Date:

November 15, 2017

Source:

Alpen-Adria-Universität
Klagenfurt | Graz | Wien

Summary:

A global conversion to organic farming can
contribute to a profoundly sustainable food system, provided that it is
combined with further measures, specifically with a one-third reduction of
animal-based products in the human diet, less concentrated feed and less food
waste, shows new research.

A global conversion to
organic farming can contribute to a profoundly sustainable food system,
provided that it is combined with further measures, specifically with a
one-third reduction of animal-based products in the human diet, less
concentrated feed and less food waste. At the same time, this type of food
system has extremely positive ecological effects, i.e. considerable reduction
of fertilizers and pesticides, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions — and does
not lead to increased land use, despite lower agricultural yields. These are
the findings of a new study, which included the Vienna-based Department of
Social Ecology among its contributors. Results have recently been published in Nature
Communications.

The available evidence
indicates that the negative consequences of agriculture on the environment will
continue to increase dramatically leading up to the year 2050, should the
forecasts by the World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) prove to be true
and should current trends persist unbated. For this purpose, the FAO assumes a
population in excess of 9 billion people and an increase in nutrition habits
requiring high volumes of resources such as water, energy and land, as is the
case with a high level of meat consumption.

“Organic agriculture
involves the careful handling of the environment and resources and is
frequently put forward as a potential solution to the challenges we are
currently facing. On the other hand, critics point out that this shift to
organic methods would entail a much higher level of land use and therefore
cannot be considered as a viable alternative,” one of the study’s authors,
Karlheinz Erb (Department of Social Ecology at the AAU) explains.

The results reveal that,
combined with abstaining from the use of concentrated feed in livestock
production, a corresponding reduction in the consumption of animal products and
a drop in food waste, organic agriculture has the potential to play a
significant role in a sustainable nutrition system. Karlheinz Erb elaborates
further: “In this way, it would be possible to secure the provision of
food for the global population even in the event of a population size above 9
billion in the year 2050; land use would not increase, and the negative effects
of today’s intensive nutrition system such as high nitrogen surplus levels or
elevated pesticide loads would be reduced considerably. Furthermore, such a
system would reduce considerably the greenhouse gas emissions from land use and
the livestock systems, important drivers of climate change.” However, as
long as changes in consumption patterns as accompanying measures are not
implemented, the critics will be right: Organic agricultural methods
concomitant with unchanged consumption patterns would entail an increased
demand for land. This would offset the advantages of organic farming and would
thus significantly reduce or even call into question its contribution towards a
sustainable development.

Story Source:

Materials provided by Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt | Graz | Wien. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

1.    Adrian Muller, Christian
Schader, Nadia El-Hage Scialabba, Judith Brüggemann, Anne Isensee, Karl-Heinz
Erb, Pete Smith, Peter Klocke, Florian Leiber, Matthias Stolze, Urs Niggli. Strategies
for feeding the world more sustainably with organic agriculture. Nature
Communications, 2017; 8 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01410-w