Organic farming:criticisms
From Wikinfo
Criticisms of Organic Farming
The environmental benefits of organic farming are a subject of some debate. Foremost in its favor, organic farming does not result in the release of chemical pesticides into the food supply or the environment, nor the leaching of artificial fertilizer. Critics claim that organic advocates ignore the fact that many synthetic pesticides are improvements on natural pesticides, with the goal of making them less dangerous to humans and more environmentally friendly. Organic advocates in turn respond that they use natural pesticides as a last resort, rather controlling pests through growing healthier, disease-resistant plants, using cover crops and crop rotation, and encouraging beneficial insects and birds. The most commonly used organic pesticides are Bt, petroleum oil, soybean oil, and pyrethrum.
In addition, proponents of conventional farming argue that organic farms are less productive, requiring more land to be used to produce the same amount of food. The research of Maeder et al (Science 296 1694-1697) which summarized a twenty-one year Swiss study into organic farming showed an average yield loss of 20%. These results have been contradicted by at least one editorial by Liebhardt (Get the facts straight: organic agriculture yields are good. OFRF Information Bulletin #10, Summer), based upon primarily unpublished data, which claims that over 154 growing seasons' worth of data on various crops, organic crops yielded 95% of crops grown under conventional conditions.
Some organic farming advocates believe that, even if yields are currently lower, these results are obtained without the huge subsidies paid to conventional farmers, and expect yields to be equivalent or higher if organic farming were subsidised to the same level.
Furthermore, some organic farming practices are claimed to do more damage than conventional practices – for instance, the practice of ploughing (see tillage) to prepare soil for planting is claimed to increase soil damage compared to using Roundup, a herbicide. Another argument against organic farming is that while it works acceptably at present because pests are kept under control in surrounding conventional farms and thus do not spread into organic farms, if it became universal the "islands" they operate on would disappear and pests would become a severe issue. (This also works in reverse, as organic farms can be islands of safety for predator insects and pollinators.) Furthermore, organic farms often use manure from livestock fed "non-organic" grain. This is a de facto movement of "chemical" fertilizer from non-organic farms to organic farms.
Some critics also point out organic food could be less safe than non-organic food : some people argue that organic food increases one's exposure to biological contaminants, with greater risk of food born diseases. In particular concerns are related to the use of manure, well known for carrying human pathogens and presence of mycotoxins from molds. In a large french study carried out by Inra, Coopagri Bretagne and ESMSA in 1999-2000, it has been shown for example that the patuline (produced by Penicillium expansum and some Aspergillus) in apples and DON in wheat had to be strongly watched for [1].
References
- Adapted from the Wikipedia article, "Organic farming" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_farming October 25, 2003
