Is agroecology the most sustainable approach for all organic farming systems?

Summary

Analysis of very diverse Italian organic production systems through dedicated research projects revealed that all of them have ample margins of improvement in sustainability. The ‘multifunctional organic system’ (small-scale farms, produce sold on local or regional markets, agroecologically-based management) must seek optimisation of production, cost reduction, and a better access/distribution of labour in peak times. The ‘specialised organic system’ (medium-large farms, produce sold on supermarkets or abroad, input substitution-based management) should seek viable, more ecologically-based alternatives to input substitution to mitigate its high environmental impact. Literature suggests that this divergence between organic production systems is occurring in many countries. National and international organic standards should not only be more aligned towards their claimed sustainability objectives but also clearly distinguish from future integrated production standards. Incorporation of more agroecologically-based management options (e.g. functional biodiversity) should help keep organic farming duly identifiable by people, but practical solutions would need to be tailored to the specific production system.