One of the more tired mantras of industrial agriculture is that there is no alternative to farming with fossil fuels, in industrial monoculture. An important study has recently been released about organic farming, evaluating 293 case studies. Their conclusions?

organic agriculture has the potential to contribute quite substantially to the global food supply, while reducing the detrimental environmental impacts of conventional agriculture.

Moreover, while organic yields were a little lower in industrialised countries as compared with industrial agriculture, they were between two and three times higher in developing countries. This put an important boot into the attempts of fertilizer companies to turn farmers in the Global South into pesticide junkies, and all in the name of 'development'. ... read more »

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Posted on 17 July, 2007 - 17:38

At the Food News website (about which more here), they've thoughtfully posted an article from The Economist about local food systems, and response to it too. Watch this space - I'll be weighing in on this too!

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Posted on 10 January, 2007 - 00:56

The Meatrix turned over 10 million people on to the dangers of industrial agriculture. Even if its final message ('buy organic') didn't quite get to the heart of the trouble with the food system today, it was vastly entertaining, and a great Food System 101 course in just over two minutes.

Now, they've released not only The Meatrix 2:Revolting but, below, The Meatrix 2½. ... read more »

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Posted on 30 November, 2006 - 22:57