Background and methodology
Conventional agriculture is associated with problems such as pesticides residues in soil and plants, contamination of meat with antibiotics and hormones and eutrophication of water bodies. An alternative for consumers is the consumption of products from organic farming. Organic management is possible on arable farms, although livestock is often a crucial part of the system as manure and slurry can contribute significantly to maintaining closed nutrient cycles. Organic farming can contribute to environmental protection and nature conservation. It is the objective of this paper to provide a holistic appraisal of what organic farming is going to deliver
Findings
A common argument is that organic farming jeopardizes food security on a global scale. A counter argument is that based upon an exhaustive understanding of biological and physiological processes, it will be possible at the end of the day to replace chemical aid by physiological know-how. A common allegation is that organic farming aggravates the problem of world hunger because of its lower yields compared to those obtained in intensive farming systems. It has been asserted that world hunger is not created by lack of food but by poverty and landlessness, which deny people access to food, with the conclusion that the only solution to problems related to industrialized agriculture is a return to sound organic agricultural practices.
Reference:
Schnug, E., Haneklaus, S., Rahmann, G. and Walker, R. (2006). Organic farming- stewardship for food security, food quality, environment and nature conservation. Aspects of Applied Biology 79:57-62.