In the fight against climate change, the agriculture industry has been a main polluter and contributor to greenhouse gases emitted. Not only that, with a rapidly increasing world population, there are more mouths to feed every single day. Finding a way to both reduce emissions and increase food production is becoming vital in the coming years.
Courtesy: Water Finance and Management
As climate change progresses, the agriculture industry has aimed at finding a more environmentally friendly form of food production. While straying away from conventional farming methods sounds like an excellent choice, a new study suggests otherwise. In fact, as some countries attempt to shift to 100% organic farming, they weigh an even heavier toll on the environment.
A new study shows that switching to 100% organic food production in Wales and England would result in a net increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Despite the fact that a fully organic farming system decreases emissions alone, the transition will ultimately result in more greenhouse gas output. The net increase of greenhouse gas emissions from the switch could rise by 21%. Since an entirely organic food production industry would yield smaller harvests, it would require up to five times more land to produce the same quantity of food as conventional farming. The new farming method would require crop rotations due to the land fertilization of nitrogen-fixed legumes rather than pesticides. In fact, the lack of output would require an increased amount of agriculture imports throughout the world to make up for the decrease in production. This increase in imports also creates more greenhouse gas emissions since the actual transportation and shipping of products would be added to the total of greenhouse gases being emitted from the switch to organic farming.
Using up five times more land for agriculture would also yield its own problems. Since the amount of unoccupied arable land in the world is limited, and it is largely located away from major population hubs. Due to this, the amount of transportation that is required to get these goods to the general public would result in a major increase in emissions. Not only that, the amount of labor associated with using five times more land increases just as much. Although the new study does not account for the emissions associated with an increase in labor, it should be noted that these increases will inevitably come with the switch to organic farming.
Organic farming would also limit the output of staple crops such as wheat and barley. Not stopping there, the new farming techniques would require an increase in livestock such as sheep and cows, which release methane. Despite a livestock increase, the total weight of the animals would decrease resulting in a net loss in meat volume being produced.
Courtesy: Mark-It Express
Although the logistics of switching to 100% organic farming remain contentious, the fundamental results of an agriculture shift would result in an increase of biodiversity and less damage to the land being used for farming. the model for organic farming does not seem to fit a carnivorous diet. More importantly, it is unable to sustain mass amounts of international food waste due to the limits of production.
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