Research on organic agriculture shows the system has potential to adapt to climate change by enhancing resilience and lowering dependence on fossil fuel derived inputs.

Organic agriculture is gaining momentum as a sustainable and resilient approach to food production. While the industry continues to evolve, it is crucial to stay informed about the latest research findings and explore areas that require further investigation.

Throughout my career, from the Rodale Institute, through earning my PhD, to today, the area of organic research I find most promising is around organic nutrient management, soil health, and climate change resilience. Synthetic nitrogen fertilizer is perhaps the most fundamental cornerstone of the current dominant agricultural management and production system, an incredibly energy intensive input manufactured with natural gas.

In this era of climate change, scientists’ consensus reflected in every Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report is that we need to end the use of fossil fuels to have our best shot of keeping global warming to lower levels. Organic research into nutrient management via legumes, cover crops, biointensive crop rotations, compost, and integration of livestock into cropping systems provides a critical blueprint for all of agriculture to escape from fossil fuels.

In a recent panel discussion at the Inside Organic Summit, I joined industry experts to shed light on the current state of organic research and its implications for the organic and natural industry, as well as the broader agricultural sector. Let’s delve into the key insights I shared and explore the potential of organic agriculture in addressing pressing climate change, soil health, and sustainability challenges.

This blog post is based on the talk at the Inside Organic Summit hosted by the New Hope Network on June 21, 2023.

Two crises within climate change and agriculture

Organic farming has often been left out of sustainability and climate change conversations. But when it comes to agriculture and climate change, we’re really facing two fundamental and related crises: how to eliminate fossil fuels and how to maintain production in the face of an increasingly disrupted climate.

Agriculture, like the rest of society, needs to eliminate fossil fuel use as soon as possible, first by focusing first on cutting methane emissions, many of which come from leaky fossil fuel infrastructure for natural gas. Comprehensive research on greenhouse gas emissions and fluxes from Canada’s agricultural sector published last year found nitrogen fertilizer-related emissions are the fastest growing wedge of emissions, approximately doubling since 1990. This is the opposite of the trend the IPCC tells us we need to focus on, which is reducing methane rapidly this decade and reducing fossil fuels >94% by 2050. Organic agriculture and research on organic nutrient management can help catalyze this shift away from natural gas and synthetic nitrogen fertilizer.

Source: ECCC, National Inventory Report, 1990-2020

We are dealing with the effects of climate change in the form of extreme weather events every day, including longer, more intense heat waves, droughts, and extreme rainfall. All of these types of events have long challenged agricultural productivity, particularly in low diversity cropping systems on soils depleted of organic matter. Organic methods that focus on rebuilding and maintaining organic matter with cover crops, organic amendments like manures and composts, and more diverse crop rotations also provide these critical adaptation benefits.

The promise of organic nutrient management and climate change resilience

One of the core pillars of organic agriculture lies in its approach to nutrient management and climate change resilience. Unlike conventional farming practices that are heavily reliant on synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, organic methods emphasize the utilization of legumes, cover crops, biointensive crop rotations, compost, and integrated livestock systems. These practices provide a blueprint for agriculture to reduce its dependency on fossil fuel-derived inputs and mitigate climate change.

The biggest benefit of the organic system I see is that it leverages biology and nutrient cycling to support and manage productivity, instead of the fossil fuels and their derivative fertilizers and pesticides used in the prevailing model of agriculture. That said, even though I see more circularity in the organic production system, there is still much more work to be done to get the fossil fuels out of commercial agriculture and the food industry more broadly, across both organic and so called conventional systems.

Through long-term cropping system trials such as the Rodale Institute's Farming Systems Trial, the DOK-Trial in Switzerland, and the USDA-ARS's Beltsville Farming Systems Project, research has consistently demonstrated that organic management improves soil health, enhances water holding capacity, and enables crops to withstand extreme weather events like droughts and heavy rainfall. These findings emphasize the relevance of organic agriculture in building resilient food systems in the face of a changing climate.

Backed by science: The claims and benefits of organic

While organic agriculture is often associated with claims of superior nutrition and health benefits, the research has not definitively concluded that organic produce is more nutritious than conventionally grown counterparts. However, scientific studies have consistently demonstrated that organic practices enhance soil health and increase production resilience. Research spanning several decades, including the Rodale Institute's early work, showcases the positive impact of organic farming on soil chemistry, structure, and biology.

By rebuilding and maintaining organic matter through cover crops, organic amendments like manures and composts, and diverse crop rotations, organic methods offer crucial adaptation benefits, especially in the face of extreme weather events. The evidence from these studies underscores the need to consider organic agriculture as an integral part of sustainability conversations and climate change mitigation strategies.

Aligning organic agriculture with sustainability goals

When it comes to sustainability goals, my north star is the IPCC’s RCPs and SSPs, their pathways for greenhouse gas emissions reductions and shared socioeconomic prosperity. It is important to recognize that the organic standards primarily focus on environmental aspects and pay limited attention to social components. While organic farming practices contribute to greenhouse gas emissions reduction pathways outlined by the IPCC, there is room for improvement in addressing on-farm emissions and equipment electrification.

But, the organic standards pay less or really almost no attention to the “S” part of ESG or principles of the IPCCs shared socioeconomic pathways. Some new offshoot standards, like the Regenerative Organic Alliance ROC Standard does include some social components around living wage, but I still see a lot of opportunity for organic to do more in the social impact space.

Additionally, the industry should strive to incorporate principles of shared socioeconomic prosperity into organic standards and practices. By embracing a holistic approach that considers environmental, social, and economic factors, organic agriculture can further enhance its sustainability impact and meet the expectations of consumers and stakeholders alike.

The role of research in shaping the future of organic farming

Despite the abundance of research on organic farming practices and system sustainability, more attention should be directed towards downstream aspects of the industry. Research should focus on evaluating the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance of the organic industry beyond the farm level, encompassing importers, exporters, processors, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. In the agricultural sector, we have to thoughtfully address the question, “What is the best way to bring those into the organic industry, beyond the farm level and across the food system?” By conducting comprehensive assessments of the entire organic food system, we can identify areas for improvement and develop strategies that ensure sustainability across the value chain.

Grow Well and organic

I’ve been engaged in the organic industry since 2008 when I worked in research and policy at the Rodale Institute. This spring, I joined the Rodale Institute’s board of directors. Today, Grow Well Consulting advises certified organic clients, including Butter Meat Co., Handsome Brook Farms, and Farmer Focus (formerly Shenandoah Valley Organic), as well as clients who include organic lines or ingredients in their portfolios. We are also supporting multiple USDA Climate Smart Commodities projects that will be engaging organic dairy and egg farmers on climate smart practices, and developing the traceability standards and systems to bring those impacts to consumers.

Organic agriculture holds immense potential in addressing the challenges posed by climate change, soil degradation, and sustainability. Research findings highlight the effectiveness of organic nutrient management practices and their role in building climate change resilience. While organic claims regarding nutrition are still under scientific scrutiny, the positive impacts on soil health and production resilience are well-established.

To fully leverage the benefits of organic agriculture, the industry should work towards aligning with broader sustainability goals, considering environmental, social, and economic dimensions. Furthermore, research efforts should extend beyond farm-level practices to evaluate the ESG performance of the organic industry as a whole. By staying informed about the latest research findings and embracing a holistic approach, we can unlock the full potential of organic agriculture and pave the way for a more sustainable future.

Unlocking the Potential of Organic Agriculture: Insights from Current Research