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AGRICULTURE
Average crop yields from organic farming are lower than those achieved with conventional methods, a long-term comparison shows. But the organic systems are more efficient overall in terms of nutrient and energy input. And they result in more fertile soils supporting greater biodiversity, Swiss researchers conclude.
"The organic systems are more efficient," says Andreas Fliessbach, a soil ecologist with the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture in Frick, Switzerland. "The yields were only 20% less, even with nutrient input reduced by 50%." Also, the organic systems used 20 to 56% less energy when the amount required for production of fertilizers and pesticides was taken into account, he says. The researchers observed diverse communities of animals, insects, weeds, and microorganisms thriving in the organic plots. And the structure of the soil in the conventional plots is inferior, Fliessbach says, forming crusts after a rain, for example. CropLife America, the trade organization that represents pesticide manufacturers, sees flaws in the study, however. "There is no mention nor measure of the human labor involved in the respective farming systems, the comparative quality of crops harvested, nor the potential benefits for organic plots of pest suppression in adjacent conventional plots," says Ray McAllister, vice president for science and regulatory affairs. "This research was commenced, conducted, and concluded with a predetermined outcome: that organic farming is better." |
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