Re:sustainable and organic (was Help)

Tom Hodges (thodges@beta.tricity.wsu.edu)
Wed, 9 Feb 1994 18:59:56 -0800 (PST)

Dick and Sal, it seems to me that for many 1,000s of years, ag systems
were sustainable in that environmental degradation took place slower
than the system's ability to regenerate itself. Thus even slash and
burn is sustainable if you leave the land fallow long enough (30-100
years?). However with growing population, pretty much all non-
technological systems are now overstraining their environment. BTW by
technological I mean using integrated understanding of the ecological
system to make management decisions, something many of the farmers on
the net try to do. I do not, however, suggest that any current
farming systems are sustainable. On that point I agree fully with Dick,
organic is not necessarily sustainable nor is it necessarily
enviromentally benign. Organic farmers can be just as destructive as
anybody else if they don't take steps to avoid it. Tom

Tom Hodges thodges@beta.tricity.wsu.edu

On Wed, 9 Feb 1994, Dick Richardson wrote:

> Sal wrote:
>
> >Lary seems to agree with you so I guess there is no difference between
> >Sustainable and organice.
> ( deleted portion ) ... Why if its all the same?
> >wHY are so many people avoiding the word organic. What is the difference?
>
>
> Dick replies --
>
> Organic production in agriculture is not necessarily sustainable.
> "Sustainable agriculture" depends on many features beyond the production of
> anything, such as the absence of fossil fuel inputs in the supporting
> system, soil erosion practically at zero, healthy functioning ecosystem
> processes, and the indirect effects in the society at large -- to mention a
> few examples. As far as I know there has been no sustainable cropping
> system in the world to date, even before all pesticides were invented. We
> are now striving to achieve something never done before.
>
> R. H. (Dick) Richardson * (512) 471-4128 (w)