Organic farming could – if done correctly – 'feed the world', according to a new study by researchers at University of California Berkeley. The research, an overview of more than 100 studies comparing organic and conventional farming, finds that the yield gap between the two systems is not as large as is commonly thought, and that organic farming can often provide other side-along benefits, which do not fit so comfortably with conventional agriculture.

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Published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B on Wednesday (10^th December), the UC Berkeley researchers said their study tackles the lingering perception that organic farming, while offering an environmentally sustainable alternative to chemically intensive agriculture, cannot produce enough food for a growing population – which has long been the rallying cry of the agricultural establishment.

The study's lead author Professor Claire Kremen sought to challenge this notion. Discussing the significance of the Berkeley project's findings, environmental sciences professor Kremen said, "It's important to remember that our current agricultural system produces far more food than is needed to provide for everyone on the planet. Eradicating world hunger requires increasing the access to food, not simply the production.

"Also, increasing the proportion of agriculture that uses sustainable, organic methods of farming is not a choice, it's a necessity. We simply can't continue to produce food far into the future without taking care of our soils, water and biodiversity."

The yield gap

Prof Kremen said the Berkeley study is the largest of its kind. Though the research project revealed that the gap between organic and conventional yields is still significant (about 19.2 percent overall), Kremen said this is smaller than has been estimated in previous studies.

The Berkeley researchers suggested that most comparative farming studies are biased in favour of conventional agriculture, and that they therefore overestimate the yield gap. They found that other complimentary farming techniques could further reduce the observed gap; agricultural practices such as multi-cropping (growing several crops together on the same field) and crop rotation, substantially reduce the organic-to-conventional yield gap to 9 percent and 8 percent, respectively, they said.

Yields also depend upon the type of crop grown, the Berkeley team found. For instance, there were no significant differences in organic and conventional yields for leguminous crops, such as beans, peas and lentils.

Prof Kremens' findings appear to support the recommendations made by the UN's special food rapporteurs Hilal Elver and Olivier deSchutter, and the 400 scientists who contributed to the World Bank Commissioned IAASTD Report, which has been called "A resoundingly thorough international strategy for… feeding the world."  

Elaborating on the findings of the research, Prof Kremen's co-author Lauren Ponisio, said, "Through appropriate investment in agroecological research to improve organic management and in breeding cultivars for organic farming systems, the yield gap could be reduced or even eliminated for some crops or regions. This is especially true if we mimic nature by creating ecologically diverse farms that harness important ecological interactions like the nitrogen-fixing benefits of intercropping or cover-cropping with legumes."

Prof Kremen added, "In terms of comparing productivity among the two techniques, this paper sets the record straight on the comparison between organic and conventional agriculture. With global food needs predicted to greatly increase in the next 50 years, it's critical to look more closely at organic farming, because aside from the environmental impacts of industrial agriculture, the ability of synthetic fertilizers to increase crop yields has been declining."

Commenting on the findings, Helen Browning, Chief Executive of the Soil Association in the UK said, "This report is a very helpful contribution to showing that organic farming can meet the challenge of feeding a growing world population healthily and with a much lower impact on our environment. We welcome the conclusion from researchers that organic farming is a very competitive alternative to industrial agriculture when it comes to food production.

"With more research and development, as we are doing through our Duchy Originals Future Farming programme, we can clearly close the gap still further. Of course, we still need to reduce waste, and encourage moderation in meat consumption, alongside a move to organic farming that will nurture our soils, reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, and protect our wildlife."