How Sustainable is Organic Agriculture?

Abstract

Dan Anderson - UIUC Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences.

For some time now, organic food has been one of the fastest growing segments of the food industry, growing at a rate of about 20% annually for the last 10 years. Those who purchase organic food do so for a variety of reasons - flavor, health, environmental and social. Critics claim that organic food is for an elite, high-income customer base, willing to spend more for food they falsely believe is better. Furthermore, critics claim that organic farming is not productive enough to meet the growing food challenges of a 6 billion plus world population. They also contend there is no evidence that organic food is healthier than food produced by conventional, chemical-intensive methods. Recent research provides evidence that organic food is healthier and that organic farming is often as productive as conventional farming. This presentation will explore how sustainable organic and natural farming methods are for farmer, consumers and the environment.