Organic Farming is EXTREEMLY Cheaper -Reply

Ted Rogers (TROGERS@ars.usda.gov)
Tue, 05 Oct 1999 16:54:02 -0600

This discussion goes back at least to the 1976 study by Willie Lockeretz, Barry Commoner and company; I think that these studies and surveys have been repeated enough at this point that we might legitimately say that the differences in the two systems are a null sum. That is, that generally speaking a modest decrease in productivity in the organic units is offset by a lower purchased input figure. So what is being alluded to here? Do you honestly propose that the *organic* system might be substituted across the board for the conventional systems?

If this be your thought let me point out two things: 1) rightly the systems being discussed include livestock, not many conventional systems include livestock these days. 2) the hidden input, that is very expensive, is management (I am convinced that this is what happened to the old moniker of Low Input Sustainable Agriculture and is why we are burdened today with the term Sustainable Agriculture). This management input is knowledge/experience based and I do not see the talent being developed today to shoulder the management load of even a small increase in the organic or sustainable systems which are generally romantically discussed on this list server. I might add that the strongest proponents of a wholesale conversion are those who are nowhere near the field of practice (i.e. a farm).

I hope that Ann Clark will stay with this string for a while because I know from some of her past posts that she is thinking about this challenge.

Best,

Ted

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