Organic Farming Saves Energy.
One way to reduce greenhouse gases is
to decrease overall energy use. Studies
are revealing that organic agriculture
has lower net energy use and increased
energy efficiency compared with
nonorganic. The Canadian life-cycle
study mentioned previously found
that, due to the high energy costs associated with synthetic fertilizers, organic
crop production consumed only about
40 percent of the energy utilized by
nonorganic production.
An analysis of 17 years of field crop
data from Michigan published in the
journal Environmental Science and Tech-
nology in 2011 found that the organic
system had lower fossil fuel inputs than
the nonorganic system. In this study,
cultivation for weed management was
the largest source of fossil fuel con-
sumption for organic management,
while the nonorganic, no-till systems
relied on energy-intensive inputs for fertilization and pest control. 35
The Evidence for Organic Is Compelling—Now It’s Time That Policies
Start Supporting It
The clear scientific evidence of the benefits of organic farming in terms of
human health, economic health and the environment must guide the development and implementation of 21st-century policies. Reforming agriculture policies
toward investment in organic systems is a necessary evolution. The Farm Bill is an
important vehicle for investment in organic agriculture, and all agricultural advocates must push for more support for organic in this policy. A number of other
policy arenas could be created or modified to either reward organic farming or
break down barriers for organic farmers. A summary of key priorities includes:
Significantly Increase Funding for Organic Research, Education
and Extension Activities at the USDA. The funding should at the
very least parallel the sector’s growth and presence in the food
economy. This means increasing funding for programs such as the
It would also include making the Organic Production Survey a regular follow-
up to the U.S. Census of Agriculture, continued economic analysis of issues and
trends in the organic sector and setting aside funds for organic in competitive
grants programs such as the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. Research is
