Organic Agriculture and Food Security: Some Global Implications

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Organic Agriculture and Food SecuritySome
Global Implications

• Sustainability Conference
• Leuven, Belgium 11 October 2007

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Overview

• Global food security situation
• Results of modeling organic agriculture and food
  security studies
• Implications and issues within FAO and National
  Food Security Programmes

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Food Security Situation

• Definitions
• Food security exists when all people, at all
  times, have physical and economic access to
  sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet
  their dietary needs and food preferences for an
  active and healthy life
• A nation is considered food secure when a
  sufficient, stable and safe supply of food is
  available to satisfy basic needs and market
  demand.
• A household is considered food secure when it can
  produce or obtain sufficient food to meet all of
  its members nutrition needs.
• Right to Food

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State of Food Insecurity (SOFI, 2006)
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ORGANIC AGRICULTURE AND FOOD AVAILABILITY
Global organic supply IS possible (2640-4380
Kcal/person/day)
Ecological intensification in developing
countries (56!)
Organic yields comparable (50 HEIA and 180
LEIA)
Energy efficiency enhanced (-33 to 56/ha)
Economic efficiency saves on inputs but depends
on labour costs
Nutrient use no fossil-fuel inputs, less N
losses, P is a challenge
Urban agriculture and shorter-supply chains
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ORGANIC AGRICULTURE AND ACCESS TO FOOD
Natural resources process as agricultural inputs
(labour?)
Collective learning and ownership (ecological
knowledge?)
High market demand (access to certification?)
Less indebtness and more employment and income
Multifunctional farms, agri-ecotourism, making
specialties
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ORGANIC AGRICULTURE AND STABILITY
Preventive and precautionary approach
Soil more stable (soil organic matter and
microbial biomass)
Better drainage and water-retention, better
drought yields
Mandatory rotations, local seeds/breeds,
functional biodiversity
Fossil-fuel use -10 to 70 Europe, - 29 to 37
USA (except ...)
Soil carbon sequestration double than
conventional (no till better)
GHG emissions 48-60 less CO2 N less mobile in
soil CH4 equal
Traditional risk aversion strategy through
diversification
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ORGANIC AGRICULTURE AND FOOD UTILIZATION
Consumers perception of organic food quality (no
inputs)
Nutritional adequacy (more micronutrients)
Better human health (plant secondary metabolites
higher)
Higher animal immunity and less mycotoxins in
crops
No pesticide poisoning (20 000 deaths/y and
Parkinsons)
Better water quality (- P leaching and x 4 less N
leaching)
Longer shelf-life but higher handling costs
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Modeling organic agriculture and global food
security Results

• Two major studies recently published
• Catherine Badgley et al., 2007, Organic
  agriculture and the global food supply, Renewable
  Agriculture and Food Systems 22(2) 86108
• Niels Halberg et al,.2006, The impact of organic
  farming on food security in a regional and global
  perspective, pp. 277-322, in N. Halberg et.
  (ed.) Global Development of Organic Agriculture,
  Challenges and Prospects, CABI

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Findings of the models

• Levels of yields
• High input Conventional gt OA
• Medium input about the same
• Low input OA gt Conventional
• Nitrogen from Biological Nitrogen Fixation would
  be sufficient although with major changes in
  outputs.
• A major conversion to OA globally would still
  allow current populations to be fed without
  significant increases in cropping area nor price
  increases.
• But based on lots of assumptions as all models
  are.

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Implications and issues within FAO and National
Food Security Programmes

• To be remembered...
• FAO is governed by member countries which have
  already endorsed OA as an area for focus along
  side their endorsement for GMOs, IPM, and other
  technologies for sustainable agriculture.
• Food security is most often a national issue. FAO
  assists these national initiatives.
• FAO institutionally attempts to maintain a
  science based and neutral stand.

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3-5 May 07 Workshop Conclusions

• The meeting agreed on the following conclusions,
  as summarized by the Chair
• Organic agriculture can contribute to food
  security but its potential to do so depend
  greatly on political will.
• New challenges such as climate change can be
  mitigated by organic agriculture through such
  measures as enhanced soil carbon sequestration.
  Organic agriculture also offers practical climate
  adaptation options.
• Water security is enhanced by organic
  agriculture, in terms of drinking water quality,
  decreased irrigation needs in organic soils and
  better yields in water-stressed climate
  variability.
• Agrobiodiversity is protected and sustainably
  used by organic agriculture.
• Nutritional adequacy is enhanced by the more
  diverse and micronutrient rich organic foods.
• Rural development is achieved by organic
  agriculture through generating income and
  employment in areas where people have no
  alternative other than using their labour, local
  resources and indigenous knowledge.
• An international network for organic research and
  proper extension is crucial for the further
  development of organic agriculture and more
  public resources should be devoted to
  agro-ecological science.
• Food security is tightly linked to agricultural
  policies that determine export and import choice.
  Organic agriculture reconciles economic
  objectives with environmental and social
  objectives but its further development requires
  securing a level playing field through
  appropriate policy interventions.
• Food security is not only a concern of developing
  countries as fossil fuel crisis, climate change
  and other vulnerabilities in the food chain may
  threaten also food secure areas.

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Concerns at FAO for OA andOA-method development

• Intl and natl research basis
• Economic analysis environmental impacts and long
  term investments
• Extension methodologies
• Consumer education
• Equivalency of organic guarantee systems (to
  access markets in USA, EU and Japan)

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...and some more concerns

• Private sector providers of OA approved inputs
• Certification and certifiers
• Export and import dilemma of OA
• Small farmers and standards.
• But also many concerns about conventional
  approaches to sustainable agriculture...

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What can we all do?

• Work to present evidence and create examples.
• Question conventional agriculture data that does
  not cover environmental and social costs.
• Support development of new agricultural systems.
• Support OA donor actions through bilateral, NGO
  and UN agency assistance.
• OA lifestyles living lightly vs
  materialism where is society going?