Report says organic farming fights food insecurity

A report from World Watch Institute says that organic agriculture has the potential to contribute to sustainable food security by improving nutrition intake and sustaining livelihoods in rural areas. Though organic agriculture is more labor intensive than conventional techniques, it requires up to 50 percent less fossil fuels and can stabilize soil and improve water retention. “Conventional agriculture practices often degrade the environment over both the long and short term through soil erosion, excessive water extraction and biodiversity loss,” says Laura Reynolds, a World Watch researcher. Around 80 percent of certified organic farmers live in the developing world, which the report says it isn’t surprising given the labor intensity of organic agriculture. To read more, click here.