?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Organic+Agriculture+and+the+Environment&rft.creator=Alfoeldi%2C+Thomas&rft.creator=Fliessbach%2C+Andreas&rft.creator=Geier%2C+Uwe&rft.creator=Kilcher%2C+Lukas&rft.creator=Niggli%2C+Urs&rft.creator=Pfiffner%2C+Lukas&rft.creator=Stolze%2C+Matthias&rft.creator=Willer%2C+Helga&rft.subject=+Biodiversity+and+ecosystem+services&rft.subject=+Soil+quality&rft.subject=+Air+and+water+emissions&rft.description=Conclusion+of+chapter+2%3A+%22Organic+Farming+and+the+Environment%22%0D%0A7%09Conclusion%0D%0AThe+findings+of+this+study+show+that+organic+farming+provides+a+wide+range+of+environmental+services.+The+main+results+may+be+summarised+as+follows%3A%0D%0A1.%09Organic+matter+content+is+usually+higher+in+organically+managed+soils+indicating+a+higher+fertility+and+stability+of+organic+soils%2C+thus+reducing+the+risk+of+erosion.+%0D%0A2.%09Organically+farmed+soils+have+significantly+higher+biological+activity+and+a+higher+total+mass+of+micro-organisms.+As+a+consequence+of+the+higher+activity+of+micro-organisms%2C+in+organically+managed+soils+nutrients+are+recycled+faster+and+soil+structure+is+improved.%0D%0A3.%09Organic+farming+poses+no+risk+of+ground+and+surface+water+pollution+through+synthetic+pesticides.+Nitrate+leaching+rates+per+hectare+are+significantly+lower+in+organic+farming+compared+to+conventional+farming+systems.%0D%0A4.%09With+respect+to+energy+consumption+organic+farming+is+performing+better+than+conventional+farming+on+a+per+hectare+scale.%0D%0A5.%09The+diversity+of+cultivated+species+and+of+agricultural+genetic+resources+is+higher+in+organic+farming.%0D%0A6.%09Floral+and+faunal+biodiversity+on+organic+land+is+higher+than+on+conventional+land.+Furthermore+a+higher+number+of+endangered+and+rare+species+are+present.%0D%0A7.%09Organic+farming+offers+vast+food+resources+for+beneficial+arthropods+and+birds%2C+thus+contributing+to+natural+pest+control.+%0D%0A8.%09With+respect+to+pollinators+we+concluded+that+organic+farming+contributes+to+their+conservation+and+survival%2C+as+organic+farming+does+not+use+synthetic+chemical+pesticides+or+herbicides+and+enhances+ecosystem+diversity.+%0D%0A9.%09Organic+farming+systems+have+positive+effects+on+ecosystem+diversity+and+can+thus+contribute+to+positive+landscape+development.+Combining+semi-natural+habitats+with+organic+farming+results+in+synergistic+effects+on+agricultural+land+and+thus+contributes+to+species+richness.%0D%0A10.%09Organic+farming+enables+ecosystems+to+better+adjust+to+the+effects+of+climate+change+and+offers+a+major+potential+to+reduce+the+emissions+of+agricultural+greenhouse+gases.%0D%0A11.%09Organic+agricultural+strategies+comprises+recycling+of+organic+matter+and+tightening+internal+nutrient+cycles%2C+thus+contributing+to+carbon+sequestration.%0D%0A12.%09Organic+farming+techniques+bear+potentials+to+improve+soil+fertility%2C+soil+structure+and+moisture+retention+capacity+and+thus+provide+solutions+to+the+problems+associated+with+desertification.+%0D%0AAs+a+final+assessment+we+conclude+that+organic+farming+leads+to+more+favourable+conditions+at+all+environmental+levels.+Organic+farming+counteracts+resource+depletion+(water%2C+energy%2C+nutrients)%2C+contributes+positively+to+the+problems+associated+with+climate+change+and+desertification+and+can+help+to+maintain+and+enhance+biodiversity+at+a+global+scale.+%0D%0AScientific+evidence+of+the+environmental+benefits+of+organic+farming+for+the+Southern+hemisphere+is+rare%2C+but+from+many+practical+experiences+may+be+assumed+that+the+points+listed+above+also+apply+to+the+tropics+and+subtropics.