Environment

New Research Finds Organic Farming Can Feed the World

by organicstore | August 31, 2007 at 02:31 am

355 views | 7 Recommendations | 2 comments

Researchers at the University of Michigan have published a study supporting the view that organic farming is as productive (or more so) than conventional chemical based farming.

...in developed countries, yields were almost equal on organic and conventional farms.

But in developing countries, food production could double or triple using organic methods, said Dr. Ivette Perfecto, professor at the university's School of Natural Resources and Environment, and one the study's principal investigators.

The authors found that the higher yields could be accomplished using
existing quantities of organic fertilizers, without putting more
farmland into production, by using green manures - cover crops plowed
into the soil to provide natural soil amendments.

Perfecto said the idea that people would go hungry if farming went organic is "ridiculous."

What is often overlooked in this debate is the fact that the primary engine of plant growth is the natural process of photosynthesis. The mission of agriculture is to support this process. Just as humans require wholesome, healthy food to support their natural body functions, so do plants. Plants acquire their food through the soil. Therefore methods that nourish the soil can be expected to yield healthy plants in abundance.