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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] The Organic Obstruction
  • Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:25:57 -0700


The Organic Obstruction: Roadblocks to Gains in Organic Farming
http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/12/organic-obstruction/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TriplePundit+%28Triple+Pundit%29

Anyone with an ear to the ground of domestic agriculture has probably heard
the sound of the Western Corn Rootworm happily munching away at Monsanto’s
supposedly invincible, genetically-modified corn. If allowed to spread, these
new, highly-resistant insects could decimate the United States’ top staple
crop. Meanwhile, UN scientists believe that Europe, Africa, and island
nations will experience the worst effects of extreme weather conditions such
as drought in the next few years, but we aren’t getting off easy, either. By
late August of this year, the United States had already seen a record number
of billion-dollar environmental disasters (with Consumer Price Index
valuation adjustments). Clearly, something must be done to avert, or at least
mitigate, these catastrophes. Agriculture, which accounts for roughly eight
percent of US greenhouse gas emissions, might have a powerful solution.

It has been well publicized that yields from organic farms are about 20
percent smaller than conventional farming equivalents. However, the recently
published results of a 30-year study conducted by the Rodale Institute
demonstrate that organic yields catch up over time and eventually even
surpass conventional ones. Part of this is due to the fact that organic
farming systems build, rather than deplete, diverse organic matter in the
soil, which contributes to a 15-20 percent increase in water retention.
Rather than allowing water to run off of the surface and take soil with it,
this has the effect of replenishing more of it into the reserves, thereby
boosting yields during times of drought.

Each of these factors makes a compelling case for organic farming practices
to be climate change’s magic wand, but don’t hold your breath, because the
sad reality is that persistent marketing and the influx of questionable
imports have distorted many Americans’ perception of the rate of growth for
domestic organic agriculture. As of 2008, organic farms only accounted for
0.52 percent of total U.S. croplands while growing at a paltry rate of 0.0385
percent.

What is the cause of this insufficiency? Despite the statistics mentioned
above, government subsidies provide an unfair advantage to conventional
farmers, making it cheaper for them to produce their crops while producing 40
percent more greenhouse gases and utilizing environmentally-damaging
chemicals. The salt in the wounds is more evident when one considers that
organic farming practices also require 45 percent less energy, meaning that
if conventional farmers’ hidden costs weren’t being subsidized, shelf prices
for organic products would actually be lower.




  • [Livingontheland] The Organic Obstruction, Tradingpost, 12/19/2011

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