No One-Size-Fits-All Farming Technique for Sustainable Agriculture
In agriculturally developed regions such as Europe and North America, research has shown a 20-percent reduction in yields for organically grown food, compared with conventional – although the drop could be just 13 percent when best practices are used.
In parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and some other landscapes, however, products that can help maximize yields aren’t always available or affordable. This, in turn, leads to big food production gaps.
Where access to chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides is limited, using organic sources of nutrients – animal manure, in particular – along with non-chemical pest and weed control methods can significantly boost crops.
Growing methods must and will vary, depending on whether the food is produced in Malawi or Montana, Belgium or Brazil.
We need to change the conversation about sustainable agriculture to talk about performance – rather than focusing on which production systems are good or bad.
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