Organic agriculture in the twenty-first century
| Autor: | John P. Reganold, Jonathan M. Wachter |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2016 |
| Předmět: |
Organic Agriculture
Food industry Natural resource economics Intensive farming business.industry 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences Plant Science 010501 environmental sciences 01 natural sciences Food Supply Ecosystem services Agronomy Agriculture Sustainable agriculture Sustainability 040103 agronomy & agriculture Organic farming Food processing Animals Humans 0401 agriculture forestry and fisheries business 0105 earth and related environmental sciences |
| Zdroj: | Nature Plants. 2 |
| ISSN: | 2055-0278 |
| DOI: | 10.1038/nplants.2015.221 |
| Popis: | Organic agriculture has a history of being contentious and is considered by some as an inefficient approach to food production. Yet organic foods and beverages are a rapidly growing market segment in the global food industry. Here, we examine the performance of organic farming in light of four key sustainability metrics: productivity, environmental impact, economic viability and social wellbeing. Organic farming systems produce lower yields compared with conventional agriculture. However, they are more profitable and environmentally friendly, and deliver equally or more nutritious foods that contain less (or no) pesticide residues, compared with conventional farming. Moreover, initial evidence indicates that organic agricultural systems deliver greater ecosystem services and social benefits. Although organic agriculture has an untapped role to play when it comes to the establishment of sustainable farming systems, no single approach will safely feed the planet. Rather, a blend of organic and other innovative farming systems is needed. Significant barriers exist to adopting these systems, however, and a diversity of policy instruments will be required to facilitate their development and implementation. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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