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Organic More Profitable Than Intensive Agriculture

Started in 1981, Rodale Institute’s Farming Systems Trial is the longest-running side-by-side comparison of organic and conventional grain-cropping systems in North America.


Organic versus traditional farming test site in Pennsylvania
Test farm in Pennsylvania | Credit: Rodale Institute

The investigation comparing organic and conventional grain-cropping approaches demonstrates impressive results for organic. Recently announced in the Rodale Institute’s Farming Systems Trial - 40 Year Report are these outcomes:

  • Organic systems achieve 3 to 6 times the profit of conventional production;

  • Yields for the organic approach are competitive with those of conventional systems (after a five-year transition period);

  • Organic yields during stressful drought periods are 40 percent higher than conventional yields;

  • Organic systems leach no toxic compounds into nearby waterways (unlike pesticide-intensive conventional farming);

  • The organic approach uses 45 percent less energy than conventional, and emits 40 percent less carbon into the atmosphere.

To what should we attribute the benefits of organic over conventional approaches? According to the Rodale Institute, it all starts with the soil. Healthier soils hold more water, giving plants a leg up during periods of drought. Healthy soil also binds together better, preventing soil erosion and runoff into waterways. Because organic systems don’t use chemical inputs, toxins stay out of the environment and fewer fossil fuels are used.


It's good to have unequivocal proof that organic farming is not just good for people and planet, but farmers too.

 
 
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