare per year, farming on 500 million hectare will generate US$ 3 trillion per year.
In view of the global perspective mentioned above, our initial programme is to cultivate 500 million hectare of unused agricultural land, i.e. half of the available land in these forty countries.
http://www.poverty-removal.org/
We ought be using renewable energy.
Wind- Solar- Wave
We ought be giving serious thought to the scale upon which we have selectively bred animal stock and the macro-agro-economic benefits of reducing the first world reliance on a meat based diet.
We ought be challenging "the attitude"
that gave us a world where hemp and marijuana are illegal despite their fuel, fibre and other benefits and yet has given us synthetic production of crack cocaine and heroin as cash crops.
We ought be thinking of sustainble aquaculture as well.
We have enough land and enough intelligence to provide the hungry with food.
Time and time again the evil and flawed marriage of speculation both capitalistic and scientific has told us world hunger may and only may be assuaged by genetic inteference.
Yet we now have the genius distillate of thousands of years practise to grow crops and breed animals.
Only the allocation of dollar and latterly euro exchange value to so called cash crops with in the world debt system has led to the present hunger and inefficiency.
....and you know I can prove that one.
The professional performance of farmers is critical for the welfare of society and of future generations, as well as for their own financial success. Farmers manage one of our most essential resources—agricultural land—and they are responsible for producing our most critical commodity, the food we eat.
The success of contemporary farmers depends not only on mastering those agricultural skills which are traditionally gained through ‘on the job training,’ but also depends on mastering a wide range of modern managerial and technical skills. Farmers must understand financial planning, market forces, and new and highly technical principles of soil chemistry and weed and pest management, as well as more traditional areas of knowledge, such as plant and animal breeding and the use and maintenance agricultural equipment.
Today’s farmers must have the ability to assess short and long-term benefits, and possible harmful effects, of new agricultural products. The decisions that they make are crucial, because these decisions influence not only the immediate productivity and profitability of their farms but also the health and welfare of those who consume their products and the long-term viability of the soil for future generations. Farmers must understand the social and economic forces acting on agriculture, as well as the natural forces of sun, wind, rain, and soil. They must integrate all of these factors in deciding what to plant and when, and how best to care for their fields. If rains are late, or crops fail, farmers are challenged to find creative solutions.
Irish farmers also needs training in how to employ the skilled hand of Nature to quietly organise the infinitely complex network of factors influencing agricultural production.
Good luck getting the fucking French, British, and Americans to give up their fat farming subsidies. Jose Bove and his ilk are going to suckle at that teat as long as they can.
In Indian western state of Gujarat orgenic farming is slowly getting its height over chemical used farming.In north Gujarat some farmers have discovered amazing techincs that can cut down farmer's spendings for crop production.In our area farmers do not want increase production because when they increase their production the rates in market come down..Farmers want less spending, they want to cut down their production costs without compromise the quality or production..And some orgenic technics has made this possible.I myself collect orgenic methods from farmers and write about it in the largeest circulated Gujarati daily newspaper twise a week.Its a kind of meaningful and positive, useful journalism.Now the revolution is getting up and more and more farmers are on the way to accept more affordable and more self reliant orgenic farming.Yet in India there are no special regulations and o and donts about orgenic farming. Certification of orgenic farming is also not in presence much in Guajrat.Government has appointed SKAL as a certified agency for orgenic farms and products but its too costly to get a farm certified from SKAL for a poor farmer. So thats a problem.
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