20-year Study Backs Organic Farming,
Fred Pearce, NewScientist.com
Three times as many earthworms, twice as many insects and 40
percent more mycorrhizal fungi colonising plant roots? No, it’s not
the new season of Survivor, but rather the ingredients that make
organic soils superior to your average soil, according to Fred
Pearce in NewScientist.com News Service. Despite a 20 percent
average lower crop yield, higher-quality soil is just one reason
organic farming was declared a success. ‘We have shown that organic
farming is efficient, saves energy, maintains biodiversity and
keeps soils healthy for future generations,’ said Paul Mader of the
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture in Frick, Switzerland,
which conducted the study. Mader also found that in areas where
farmers can’t afford costly agrochemicals, a turn to organic
farming resulted in greater crop yields than their
traditional-farming neighbors.
–Rebecca Wienbar
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