The Benefits of Organic Agriculture

The subsistence farmer aims to cultivate his land to grow just what he needs, or a little more for trade. He patterns his farming after the seasons, planting maize at its time and okra at its. When he notices lower or weaker yields, he allows bolsters the soil using compost manure (let us assume he has some livestock) or ashes. He could also just let it lay fallow, naturally replenishing for the next season.  

Industrial agriculture differs from subsistence agriculture in terms of purpose and output. Farming is done almost exclusively for trade and thus is done on a large scale. The farmer cannot wait for the soil to fallow and may embrace monocropping – growing a single crop year after year on a single field. Monocropping has one major problem, amongst others: soil depletion.  

Nutrient depletion or a negative diversity in soil nutrients creates a situation where the farmer becomes reliant on synthetic inputs such as fertilizers, and pesticides may also be needed. Both chemical substances are alien to the natural ecosystem and dangerous in the long run, altering soil chemistry and eutrophication of marine bodies, again by altering chemical balance and composition. Other synthetic inputs in agriculture include genetically modified seeds and breeds, as well as preservatives.  

Organic agriculture is a system which relies on careful management of the ecosystem to retain productivity instead of synthetic inputs, per the Food and Agriculture Administration. The most comprehensive definition of the term is that put together by IFOAM – Organics International:  

“Organic Agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems, and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic Agriculture combines tradition, innovation, and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and good quality of life for all involved.” 

There is an insistence on using site-specific practices such as crop rotations, soil fallowing, bush burning, and organic manure. Other driving forces behind organic agriculture include consumer desire for organic foods, the need for reduction of input costs, and government subsidization of organic agriculture, especially in regions such as the European Union.  

The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), along with IFOAM, monitors the state of organic agriculture globally. They track metrics such as the amount of farmland allocated for organic farming globally, the organic crop market, and organic producers.  

According to the FiBL, more than 74.9 million hectares of organic farmland exist globally. In 2022, this represents 1.6 percent of the world’s agricultural land. Oceania accounts for almost half, with 35.9 million hectares of organic farmland. Africa, meanwhile, has just 2.1 million hectares, 28 percent of the global total.  

Organic farmland increased by 3.0 million hectares in 2020, with South American countries such as Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay showing significant increases by hundreds of thousands of hectares. As a result, Latin America saw the highest increase in organic agricultural land across all regions (+19.9 percent, +1.7 million hectares), followed by Europe (+3.7 percent, +0.60 million hectares) and Asia (+7.6 percent, +0.43 million hectares). 

Most organic land is used as grazing areas for livestock, up to 51 million hectares, two-thirds of the global figure. The rest is used for crop farming, mainly cereals like rice, along with oilseeds and textile crops. Other more critical organically farmed crops include nuts, olives, grapes, coffee, and cocoa.  

The number of organic producers is also growing, rising by 7.6 percent between 2019 and 2020 to 3.4 million producers. 56 percent of the world’s organic farmers are in Asia, with a further 24 percent in Africa. This provides an interesting debate: is organic farming by choice or necessity? Farming in Africa and parts of Asia is still largely subsistence-based, and most farmers in rural areas may not have access to synthetic inputs or be able to afford them. There might also be an abundance of land that allows for practices such as fallowing and crop rotation. Europe’s small land mass may necessitate synthetic farming, along with farmers being wealthier.  

The global market for organic food and drink is also growing. It is not uncommon to see customers show a preference for freshly pressed smoothies or free-range eggs. In 2020, the global market reached a size of 120 million euros. The United States was the largest single organic market in the world (49.5 billion euros), while Switzerland had the highest per-capita consumption at 418 euros. The highest organic market share was that of Denmark, with 13.0 percent of all food being organic.  

Government intervention in organic agriculture becomes critical when it comes to the issue of land allocation. According to IFOAM – Organics International, 76 countries have fully implemented organic agriculture regulations, creating government bodies and institutions. Examples of this can be found in Kenya with the Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN), the Burkina Faso National Organic Agriculture Council (CNABio), and the Association for the Promotion of Organic Agriculture in Cameroon (ASPABIC).  

Organic agriculture is vital for the health of the natural ecosystem, protecting the environment and producing high-quality, nutritious food. It also creates a level of equity, democratizing agriculture with the reduced need for oft-expensive synthetic inputs. Yield analysis shows that yields in organic agriculture will decrease for some foods (10-25 percent for fruits and vegetables) but rise greatly for others (up to 50 percent for root crops), showing that organic agriculture can be productive. There is also little yield variability, crucial for producers who seek to avoid risk. The negative of organic agriculture – slightly reduced production – is outweighed by the many positives: an increase in the resilience and stability of agricultural systems due to the diversity of species and varieties used; lower dependence on external inputs; and, above all, its proven environmental, health and social benefits.