headline: "Organic Farming Shows Limited Benefit to Wildlife"

[mike_c]

Not sure whether to post this in GD or environment. The real problem, it seems to me, is that human populations are unsustainably large, and that we are reaching the point where stress on arable land is simply so extreme that methodological changes can no longer address the problems we're creating. Frankly, I see the Gulf oil spill in the same light. Too many people, using too many resources, too quickly.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100505102553.htm
Organic Farming Shows Limited Benefit to Wildlife, Researchers in UK Find

ScienceDaily (May 6, 2010) — Organic farms may be seen as wildlife friendly, but the benefits to birds, bees and butterflies don't compensate for the lower yields produced, according to new research from the University of Leeds.

In the most detailed, like-for-like comparisons of organic and conventional farming to date, researchers from Leeds' Faculty of Biological Science found that the benefits to wildlife and increases in biodiversity from organic farming are much lower than previously thought -- averaging just over 12 percent more than conventional farming.

The organic farms in the study produced less than half of the yield of their conventional counterparts, so the research -- published online in Ecology Letters -- raises serious questions about how we can use agricultural land to maximise food production and still protect our wildlife.

"Over the next forty years, we're going to have to double food production worldwide to keep pace with population increases," says Professor Tim Benton, who led the project. "Our results show that to produce the same amount of food in the UK using organic rather than conventional means, we'd need to use twice the amount of land for agriculture.

"As the biodiversity benefits of organic farming are small, then the lower yield may be a luxury we can't afford, particularly in the more productive areas of the UK."

edited to add: more@link

[villager]

1. Corporate monoculture "farming" is, however, just goddamn wonderful

...for wildlife!

[mike_c]

2. well that's the problem, of course....

But if the numbers in the Leeds study hold up generally, smaller areas under more intense production might be the better alternative, from an environmental perspective. Again though, the best answer, IMO, is to simply reduce cultivation, which can only happen when there are fewer mouths to feed.

[villager]

4. well, there is that, from a bottom-line perspective..

Just seems, if we're gonna have big farming during these "transition times," we're better off losing the pesticides, etc...

We might even keep a few bees alive that way...

[unpossibles]

5. I don't want to beat a dead horse (or cow or pig)

but... well, there are ways to have more efficiency from growing crops, but they are not very popular.

[hunter]

9. Consuming less meat is the quickest way to "reduce cultivation"

...unreasonably assuming the human population isn't growing.

[Lorien]

3. There are other alternatives. Hydroponics don't use weed killers or insecticides

square foot gardening produces up to 200% greater yields than conventional methods. However, neither is done on a grand scale. What you say is true-population is the great unmentionable that will be our undoing. Until we reduce our numbers by choosing to reproduce less (not great for the economy, sure-but essential to our survival) we've doomed our species-and every other one that shares the planet with us.

[onestepforward]

6. I have seen several reports about organic yields vs. conventional yields

and from what I've read, it seems to be close to the same. Here is one:

http://www.sare.org/publications/organic/organic01.htm

snip-
More recent research also shows that organic farming systems can be equally productive and economically competitive with conventional systems, and in some cases, more resilient. Consider that:

A study comparing long-term established organic and conventional tomato farms in California's Central Valley found comparable yields.
An article published in the Organic Farming Research Foundation Bulletin reviewing data from seven universities and two research station experiments verified that organic corn, soybean and wheat yielded, on average, 95 percent of conventional.
Many studies have shown that organic systems perform better than conventional ones under drought conditions.

This is an interesting article: "United Nations: Organic Farming Can Feed Africa"

http://www.rodale.com/organic-farming-and-food-security

Organic farming can feed Africa and bring higher incomes to poor, rural farmers, according to a United Nations report focusing on food security and sustainability issues. The report, compiled by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP), contradicts a popular myth that organic-farming methods can’t produce enough food to feed the world.

THE DETAILS: Much of the study data comes from East Africa, where an organic-agriculture project was put into place in 2004. Organic and near-organic crop yields in the 24 countries studied increased by 116% since the start of the project. In 11 of 13 cases, food production rose—and sometimes doubled—when farmers switched from chemical methods to more sustainable, organic growing methods. The report’s authors argue this will feed millions more and bring much more food security to the continent.
snip-

You are right, too many people using too many resources. Changes must be made. I do think that there are many positive benefits from organic and sustainable farming. :)

[jtuck004]

7. And some of the solutions for super farming aren't working out so well

either.

http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/invasion-of-the-superweeds/

I was reading an article the other day about restoring the soil. The super farms simply don't restore the soil, and keep us dependant on cheap oil to fertilize.

Polyface Farms (read about this first in Omnivore's Dilema, I think) looks at it another way. And I am not so sure their yields are as low as the article suggests. It's not a vegatable farm but the principles are useful.

From their web site at: http://www.polyfacefarms.com/principles.aspx

"EARTHWORMS: We're really in the earthworm enhancement business. Stimulating soil biota is our first priority. Soil health creates healthy food."

[earth mom]

8. Overpopulation is the elephant in the room that no one wants to address or take responsibility for.

It's up to ALL OF US to make the changes needed and stop popping out so many babies.