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May 5, 2011

OTA Responds to Marketplace

Marketplace, let’s try a different approach, and actually talk about the facts. Organic agriculture is as efficient, economical and productive as conventional agriculture; and research continues to prove that it is better for the soil, the environment, and human health. With a changing planet and a growing population, organic is an integral part of the long-term solution to global food security.

It’s a fact that organic agriculture can increase yields while producing high-quality food. It is simply inaccurate to say that organic crops have lower or less consistent yields than their chemically intensive conventional counterparts. In side-by-side field trials conducted by Rodale Institute, organic crops have produced yields on average equal to those of conventionally raised crops, while also building soil health and reducing energy use. On a global scale, researchers at the University of Michigan have shown that organic farming in developing countries can yield up to three times as much food as conventional farming on the same amount of land.

http://www.ota.com/OTAresponds/NPR/Marketplace.html