
Today, on the fourth anniversary of the global goals, the report Organic agriculture and the sustainable development goals is launched. The report shows that organic farming contributes to 8 of the 17 global goals, including some of the most central goals such as combating climate change, protecting biodiversity and securing clean drinking water.
- The report confirms that organic farming is part of the solution to many of the major challenges facing our food production. Together with other eco-organizations around the world, we will use the report to spread knowledge about the opportunities that an increased conversion to ecological means, says Charlotte Bladh André at Organic Sweden.
The report shows that:
- Organic farms have on average 50 percent higher species richness of plants and pollinators. One third of all food we eat comes from crops that need to be pollinated.
- Organic farming reduces its negative impact on the climate by refraining from fossil-intensive fertilizers. Globally, the production of fertilizers accounts for as much as 10 percent of agriculture's greenhouse gas emissions.
- Organic soils have great potential for sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they on average contain a larger proportion of carbon, thanks in part to grass cultivation in the crop rotation, use of manure and cultivation of intermediate crops.
- Ecological cycle methods can greatly reduce nutrient leakage and thereby the risk of eutrophication and dead seabeds.
- Organic farmers help protect surface and groundwater because they do not use extraneous chemical pesticides.
The study is supplemented with examples of organic farms from around the world that are at the forefront, including four Swedish organic farms; Biskophagens Odlingar i Skåne, Yttereneby Gård i Södermanland, and Hagby Gård and Hånsta Östergärde in Uppland.
- We have many talented organic farmers in Sweden! As much as 20 percent of the agricultural land in Sweden is in organic production. It contributes a lot to the fine figures for climate and environment that Swedish agriculture as a whole can show, says Sofia Sollén-Norrlin at Ekologiska Lantbrukarna.
About the report:
Behind the report are IFOAM Organics International - the global umbrella organization for organic farming - and the Dutch company Eosta, which has commissioned the University of Twente to analyze over 50 research articles and most reports from the various UN agencies IPBES, IPCC and FAO.
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Download and read the report here: Organic agriculture and the sustainable development goals