Organic farming has 'profound effect' on climate change

CONVERTING the UK entirely to organic farming would have a ‘profound effect’ on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the Soil Association has claimed.

The organic body published its own research today (Thursday, November 26) showing that if all UK farmland was converted to organic, at least 3.2 million tonnes of carbon would be taken up by the soil each year - the equivalent of taking nearly one million cars off the road.

The research’s key findings are:

On average organic farming produces 28 per cent higher levels of soil carbon compared to non-organic farming in Northern Europe, and 20 per cent higher for all countries studied (in Europe, North America and Australasia).
In the UK, grasslands and mixed farming systems have a vital role to play, and soil carbon may go a long way to offsetting the methane emissions from grass-fed cattle and sheep.
The widespread adoption of organic farming practices in the UK would offset 23 per cent of UK agricultural emissions through soil carbon sequestration alone, more than doubling the Government’s ‘pathetically low’ target of a 6-11 per cent reduction by 2020.
A worldwide switch to organic farming could offset 11 per cent of all global greenhouse gas emissions.
Raising soil carbon levels would also make farming worldwide more resilient to extremes of climate like droughts and floods, leading to greater food security.
Commenting on the report, Soil Association director Patrick Holden sought to address the likely response from the conventional sector that going 100 per cent organic could never satisfy demand from a burgeoning global population.

“Unless we are successful in tackling climate change, we won’t be able to feed the world’s growing population, however we farm. This report shows that agriculture can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while producing food sustainably,” he said.

He said the findings ‘add fresh evidence to the strong case for agri-environmental farming’ made in last year’s IAASTD Report, produced by 400 international scientists.

He said the findings should be a wake-up call to Governments on the importance of carbon sequestration, ahead of next month’s Copenhagen climate change summit.

Soil Association policy director Peter Melchett said climate change meant ‘business as usual in our food and farming systems is no longer an option’.

“To minimise tropical deforestation and maximise soil carbon sequestration we need to move to healthier diets based on unprocessed, seasonal produce and grass-fed meat in moderation rather than intensive poultry and pork,” he said.

The NFU said agricultural production is responsible for seven per cent of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions and around one per cent of the UK’s total CO2 emissions. Methane emissions from the sector have fallen by 17 per cent since 1990.

27 November 2009