OMSCo Responds to Defra Report on Environmental Impact of Organic Farming

Archived

Thursday, 22 February 2007

Several papers have recently reported on a Defra-funded study that stated that organic farming was not any better environmentally than non-organic. OMSCo has responded in the following letter to the newspapers concerned:


Dear Editor

I am writing in response to your article ‘Organic farming no better for the environment' (Independent 19 February 2007) as I believe it failed to take into account the many proven environmental benefits of organic dairy farming.

There are major flaws in the Defra funded research cited in your article. It was based on a theoretical model of an organic farm which does not reflect true organic farming. Normally crop and livestock production is integrated in organic farming, but the model assumed crop production without livestock and had a third of the land left uncultivated. This over-estimation of total land area required for organic dairy production leads directly to an over-estimation of emissions in the organic system. In addition the report did not include soil carbon data. Organic farming builds up soil carbon, removing it from the atmosphere and reducing the risk of flooding and the effects of drought – this is a main benefit of organic farming as regards climate change and is a key production difference between organic and non-organic systems.

UK organic farming is typically 30% more energy efficient than non-organic farming and it takes 38% less energy to produce organic milk than non-organic milk. Organic dairy farmers do not use synthetic chemical fertilisers, which are produced from fossil fuels and emit nitrous oxide - this is the main reason why organic dairy farming is more energy efficient. Rather than using these fertilisers, they rely on traditional means of fixing nitrogen in the soil such as planting red clover. This method of farming has been proven to help maintain and build up soil carbon levels.

Organic dairy farming also supports more on farm wildlife, but the issue of biodiversity was not covered the Defra study. Organic farming practices, such as only cutting hedges every two years and leaving a one metre strip around field boundaries as a wildlife refuge, encourage greater biodiversity. English Nature has found that there are more birds, butterflies, beetles and wildflowers on organic farms.

There are many environmental benefits associated with organic diary farming that were overlooked by this study. This government has recognised in the past that organic food can be better for the environment. In fact, organic farmers get an extra payment due to this. Even the Environment minister himself, David Milliband, was forced to admit recently that he buys organic food for its taste and environmental benefits!

Anyone who is looking for a climate and animal welfare friendly diet which provides an array of environmental benefits, should choose organic milk and dairy.

Yours sincerely

Nicholas Saphir
Chairman
Organic Milk Suppliers Cooperative