Increased yields with organic agriculture

Organic agriculture is widely criticised by economists and practical scientists who favour conventional models of food production. Recurrent claims insist that organic farming methods do not produce the quantities of food required to feed a global population. This is certainly the case at present, however the land and environmental resources devoted to organic production remain a small fraction of the overall agricultural distribution. Given this lack of equal comparison, is it reasonable for supporters of organic agriculture to continuously defend the suitability of their methods? I believe so, providing there is some genuine effort to address specific criticisms with tabulated data from well-documented studies.

This has been the approach taken by a team from the University of Michigan (Badgley et al, 2007). By compiling research gathered from 293 independent comparisons, their study was designed to quantitatively evaluate the relative efficiency of the two agricultural systems. A summary of their findings offers valid defence against two of the primary objections to organic farming.

First and foremost, their study revealed the potential for increased yields with organic agriculture. The breakdown of individual energy estimates for current production systems is cited as 2786 calories per person per day. This compares with an organic production estimate between 2641 and 4381 calories per person per day. The difference is generated by the fact that effective organic systems almost double the agricultural output for producers in developing countries. While this type of result is easily lost amidst the complex economic challenges confronting all third world producers, it is worth our effort to seek out the most likely causes. The authors of this study offer relatively simple explanations. For example, the basic resources required for organic production methods are more likely to be accessible to farmers in developing countries. There are also practical and cultural factors which enable small-scale organic farms to be more efficient and productive than similar operations in developed regions.

Proponents of conventional agriculture will often question the sufficient availability of nitrogen and other nutrient sources for highly productive farms in developing regions. The authors of this study calculated the average amounts of nitrogen available to organic production when the local growing seasons were interspersed by the laying of green manure crops. It was discovered that this basic practice ensured sufficient nitrogen without the additional need for synthetic or chemical based fertilizers.

The major weakness associated with organic agriculture in developing regions is not therefore attributed to the overall volume of food production or the absence of sustainable fertility in relation to soil nutrients. It is posited as the lack of economic and regional infrastructure required to effectively distribute even the most locally available food resources.

Reference: Badgley et al “Organic Agriculture and the Global Food Supply” Renewable Horticulture and Food Systems (Vol 22: 86-100, 2007)