The question of whether organic farming can feed the world has fueled many studies that calculate ratios of conventional to organic yield to measure how organic production compares to the conventional benchmark. Authors of a recent study published in the journal Agronomy suggest that these yield gap calculations focus on the wrong question. Asking… Read More ›

  A cost/return analysis published in Agronomy Journal compared production costs, yield and net returns for conventional versus organic crop rotations. The study revealed that the longest, most diversified organic crop rotation was the most financially secure cropping system, and lower yields for organic crops were offset by higher premiums. Five cropping systems were measured:… Read More ›

  A recent study in Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems found that organic farms provide greater employment opportunities with more job stability when compared to county averages. Using USDA Agricultural Census data from counties in Washington State and California, the study compared the number of people hired per acre and the number of days the… Read More ›

  Organic farmers must employ integrated management strategies to control pests in an environmentally friendly way. New research finds that these organic strategies can also help large-scale, conventional farmers reduce their dependence on synthetic inputs, by harnessing natural ecosystem functions through ecological intensification. Incorporating “agroforestry systems” by integrating trees and shrubs with other crops or… Read More ›

Apple production in North America and Europe is largely threatened by two insect pests: rosy apple aphids and codling moths. In conventional apple production, heavy inputs of insecticides are required to control these pests, but organic production cannot rely on the same chemical tools. A study published in the journal Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment found… Read More ›