Organic Agriculture in the 21st Century

Summary

With only 1% of global agricultural land in organic production (Willer & Lernoud 2015), and with its multiple sustainability benefits, organic agriculture can contribute a larger share in feeding the world. Although organic agriculture has an untapped potential role in global food and ecosystem security, no one farming system alone will safely feed the planet. Rather, a blend of organic and other innovative farming systems, including agroforestry, integrated farming, conservation agriculture, mixed crop/livestock, and still undiscovered systems, will be needed for future global food and ecosystem security. Significant barriers exist to adopting these systems, however, and a diversity of policy instruments will be required to facilitate their development and implementation. Moreover, realizing food and ecosystem security requires more than just achieving sustainable farming systems worldwide. We need to reduce food waste, improve food distribution and access, stabilize the human population, eliminate the conversion of food into fuel, and change consumption patterns towards a more plant-based diet.