Organic Researcher

An new and interesting project about trying to get more people to enter organic farming, their blog is here and the website.  Getting into farming in the UK is far from easy, so it will be interesting to see how this project develops.   

The Rodale Institute has an exciting new initiative  which is encouraging farmers to make the transition to  organic.  What impresses me most is the range of tools that they are offering to help make the calculations to help people make the decision, the on-line conversion course looks really interesting - check it out.

Garden Organic have teamed up with ’seeds of change’ in some joint food/organic gardening promo - you see about it here.

Below is a totally brilliant round up of the breakthroughs in organic research (and policy) during 2007.  This work is that of the GM watch team, so all the credit must go to them, I just want to pass on and recommend it.   

2. ORGANIC RESEARCH

+ ORGANIC FARMING CAN FEED THE WORLD - STUDY

Organic farming can yield up to three times as much food on individual farms in developing countries, as low-intensive methods on the same land - according to new findings which refute the long-standing claim that organic farming methods cannot produce enough food to feed the global population. “My hope is that we can finally put a nail in the coffin of the idea that you can’t produce enough food through organic agriculture,” said Ivette Perfecto, professor at University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment, and one of the study’s principal investigators.

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=8107

+ ORGANIC FARMING COMBATS GLOBAL WARMING…

Big time, according to data from the Rodale Institute’s long-running comparison of organic and conventional cropping systems. Converting the US’s corn and soybean acres to organic production would sequester enough carbon to satisfy 73 percent of the Kyoto targets for CO2 reduction in the US.

http://www.newfarm.org/depts/NFfield_trials/1003/carbonsequest.shtml

+ ORGANIC FARMING BEATS NO-TILL

Organic farming can build up soil organic matter better than conventional no-till farming, according to a long-term study by US Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists. Organic farming, despite its emphasis on building organic matter, was previously thought by some to endanger soil because it relies on tillage and cultivation - instead of herbicides - to kill weeds. But Teasdale’s study showed that organic farming’s addition of organic matter in manure and cover crops more than offset losses from tillage.

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=8094

+ UN’s FOOD AND AG ORG SUPPORTS ORGANIC

The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has come out in favour of organic agriculture. Its report, “Organic Agriculture and Food Security” states that organic agriculture can address local and global food security challenges.

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=8268

+ ORGANIC FOOD BETTER

Important new research has shown up to 40% more beneficial compounds in organic vegetable crops and up to 90% more in organic milk. It has also found high levels of minerals such as iron and zinc in organic produce.

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=8430

+ IT’S OFFICIAL: ORGANIC REALLY IS BETTER FOR YOU

A 10-year study comparing organic and non-organic tomatoes has found that the organic ones have almost twice the quantity of antioxidants (called flavonoids) that help to prevent high blood pressure, thus reducing the likelihood of heart disease and strokes.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/wine/main.jhtml?xml=/wine/2007/07/14/edorganic114.xml

+ GROWERS CAN MAKE MORE MONEY BY GOING ORGANIC

Minnesota grain farmers could make more money by switching from conventional to organic grain crops, shows a four-year study announced at the American Agricultural Economics Association’s annual meeting in Long Beach, Calif. The study, by David W. Archer, an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) economist, and Hillarius Kludze, an ARS soil scientist, analyzed both economic risks and transition effects of switching to organic farming.

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=8094

Aquaculture is a regular discussion on this blog, but this story of surreal, poor old Northern Salmon will find it hard going after this.

This page links to the organic bodies in North America.

This page has the links to the main bodies in Australia.

Just found this excellent link to organic bodies in New Zealand.