Pricy organic ingredients don’t fall within many consumers’ budgets. Public domain pictures.
literature – so-called meta-analyses. We also
examined whether those studies agree or
disagree in their verdicts.
We discovered that organic farming does
matter – just not in the way most people think.
Environmental impacts
Compared to a neighbouring conventional
farm, an organic farm at first appears to be
better for the environment. But that’s not the
whole story. Here’s how it breaks down.
What’s good: Organic farms provide higher
biodiversity, hosting more bees, birds and
butterflies. They also have higher soil and
water quality and emit fewer greenhouse
gases.
What’s not-so-good: Organic farming typically
yields less product – about 19-25% less. Once
we account for that efficiency difference
and examine environmental performance
per amount of food produced, the organic
advantage becomes less certain (few studies
have examined this question). Indeed, on
some variables, such as water quality and
greenhouse gas emissions, organic farms
may perform worse than conventional farms,
because lower yields per hectare can translate
into more environmentally damaging land-
clearing.
Consumer benefits
The jury’s still out on whether the consumer is
better off, too.
What’s good: For consumers in countries with
AgriKultuur |AgriCulture
weak pesticide regulations, like India, organic
food reduces pesticide exposure. Organic
ingredients also most likely have slightly
higher levels of some vitamins and secondary
metabolites.
What’s not-so-good: Scientists can’t confirm
whether these minor micronutrient
differences actually matter for our health.
Because the difference in the nutritional value
of organic and conventional food is so small,
you’d do better just eating an extra apple
every day, whether it’s organic or not. Organic
food is also more expensive than conventional
food at present and therefore inaccessible to
poor consumers.
Producer benefits
Organic methods bring certain benefits for
farmers, some costs and many unknowns.
What’s good: Organic agriculture is typically
more profitable – up to 35% more, according
to a meta-analysis of studies across North
America, Europe and India – than conventional
farming. Organic also provides more rural
employment opportunities because organic
management is more labour-intensive
than conventional practices. For workers,
though, the biggest advantage is that
organic decreases their exposure to toxic
agrochemicals.
What’s not-so-good: We still don’t know
whether organic farms pay higher wages
or offer better working conditions than
conventional farms. Organic farm workers are
most likely exploited in similar ways as those
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