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In reply to the discussion: Why Organic Can't Fulfill Our Food Supply Ideals [View all]KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)Depends on rotating crops and not relying solely on mono-cropping.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/organic-farming-can-feed-the-world-if-done-right-scientists-claim-9913651.ht
Organic farming is much more productive than previously thought, according to a new analysis of agricultural studies that challenges the conventional biased view that pesticide-free agriculture cannot feed the world.
The study says that organic yields were only 19.2 per cent lower, on average, than those from conventional crops and that this gap could be reduced to just eight per cent if the pesticide-free crops were rotated more frequently.
Furthermore, in some crops - especially leguminous plants such as beans, peas and lentils - there were no significant differences in yields, the researchers from the University of California, Berkeley found.
In terms of comparing productivity among the two techniques, this paper sets the record straight on the comparison between organic and conventional agriculture, said Claire Kremen, professor of environmental science, policy and management at Berkeley.