Can Organic Agriculture lessen the climate change problem?
Image by Ecoagriculture Partners
Organic farm in Ithaca, NY
Photo: Sajal Sthapit
Question by CooCoo: Can Organic Agriculture lessen the climate change problem?
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9 Responses to Can Organic Agriculture lessen the climate change problem?
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Organic means no herbicides, no chemical fertilizer these are the things that caused the increase in crop yields in the last several decades, regardless of other problems these may cause they are quite good at that. Organic means going back to the older system were a moderate portion of the crop fails or is eaten by insects, this is one of the reasons organic is more expensive.
It is also one of the main reasons that global crops were able to keep up with population growth, but such talk is more than likely to set of deniers ranting about population growth theories of the 70s and other issues they clear don’t understand.
antarcticice
June 29, 2011 at 8:08 pm
I don’t believe in man made climate change. Even if I was a man made global warming believer I would not be worried about the small amounts of pollution that pesticides put out. I would be more worried about Co2 from car exhausts. Don’t listen to the crazy “were all going to die unless we go green!!!!!” people unless you plan to do some thinking afterword.
Alex
June 29, 2011 at 8:36 pm
if all major farms could go organic yes. but in real life it will never happen because the whole world economy is driven by big oil companies, and a company called monstano. they control the food supply of the world. these huge farms we see now are obscene.milk with steroids,, hybrid seed that will not reproduce seed, makes me want to puke and i could list for a month and not convince anybody. if you get the green channel on timewarner cable watch a documentary called collapse. it says it all and it’s very potentially true. if you are a doomsdayer dont listen to the yahoos, learn how to prepare foods through the methods of hotwater bath and pressure canning. buy canners, canning jars, and lids. learn how to use them. next step is to buy heirloom seeds and learn not only how to get a harvest from them but how to harvest seed from them for future use. once you know how to do that get a pistol permit to protect your supply. with an oil driven society when the peak oil is gone the economy will crash and we will be without power and at that point yes organic farming will work. make sure to buy draft horses and learn how to work them. breed them. get beef cows breed them and learn how to make leather. that way you have a garden, meat, storage of both, horse instead of tractor, and riding horses for transportation/hunting vehicle. these huge dairy farms are now getting our money for poop control. imagine that 3 dollar a gallon milk and tax dollars still subsidising the poop. sounds shitty to me! BUT THEYRE SPENDING MILLIONS ON METHANE HARVESTING ELECTRICITY GENERATORS. ever seen the movie water world. scary huh!
Joe M
June 29, 2011 at 9:22 pm
yes it can help because plants take in carbon dioxide and let out oxygen which can help in global warming but that’s not going to help a real lot. people also have to not drive as much cars and stuff like that
Frlt25
June 29, 2011 at 9:44 pm
No, unless they use black-earth as fertilizer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_preta
Organic Agriculture is about not using DDT. Most fertilizers are nitrate in nature and release green house gas.
giginotgigi
June 29, 2011 at 9:46 pm
There is no climate change problem. So the answer has to be no.
Ann Preloha
June 29, 2011 at 10:02 pm
Relevant studies demonstrate that irrigated land is better for than non-irrigated land with respect to carbon sequestration. The plants grow better.
From this, and some other relevant studies, you get that anything that would increase agricultural production also increases carbon sequestration. From this, contrary to what from you question I believe you want to hear, industrial farming is better for global warming than lower tech and lower yield organic agriculture.
Jeff M
June 29, 2011 at 10:05 pm
Freeman Dyson is a prominent and iconoclastic physicist who does not believe that the effects of global climate change will be bad enough to take drastic action. He suggests that if drastic actions becomes necessary, the most effect one is improved topsoil management. This comes within the purview of both organic agriculture and no-till factory farms.
virtualguy92107
June 29, 2011 at 10:39 pm
Organic, sustainable agriculture that localize food systems has the potential to mitigate nearly thirty percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and save one-sixth of global energy use
Arwin Rana
June 29, 2011 at 11:37 pm