CAN

ORGANIC

FEED THE WORLD?

IAASTD

• International Assessment Agriculture Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development

• initiated by the World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and conducted by 400 scientists over a period of three years.

IAASTD Conclusion

The Assessment concludes that, while certain agricultural technologies have contributed to substantial productivity increases in the past, these same technologies - such as pesticides and fertilisers - now threaten the social and environmental sustainability of agriculture.

Greenpeace ..

• "An emphasis on production to the exclusion of humans and the environment is a recipe for disaster. The conclusion of hundreds of scientists from around the world is that the future of agriculture is based on ecological farming," said Marco Contiero, Greenpeace Policy Director. ."

Greenpeace urged

• "In order to address the food crisis not just in the short term, G8 governments must follow the advice of the UN Agriculture Assessment - dramatically increasing their investments in smallholder ecological farming systems, while putting an end to subsidies that promote unsustainable industrial agriculture

Scientists Find Organic Agriculture Can Feed the World

• http://www.i-sis.org.uk/organicagriculturefeedtheworld.php

• refute common misconceptions about organic agriculture

The findings

• Organic yields beat conventional• More than enough organic food to feed the

world• More than enough nitrate through biological

nitrogen fixation• The largest gains from organic agriculture arise

from the savings on the damages to public health and the environment, estimated at more than US $59.6 billion a year in the United States [6, 8] (Organic Agriculture Enters Mainstream, Organic Yields on Par with Conventional & Ahead during Drought Years, SiS 28).

URGENT CHANGE

Thorough and radical overhaul of present international and national agricultural policies. Governments

are urged to actively create the transition to sustainable

ecological farming systems through:

1

Prioritizing the resource needs and knowledge of the world’s small-

scale ecological farmers.

2

Supporting ecological or organic farming systems with public

research and investment monies

3

Supporting the multiple ecological functions of agriculture through policies that value and protect

ecosystem services

4

Addressing climate change through the agriculture sector with support

for ecological farming.

5

Recognizing the inter-related principles of

food sovereignty and

the right to food.• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_sovereignty

Why Organic should and Whether it can feed the WORLD

• Health• Employment• Resources • Energy• Climate Change• Hunger• Food Distribution• Pollution

• Biodiversity • Economy• Human Rights• Fair Trade• Education• Ecology• Sustainability• HAPPINESS

DISCUSSION

Q & A