+More+research+on+the+environmental+services+and+benefits+of+organic+farming+in+this+part+of+the+world+is+urgently+needed.+%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0AAbstract+of+Full+Publication+%22Organic+agriculture%2C+environment+and+food+security%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0AOrganic+agriculture+is+defined+as+an+environmentally+and+socially+sensitive+food+supply+system.+This+publication+examines+its+many+facets%2C+looking+at+the+contribution+of+organic+agriculture+to+ecological+health%2C+international+markets+and+local+food+security.+It+builds+on+empirical+experiences+throughout+the+world+and+analyses+the+prospects+for+a+wider+adoption+of+organic+agriculture.+Numerous+scenarios+depicted+in+this+publication+represent+the+millions+of+people+from+all+social+and+economic+backgrounds+who+have+adopted+this+new+agrarian+ethic+on+the+integrity+of+food.+An+introduction+to+the+general+concepts+of+organic+agriculture+includes+an+overview+of+its+agronomic%2C+economic%2C+social+and+institutional+performance.+Further%2C+the+publication+presents+scientific+evidence+of+the+impact+of+organic+agriculture+on+environmental+goods+and+services+and+offers+an+evaluation+of+its+possible+contribution+to+the+implementation+of+international+environmental+agreements.+It+also+reviews+the+current+status%2C+trends+and+prospective+development+of+certified+organic+agriculture+production+and+trade.+The+important+contribution+of+resource-poor+peasants+and+indigenous+farmers+to+non-certified+organic+agriculture+is+highlighted+and+reviewed.+Specific+examples+of+how+organic+agriculture+improves+agricultural+productivity+and+rural+livelihoods+are+presented%2C+along+with+lessons+for+scaling+up+positive+experiences.+The+emerging+sector+of+organic+aquaculture+is+described%2C+and+its+potential+is+discussed.+Finally%2C+case+studies+from+Brazil%2C+India%2C+the+Islamic+Republic+of+Iran%2C+Thailand+and+Uganda+show+how+traditional+knowledge%2C+social+mobilization+and+agro-ecological+approaches+have+been+used+to+restore+degraded+natural+resources+while+producing+food.+The+small+farmers+who+seek+fully+integrated+food+systems+are+given+recognition+throughout+the+publication.+They%2C+along+with+the+consumers+who+are+creating+market-based+incentives+for+ecological+management+of+agricultural+systems%2C+are+at+the+centre+of+the+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Corganic+movement%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D.+The+publication+discusses+the+weakness+of+institutional+support+for+nurturing+existing+knowledge+and+exchange+in+organic+agriculture%2C+support+that+could+further+enhance+organic+agriculture%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99s+positive+impact+on+the+natural+and+human+environments.&rft.publisher=Food+and+Agriculture+Organisation+of+the+United+Nation+(FAO)%2C+Rome&rft.contributor=El-Hage+Scialabba%2C+Nadia&rft.contributor=Caroline%2C+Hattam&rft.date=2002&rft.type=Book+chapter&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=text%2Fhtml&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F573%2F1%2Fy4137e02.htm&rft.format=rtf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F573%2F2%2Falfoeldi-et-al-2002-oa-and-environment.doc&rft.identifier=Alfoeldi%2C+Thomas%3B+Fliessbach%2C+Andreas%3B+Geier%2C+Uwe%3B+Kilcher%2C+Lukas%3B+Niggli%2C+Urs%3B+Pfiffner%2C+Lukas%3B+Stolze%2C+Matthias+and+Willer%2C+Helga+(2002)+Organic+Agriculture+and+the+Environment.+In%3A+El-Hage+Scialabba%2C+Nadia+and+Caroline%2C+Hattam+(Eds.)+Organic+agriculture%2C+environment+and+food+security%2C+Food+and+Agriculture+Organisation+of+the+United+Nation+(FAO)%2C+Rome%2C+chapter+2.&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F573%2F