Payton Hill

Vargas, Emilio
Global Studies I
Research Paper
12/05//2014
Can organic farming actually feed the world?

I am sure by now everyone in the developed world is well aware of the current organic food fad
thats running rampant among the middle and upper classes of 1st world societies. It would
almost seem like common knowledge now that organic food is not only a good way to support
your local economy, but also a healthy alternative to conventional chemical laden produce. As
of late, we have seen a giant surge in the demand for locally grown organic produce, as stated
by the USDA (organic farming) has shown double-digit growth during most years since the
1990s. But what many don't know is that organic farming is not just big in first world countries.
Due to economic embargo paired with the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba has had to adjust
to a 0 chemical and organic style of farming across the country. From Africa to the Americas
organic farming has become a huge industry, with the top producers being Mexico, Uganda,
and India respectively (Frick and Bonn 2003). So this is not just a first world craze it would
appear. However the majority of farms still use fertilizers and other conventional methods such
as toxic pesticides that can wreck havoc on an ecosystem.

So here is the question I would like to propose, is the idea of organic farming applicable at a
global level? Does it make sense to pursue such a goal?

So we know what organic farming is, and we know that its a widespread way of producing food.
But is an actual contender for producing the majority if not all of the worlds food? The reason

that fertilizers and pesticides were originally invented and implemented was to increase produce
yield per square meter of land. So with global hunger a looming problem that only looks like its
only going to get bigger, is it really a good idea to take away modern conventional farming?
Some studies have shown that organic farming produces 34% less food given the same land.
However other studies have shown that with the proper organic farming practices, that can be
decreased to as little as 5% for some foods (Seufert, Foley, and Ramankutty). So it would
appear that while it does not produce the same amount of food as farming with chemicals can, it
can nearly reach that same level. However this there would still be a need to use more land to
produce the same amount of food, and with a growing global population that means more and
more land needs to be destroyed by deforestation every year. Experts told the UN in 2009 that
food production will need to at least double to meet growing global population by 2050. So land
efficiency is a key element to say the least. Also it is said that organic farming uses a greater
amount of water than traditional farming, and as we know from Hart and Lombardi, the world is
facing a water crisis that is only going to get worse in the next decades.

Many people look to organic farming as a way to lead a healthier life, avoiding all the chemicals
that would otherwise be used to produce their food. However as Christine M. Williams states in
her journal Proceedings of Nutritional Society, There are no reports in the literature of
controlled intervention studies in human subjects. That honestly for me is something that was
staggering to find out. I have been raised to believe that organic food was by nature, better than
chemically farmed food. So organic farming isn't more efficient than modern conventional
farming, and its not healthier, so why use it? The main reason to use it is the environmental
aspect of it. Fertilizers are made using petroleum, and the process of getting petroleum out of
the earth is a very damaging industry in itself. Pesticides kill off insects and can set ecosystems
off kilter. Furthermore the centralized way farming is currently done means the use of wide
spread preservatives and transportation which further damages the environment. So while

there may be no apparent health or production benefits to organic farming, there certainly is an
environmental aspect that should be appreciated, after all without a healthy environment the
other aspects are of little importance.

One of the great challenges is that to solve the problem you can not simpley look at it on a
global level, even though it is a global issue. But it must be looked at region by region, as every
region is in a different situation financially, economically, and evironmentally speaking. For
instance, the same tactics and technology that can make organic farming in Sweden easier,
such as advanced greenhouses, is not going to help the farmer trying to switch to organic in
Kenya. Every region would have to be adapted with new organic concepts. Not only that but
every region is in a different state as far as food and water shortages go, so once again different
innovations would have to be made for almost every region of the world. Another hurdle that
organic farming would have to make is convincing people that it can benefit them, if not in the
short run, but in the long run by maintaining their environment. Different cultures will have easier
and harder times accepting this reason and the argument would most likely have to be adapted.
For instance in the USA where the environment has always been of little concern to big
business an argument involving how the environmental change could affect future profits would
need to be made. But in New Zealand where the environment is greatly cared for, all one would
have to do is explain the extensive and irreversible environmental damage conventional farming
can do over the long run. Every region must be taken case by case if any global change is to
happen.

Organic farming looks as if it may produce nearly the same amount of food as conventional
farming, and perhaps with more advanced practices or technology it could match that
production. However it seems that other than the global environmental aspect, there are little
other reasons to change over completely to organic farming. Especially when in poor regions

such as sub saharan Africa, it is very hard to go completely organic as it usually requires higher
costs at first, and with the major markets for organic produce being in the USA, Germany,and
France (Frick and Bonn). At this point I would say, given the aforementioned evidence, that
organic farming is not a viable method to feed the entire world. But we should not ignore the
environmental benefits of organic farming. Rather, as suggested by Roland Bunch, an
agricultural extensionist, a middle ground between organic farming and modern traditional
farming should be met (Hadwell). He states that halving the amount of fertilizers that five
farmers use is a lot easier than making two go full organic, and it actually helps the environment
more. So while a full organic world does not seem to be a viable option for now, a possible
middle path that can incorporate organic aspects and a small amount of chemicals to produce
more than either alone should be considered.

In conclusion organic farming can theoretically feed the entire world, but not given the same
amount of land that conventional farming uses. Further more after further investigation many
reasons to go organic are unraveled. With environment destruction looming in front of us we
should appreciate the green friendly style of organic farming and implement the practices into
as many modern chemical using farms as we can. This can possibly increase production as well
as decrease environmental damage. How ever it would be best to convert the farms in countries
and regions where the conditions, economically, culturally, and environmentally are best for it to
take hold first. After the movement would have momentum I theorize that it would be easier to
get the more business oriented cultures on bored with the conversion.

Bibliography:
Greene, Catherine. "USDA ERS - Organic Agriculture." USDA ERS - Organic Agriculture. 7 Apr.
2014. Web. 1 Dec. 2014. <http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/natural-resourcesenvironment/organic-agriculture.aspx>.

Seufert, Verena, Navin Ramankutty, and Jonathan A. Foley. "Comparing the Yields of Organic
and Conventional Agriculture." Nature (2012): 229-32. Print.

Williams, Christine M. "Nutritional Quality Of Organic Food: Shades Of Grey Or Shades Of

Green?" Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 61.01 (2008): 19-24. Print.

Halweil, Brian. "Can Organic Farming Feed Us All?" World Watch 1 May 2006. Print.

Frick and Bonn. The World of Organic Agriculture 2013 FiBL & IFOAM (2013): The World of
Organic Agriculture 2013.