A forty-year study by the Rodale Institute compared organic farming techniques with conventional ones: let’s discover the results.
The results clearly show that organic yields are equal to or better than conventional farming, and they also provide economic and environmental benefits. Conventional farming, on the other hand, leads to soil degradation and declining yields.
Organic farming matches conventional farming in terms of yield, while also offering various environmental, economic, and agronomic benefits for farmers, consumers, and the planet. These are the findings from the Farming Systems Trial (FST), a long-term comparative study by the Rodale Institute, initiated in 1981 and carried out over 40 years to measure the differing impacts of the two agricultural methods.
Conventional and Organic: Agricultural Systems Compared
The Rodale Institute in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, initiated this research with field scientific analyses that documented the impact of different farming practices on five hectares of land cultivated with grains. Specifically, the Farming Systems Trial compared three agricultural systems:
- A conventional farming system based on chemical inputs, using synthetic nitrogen to increase fertility and chemical herbicides for weed control.
- An organic farming system using legumes as cover crops to primarily fertilize the soil. Crop rotation was employed as a pest control strategy.
- An organic farming system with legume cover crops and the additional use of manure to fertilize the soil, applied periodically. Crop rotation was also used for pest control.
The study results demonstrate that organically managed soils have better CO2 retention capabilities and significantly faster water infiltration rates compared to conventional practices. Additionally, the data shows that organic systems yield equivalent to conventional systems, particularly under extreme weather conditions. For instance, in cases of drought, organic corn yields were 31% higher than conventional production. Finally, cost analysis, labor, yields, and risk assessment indicate that the most profitable system for farmers is organic farming with manure as a fertilizer.
According to the Rodale Institute, the study clearly and consistently shows that conventional practices inevitably lead to soil depletion and reduced yields for farmers. Conversely, organic management protects soil health, crops, the environment, and farmers, and it is the path to follow for a healthy planet and a sustainable future.
