Category: Policy

You’ll have seen bits of the hoohah surrounding the meta-analysis of organic agriculture published in Nature. Having nothing to add, I’m very content to reblog this, from Big Picture Agriculture.

My biggest complaint with these Foley papers in the journal Nature is that they ignore the unsustainable energy inputs for industrial ag, and I’ve said so before. Today, the coverage of this new study is splashed across headlines everywhere, most of the headlines stating that organic production under-performs industrial production. While this is obviously a complex subject, the main point in the conclusion of this study is that the calorie-dense grains have higher yields using industrial production methods. I preferred the way the LAT presented the paper: Organic farming, carefully done, can be efficient. Organic agriculture produces smaller harvests than conventional methods, but the difference can be minimized by employing the right techniques, a study finds. (LATimes) Here is the Nature paper link.

There’s an open letter floating around that is addressed to Members of the European Parliament and to a variety of EU Commissioners for this that and the other. The intent is to advocate for opening up the EU legislation on the Marketing of Seed and Plant Propagating Material, in order to:

[M]ake it more respectful towards the environment, consumers’ expectations and the needs of small actors in the seed chain.

No argument from us on that score. Indeed, we’ve always found the one-size-fits-all approach of the EU suitable only for the largest. Why varieties must be certified, when simple consumer-protection laws are enough to protect against sharp practice, remains a mystery. The letter appeals to everything, from freedom of choice via reduced use of pesticides to an improved environment, better conservation, and more rural jobs.

It’s a good effort, and most welcome, even if it is probably doomed to failure. The sad part is that the list of signatories is completely dominated by the usual suspects. It’s almost as if the heavy hitters who are so keen on agricultural biodiversity for developing countries (and we all know who they are) see no common cause with what’s happening in their own back garden.

Organizations and individuals have until 2 May to sign up.