A Return to Food Source

melodiousmelodious Posts: 1,719
edited July 2007 in A Moving Train
Study: Organic Farming Can Feed the World

Go straight to the source:
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1036065820070710

Reuters, 7/10/2007
Straight to the Source

Organic farming can yield up to three times as much food as conventional
farming in developing countries,and holds its own against standard methods in rich countries, U.S.researchers said on Tuesday.

They said their findings contradict arguments that organic farming -- which
excludes the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides -- is not as efficient as conventional techniques.

"My hope is that we can finally put a nail in the coffin of the idea that
you can't produce enough food through organic agriculture," Ivette Perfecto,
a professor at the University of Michigan's school of Natural Resources and
Environment,said in a statement.

STUDY OF THE WEEK:
ORGANIC FARMING CAN FEED THE WORLD

A new University of Michigan study indicates that organic farming is more
productive than chemical and energy intensive industrial agriculture. Researchers noted 293 examples in previous studies that corroborate the fact
that organic farming is better than conventional, but pointed out that
biased studies funded by chemical producers have clouded the public's
understanding of the issue.

Corporate agribusiness has spent decades repeating the mantra that chemical
intensive agriculture is necessary to feed the world.But according to the new report, "Model estimates indicate that organicmethods could produce enough food on a global per capita basis to sustain the current human population, and potentially an even larger population,without increasing the agricultural land base." Ivette Perfecto, a professorat the University of Michigan, said of the study,

"My hope is that we can finally put a nail in the coffin of the idea that you can't produce enough food through organic agriculture."
Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_5996.cfm

She and colleagues analyzed published studies on yields from organic
farming.They looked at 293 different examples.

"Model estimates indicate that organic methods could produce enough food on
a global per capita basis to sustain the current human population, and
potentially an even larger population, without increasing the agricultural land base," they wrote in their report, published in the journal Renewable
Agriculture and Food Systems.

"We were struck by how much food the organic farmers would produce,"
Perfecto said.

"Corporate interest in agriculture and the way agriculture research has been
conducted in land grant institutions,with a lot of influence by the chemical companies and pesticide companies aswell as fertilizer companies, all have been playing an important role in convincing the public that you need to have these inputs to produce food,"she added.

(read the full study published in Cambridge University Jou...)
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=1091304
all insanity:
a derivitive of nature.
nature is god
god is love
love is light
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Bill Mollison and Permaculture practitioners around the world have been telling us this for over TWENTY years ...

    Here is a REMARKABLE example of the overwhelming productivity of sensible agriculture ... or a PERMANENT CULTURE ... ;)
    This is from a project done through Ecoversity outside of Israel. I almost went there a few years ago, but decided against it due to "regional instability" ... lol. or :(

    anyhow:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sohI6vnWZmk
    If I was to smile and I held out my hand
    If I opened it now would you not understand?
  • melodiousmelodious Posts: 1,719
    Wow! DriftingbyStorm:

    That is hek of interesting link....thank you...have a great friday...take good care.
    all insanity:
    a derivitive of nature.
    nature is god
    god is love
    love is light
  • Ms. HaikuMs. Haiku Washington DC Posts: 7,278
    Yippee! Thanks for posting this :)
    There is no such thing as leftover pizza. There is now pizza and later pizza. - anonymous
    The risk I took was calculated, but man, am I bad at math - The Mincing Mockingbird
  • onelongsongonelongsong Posts: 3,517
    Bill Mollison and Permaculture practitioners around the world have been telling us this for over TWENTY years ...

    Here is a REMARKABLE example of the overwhelming productivity of sensible agriculture ... or a PERMANENT CULTURE ... ;)
    This is from a project done through Ecoversity outside of Israel. I almost went there a few years ago, but decided against it due to "regional instability" ... lol. or :(

    anyhow:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sohI6vnWZmk

    actually drifting; the organic movement started long before that. nobody listened because we were just HIPPIES FLIPPED OUT ON ACID but you can check old copies of magazines like "mother earth news" and see it for yourself.
    it seems to be mans nature to wait until it's too late. and that's ecactly what's happened.
  • godpt3godpt3 Posts: 1,020
    the problem with organic farming is the fact that it means an increased use of "organic fertilizers" (manure). Which leads to more runoff into the water supply and increased pollution.

    And the recent outbreaks of e coli have been linked to organic growers, and their use of livestock manure as fertilizer.
    "If all those sweet, young things were laid end to end, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised."
    —Dorothy Parker

    http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/6902/conspiracytheoriesxt6qt8.jpg
  • Ms. HaikuMs. Haiku Washington DC Posts: 7,278
    godpt3 wrote:
    the problem with organic farming is the fact that it means an increased use of "organic fertilizers" (manure). Which leads to more runoff into the water supply and increased pollution.

    And the recent outbreaks of e coli have been linked to organic growers, and their use of livestock manure as fertilizer.
    It at it's basic means growing vegetables without the use of chemicals including chemical fertilizers. I don't disagree with your point. However, manure is used on "organic" crops/non-organic crops, and just from raising cattle manure ends up in the water supply and increases pollution. A very good reason to decrease eating meat, eh? I'm not one to get on a soap box here, though, as I just became a vegetarian, again, a couple weeks ago. However, looking at the big picture on how meat production or any agribusiness operation is conducted could influence food choices. I was surprised how little people respond to food posts on this forum. I'm assuming it's a lack of interest. Really, if people just considered how much chemicals and waste end up in the groundwater based on certain agribusiness practices then that's a step in the right direction for the health of the planet and the entities living on it.

    Yes, I remember that e coli have been linked to organic growers, and I remember that pesticides have been linked to cancer. I'm not negating that manure was linked to e coli, but looking at the big picture, what can be done to decrease chances of e coli and cancer . . .
    There is no such thing as leftover pizza. There is now pizza and later pizza. - anonymous
    The risk I took was calculated, but man, am I bad at math - The Mincing Mockingbird
  • onelongsongonelongsong Posts: 3,517
    Ms. Haiku wrote:
    It at it's basic means growing vegetables without the use of chemicals including chemical fertilizers. I don't disagree with your point. However, manure is used on "organic" crops/non-organic crops, and just from raising cattle manure ends up in the water supply and increases pollution. A very good reason to decrease eating meat, eh? I'm not one to get on a soap box here, though, as I just became a vegetarian, again, a couple weeks ago. However, looking at the big picture on how meat production or any agribusiness operation is conducted could influence food choices. I was surprised how little people respond to food posts on this forum. I'm assuming it's a lack of interest. Really, if people just considered how much chemicals and waste end up in the groundwater based on certain agribusiness practices then that's a step in the right direction for the health of the planet and the entities living on it.

    Yes, I remember that e coli have been linked to organic growers, and I remember that pesticides have been linked to cancer. I'm not negating that manure was linked to e coli, but looking at the big picture, what can be done to decrease chances of e coli and cancer . . .

    people are not interested until they grow a third arm. and this organic growers link was spread by whom? wouldn't be chemical companies would it? why not mill about some state fish and game sites? you'll see fish are not be eaten or very limited quanties eaten due to chemical pollution. recent conclusions about the latest e coli outbreaks say the cause was because field workers relieve themselves in the field. in fact; the latest spinich outbreak was caused by human feces. enjoy your salads.
  • slightly OT but I heard today that one acre of corn (field) gives only 50 gallons of biofuel...holy!! talk about a pipe dream ain't gonna happen in our lifetimes.

    Anyhow support organic.
    Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
    and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
    over specific principles, goals, and policies.

    http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg

    (\__/)
    ( o.O)
    (")_(")
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