Yield from organically grown crops globally 20% lower than in conventional farming
Date: 7.3.2012
Globally speaking, the yield from crops from organic farming is on average twenty percent lower than from crops grown according to conventional farming methods. This is the finding of a so-called meta-study carried out by researchers at Wageningen University, part of Wageningen UR.
The study involved comparing 362 pieces of scientific research published over the past 25 years to ascertain the yield gap between organic and conventional crops. The researchers stress that the study in no way forms a basis for arguments for or against organic or conventional farming, as differences in the burden on the environment, for example, were not taken into account.
More information: Tomek de Ponti, et al., The crop yield gap between organic and conventional agriculture, Agricultural Systems 108 (2012) 1-9
