Organic Farming: Limited Benefit to Wildlife Does Not Compensate for Lower Yields
May 7, 2010| |
The benefits to wildlife and increases in biodiversity from organic farming average just over 12 percent more than conventional farming which does not compensate for the lower yields produced. This was the finding of a study conducted by the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom and published in Ecology Letters.
Organic farms in the study produced less than half of the yield of their conventional counterparts. Project leader Tim Benton said that "Our results show that to produce the same amount of food in the UK using organic rather than conventional means, we'd need to use twice the amount of land for agriculture. As the biodiversity benefits of organic farming are small, then the lower yield may be a luxury we can't afford, particularly in the more productive areas of the UK."
The study was conducted in two areas in Central South West England and the North Midlands on 32 organic and non-organic farms. It analyzed the presence of birds, insects, earthworms and plants.
See the original news article at http://www.leeds.ac.uk/news/article/802/organic_farming_shows_limited_benefit_to_wildlife
| |
Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.
-
See more articles:
-
News from Around the World
- Climate Experts Tackle Food Security - Climate Change Challenge
- Implications for Climate Change in Africa
- Africa Can Learn from China Says IFPRI Head
- FAO Calls for More Effort to Attain African Food Security
- Interregional Biotech Exchange Program to Promote Product Stewardship
- UN Blanket Feeding Operation to Fight Children Malnutrition in Niger
- ARS Scientists Identify Genetic Resistance to Rice Sheath Blight
- U.S. EPA Approves Insect Refuge 'In-The-Bag' Seed Product
- Texas Tech Gets Bayer Research Grant
- Seed Mixtures vs Structured Refuges for Bt Hybrids
- High Oleic Soybean Oil Projected for 2012 Release
- Obama Administration Strategizes to Improve Food Aid
- Warmer Nights Threaten India's Rice Production
- Workshop on LLP of Agri-Biotech Products in Indonesia
- Hurdling Barriers to Bt Brinjal Commercialization
- Invitation to Comment on the RARMP for GM Cotton
- Organic Farming: Limited Benefit to Wildlife Does Not Compensate for Lower Yields
- UK Scientists Conduct Oats Study
-
Research Highlights
- Relationship of Rice Fragrance and Yield Reduction Under Salt Treatment
- Development of a Core Set in Brinjal
- Greenhouse Assays Measure Responses of Synthetic Hexaploid Wheat to Tan Spot
-
Announcements
- India Bio 2010
- US-French Symposium on Water, Food Security and Climate Change in Purdue
-
Resources
- Developing a Biosafety Law- Lessons from the Kenyan Experience
-
Read the latest: - Biotech Updates (October 2, 2024)
- Gene Editing Supplement (September 26, 2024)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet