Organic farming is not more environmentally friendly than conventional agriculture, a new Swedish research report ascertains.
In six out of nine food producs, organic farming is neither more or less environmentally friendly than conventional arming, said the report from the National Food Administration, the Swedish equivalent of the FSA, according to newspaper Nationen.
This applies to fruit, milk, beef, pork, eggs and agricultural crops.
For the production of chicken meat and vegetables conventional farming was more environmentally friendly. Only fish and shellfish were more environmentally friendly with the organic method.
– The results of the report do not surprise me, but they will probably come as a surprise to many other people, senior researcher in Nibio, Arne Grønlund, says.
He believes the ecology concept is misused.
– In agriculture, it is used for the process and method for producing food according specific guidelines. This sounds beautiful and natural for people without the relevant education. It’s easy to get the impression that this is better for the environment, but that is not the case, he said.
Parliamentary representative Karin Andersen (SV) believes organic farming is needed.
– The topsoil will produce food for all time to come. Toxins can be stored in organisms, and eventually in the food, she says.
Eco farmer Jostein Trøite, Chairman of Oikos – Organic Norway, said that after he switched from conventional to ecological farming, there also was a reduction in the use of toxins.
– The current production is at least as good as it was before I made the switch to ecological farming, he said.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today