The origin and hazard of inputs to crop protection in organic farming systems: are they sustainable?$

نویسندگان

  • G. Edwards-Jones
  • O. Howells
چکیده

Sustainability is de®ned as the ability of a system to `continue'. In view of this de®nition, several aspects of the crop protection activity in organic farming are reviewed according to their ability to `continue'. As no absolute measure of sustainability is available, this analysis takes the form of a comparison between organic and conventional crop protection methods. Two elements of crop protection are considered: one being the source of the inputs to crop protection and the other being the environmental hazard of the chemicals used in crop protection. In addition, the sustainability of some of the wider issues related to crop protection methods in organic farming are discussed. It is concluded that organic farming systems are not sustainable in the strictest sense. Considerable amounts of energy are input to organic farming systems, the majority of the compounds utilised in crop protection are derived from non-renewable sources and incur processing and transport costs prior to application. Further, these compounds are not without toxicological hazards to ecology or humans. Despite these problems, it is concluded that organic farming is probably more sustainable than conventional farming in a bio-physical sense. However, an assessment of the overall sustainability of farming systems may depend upon the valuation given by society to their inputs and outputs, and in this sense it is extremely dicult to assess which farming system is most sustainable. # 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

منابع مشابه

A brief discussion on energy use and greenhouse gas emmision in organic farming

Organic farming has become increasingly popular in the world. This is mostly attributed toescalating consumer concerns over the impacts of pesticides and chemical fertilizers on humanhealth as well as growing concerns over environmental pollution derived from modernagricultural practices, such as rising greenhouse gas emissions and water contaminations. Butdoes organic farming actually displace...

متن کامل

Challenges and Opportunities in Tomato Production Chain and Sustainable Standards

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is an important member of the Solanaceae family. It is mainly used as food and cash crop globally. Tomato also serves as an ornamental plant in some parts of the world. In urban areas, this crop is included in the foodscaping systems where it is grown in hanging baskets, growing pots and aquaponics for aesthetic and food purposes. Tomato production is m...

متن کامل

Individual and interactive effects of crop type and management on weed and seed bank composition in an organic rotation

We investigated the effects of organic and conventional pest and fertility management on weed cover and the seed bank community in an organic rotation. The study was conducted during the 4th and 5th years of an organic rotation on part of a long term organic-conventional comparison trial. Results showed that although crop type (potato vs. cabbage) in a single year significantly affected wee...

متن کامل

Current developments in organic farming

Organic farming uses almost exclusively biological and natural materials and processes to produce food. The practice aims to protect human health and conserve, maintain or enhance natural resources, with the goal to preserve the quality of the environment for future generations while being economically sustainable. Organic farming has grown rapidly throughout the world in recent years. Currentl...

متن کامل

Evaluation Effect of Biological Fertilizer (Nitroxin case study) on Corn (Zea mays L.) Crop Production

The use of renewable resources and inputs is one of the fundamental principles of sustainable agriculture that enables maximum crop productivity and minimal environmental risk. Nutrient management may be achieved by the involvement of organic sources, bio-fertilizers, and micro-nutrients. Indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers to achieve high yield and to compensate for lack of nutrients an...

متن کامل

ذخیره در منابع من


  با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

عنوان ژورنال:

دوره   شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 2000