Researchers at Oxford University have produced a study which shows farms that aim for high food production using environmentally-friendly practices could be better for the environment than both organic and conventional farms.

The study used computer modelling to compare the environmental impact of different farming systems. Researchers found that ‘integrated’ farms, which seek to maximise crop yields whilst using environmentally-friendly techniques, such as crop rotation, organic fertilisers, over winter cover crops, and minimal use of pesticides, would use less energy and generate lower greenhouse gas emissions per unit of production than both organic and conventional farms as well as providing benefits for wildlife.

The study, Comparing energy balances, greenhouse gas balances and biodiversity impacts of contrasting farming systems with alternative land uses, was published in the journal Agricultural Systems. However, Soil Association Policy Director Peter Melchett has dismissed the research as “of no interest or use” to consumers. He said the researchers had used outdated or inaccurate data and claimed the fact that the study was based on computer modelling and not real-life longitudinal trials damaged its credibility.

He explained, “Anyone could make up a system which is better than both conventional and organic farming by picking the best parts of each, which is all this author has done.”

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Dr Tuomisto continued, “Our research suggests that integrated farming systems, which combine the best practices for producing high yields with low negative environmental impacts, can be more beneficial for the environment than either organic or conventional farming.”

Conventional more attractive than organic

Though the Soil Association maintains the researchers used inaccurate data, the Oxford scientists stated that, overall, conventional agriculture could look more attractive than organic. Dr Tuomisto explained, “If you grow food organically you have to use much more land to grow the same amount of food than you would using other methods, meaning this land cannot be used for something else. Once we factored in the potential alternative land uses, both integrated and conventional farming systems, which produce high volumes of food per acre, began to look much more attractive in terms of overall energy use, emissions, and the impact on biodiversity.”

According to the Oxford researchers, these alternative land uses could include, producing energy crops (such as Miscanthus for biomass or other crops destined for biofuels), managed forest for biomass, and natural forest or wildlife habitat. However, biofuel crops are not without their own controversial aspects.

Furthermore, conventional agriculture is facing its own crisis. The reliance on fossil fuels, fragility in the face of climate change and domination by corporate interests have precipitated panicked calls from all quarters, including Defra chief scientist Professor Sir Bob Watson and European Union Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard in the past month alone, to realise that “business as usual” is coming to an end. There appears to be a growing will around the globe for a paradigm shift in food production.

Earlier in the year, at the prestigious Oxford Farming Conference, Australian organic dairy farmer and respected agriculturalist Terry Hehir expressed this need for change. Commenting on the findings of the OFC-commissioned report, Power in Agriculture, which found “the current water intensive, fertiliser intensive and energy intensive agricultural practices of European countries are unsustainable in the near future,” Mr Hehir said, “If we accept the paradigm that modern agriculture must consume vast amounts of non-renewable natural resources, the future of mankind is utterly dependent on finding better ways to farm.”

Better ways to farm

At the beginning of the month, Julia Wright, of the centre for Agroecology and Food Security at Coventry University, talked to Farming Online about the work that her policy and research unit was doing to promote environmentally responsible and above-all equitable food production. She explained that, as part of a better global farming system, agroecological practices could “Optimise yields whilst also performing other similarly beneficial functions such as producing healthy crops, cleaning water.”

This more holistic approach to farming does not necessarily espouse purely financial drives to increase yields, but will hopefully become more attractive in the light of June’s Rio+20 summit, which will see world leaders agree to take environmental factors into consideration as well as economic ones. Dr Wright explained the benefits of agroecological practices and the need to work cooperatively to achieve food security, “More sustainable techniques can be applied to any kind of farm. In fact it’s more helpful not to polarise organic versus conventional, but to talk about more or less enlightened and regenerative agriculture. There are very good 'conventional' farmers, and relatively poor organic farmers, and sustainability is a moving goal.”

Oxford Professor David Macdonald, who directed the WildCRU research, surmised, “Integrating the needs of food production and wildlife conservation is a major 21st Century challenge – humanity needs both, and it’s only by taking account of all the costs and benefits that the best compromises can be found.”

The Oxford researchers concluded in their study that possible alternative land uses should be factored in to any assessment of different farming systems.

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