Exploring Organic Agriculture's Place within the Agricultural Revolution

Martin Entz

Abstract
Is organic agriculture advancing the 10,000 year old agricultural revolution, or is it just a counter-revolutionary distraction? Not only is organic farming and gardening advancing agriculture, it is exposing problems in our food system and offering an alternative model. Even now, organic systems have advantages - scoring higher than conventional agriculture for food quality, ecosystem biodiversity and nutrient cycling. Most modern farming systems have turned their backs on sound husbandry and it seems that near-monoculture production is deemed OK. Industrial agriculture is susceptible to “disturbances”, such as low fossil-fuel energy supplies, throwing into question its resilience. Organic farming can produce comparable amounts of human-usable calories than conventional production using half the oil.

These and other examples suggest that, yes, we need to learn from organic farming and embrace its principles. We would do well to transfer organic techniques into mainstream agriculture. But to stop there would be a mistake – it would take the emphasis off innovating within the organic system. Important challenges exist and we must respond to them without the “training wheels” of technology based on extraction and exploitation. For example, to feed the 10 billion, organic farming needs to recycle nutrients in new and innovative ways. The good news is that rethinking nutrient use and embracing the philosophy of regional or even global nutrient cycles will force helpful changes in the larger society. Future organic food systems will require new ecological knowledge – so our education processes also must be improved.

In conclusion, the serious and systemic problems facing the world’s food system will be well served by embracing the principles of the organic movement and supporting its development. Organics can help agriculture and society face the future with greater confidence.


Source
Proceedings of the Joint Conference of the Canadian Society of Soil Science and the Canadian Society of Agronomy, Beyond Organics session. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. 20-24 June 2010.


Author Locations and Affiliations
Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N2


Posted July 2010