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c “How can we produce enough food without destroying our planet?” Antje Kölling, Policy coordinator IFOAM EU Group Brussels 1 UNITING THE ORGANIC WORLD IUCN conference Biodiversity Conservation, population growth and food production; a key challenge for the next decades; Brussels, 9 December 2010 c Productivity • Soil: Degradation, e.g. erosion • Climate: Adaptation to consequences of climate change • Resource scarcity (Phosphorus, Oil...) Social aspects • Consumption patterns and food waste • Poverty reduction, access to land, distribution 2 UNITING THE ORGANIC WORLD Challenges to future food security c • • • • • • Contribute to climate change mitigation Contribute to halt the loss of biodiversity Enhance animal welfare Provide basis for healthy diets Reduction/abandonment of pesticide use Reduced environmental footprint (e.g. on water, globally e.g. through feed imports) • Sustainable jobs and rural development • Diverse landscapes Multifunctionality 3 © BLE, Stephan UNITING THE ORGANIC WORLD ...and what else society expects from farming c 3 billion small producers nourish 70% of the world’s population... IAASTD emphasises - Role of smallholders, women - Role of education, knowledge transfer - Role of agricultural knowledge, science and technology - Access to land and other social concerns - Links across ecosystems in which agricultural systems are embedded 4 www.agassessment.org UNITING THE ORGANIC WORLD Food security solutions c Farm production now could feed 7.5 billion people yet one billion are starving... IFOAM aims to put local people back at the centre of food production by encouraging policies and grass roots actions based on the intensification of ecological knowledge, ecosystems and biodiversity. More information: http://www.ifoam.org/partners/advocacy/FoodSecurityCampaign.html 5 UNITING THE ORGANIC WORLD People before commodities c • central concept of soil fertility in OF systems is the use of legume-based multi-annual rotations together with the careful use of on-farm manures (Stockdale et al. 2001) • builds soil structure and soil fertility, rehabilitates poor soils and brings degraded soils back into productivity • reduces erosion caused by wind and water maintains productivity in the event of drought, irregular rainfall events, with floods and rising temperatures. 6 UNITING THE ORGANIC WORLD Organic farming and soil c Adaptation: • increases the water retention capacity of soils • increases biodiversity which builds resilience to storms, heat and increased pest and disease pressure • Humus accumulation is one of the most effective adaptation strategies on climate change (Zeiger und Fohrer, 2009) Mitigation • Low external inputs lower GHG emissions (no chemical nitrogen fertilizer use) • Higher carbon sequestration in soils (Niggli et al., 2009) 7 UNITING THE ORGANIC WORLD Organic farming and climate change c Organic farming and resource scarcity Example phosphorus • Peak expected in 2033 • OF systems make use of many practices to reduce the need for mineral phosphate (better nutrient recycling, better soil structure, crops with high uptake efficiency) 8 UNITING THE ORGANIC WORLD Example oil/fossil fuels • Lower energy consumption (fertilizer production etc.) c • increased agricultural productivity by an average of 79%, by adopting “resource-conserving” or ecological agriculture in developing countries (Pretty et al., 2006) • Organic average yield ratio slightly <1.0 for studies in the developed world and >1.0 for studies in the developing world (Badgley et al, 2006) • Model estimates indicate that organic methods could produce enough food on a global per capita basis to sustain the current human population, and potentially an even larger population, without increasing the agricultural land base 9 UNITING THE ORGANIC WORLD Organic farming and productivity c Organic farming: future and innovation www.tporganics.eu 10 UNITING THE ORGANIC WORLD •Research and knowledge transfer •Sustainable, holistic appoach for future food production c Developped countries and emerging economies: • Awareness raising amongst consumers (food waste, obesity, reduced consumption of animal products) • Abandonment of subsidies that lead to unsustainable production and consumption patterns Developping countries • Investments in storage facilities • Improve infrastructures • Impove access to land and credits • Knowledge transfer 11 UNITING THE ORGANIC WORLD Beyond productivity c Organic farming and biodiversity • Organic agriculture on average shows higher biodiversity on its fields than conventional (Bengtsson et al, 2005) • A higher biodiversity in organic farming, both in wild and domestic biodiversity, make organic farming systems more resilient to climate change 12 UNITING THE ORGANIC WORLD • As an ecosystem based sustainable production system OF relies on the utilization of biodiversity and the optimal utilization of ecosystem services. c Further benefits of organic food and farming - A decathlon winner may not be the best in every single discipline. 13 UNITING THE ORGANIC WORLD • Enhanced animal welfare standards • Significantly lower (to zero) residues of pesticides in food, higher contents of secondary metabolics, omega3... • System in progress, pioneer in sustainable practices c • System approach – consistent and cost efficient - one measure to meet several targets (transaction costs lower) - prevent inconsistencies, e.g. CC mitigation measures that would harm other objectives - World wide organic certification system, pioneer function of private organic standards • Single measures – target local particularities - e.g. landscape features with high natural values - e.g. erosion control 14 UNITING THE ORGANIC WORLD Single measures or system approach? c The currently predominant agricultural practices continue to cause environmental harm, which places a considerable economic burden on society, whereas sustainable farming practices are neither supported consequently, nor remunerated for the public goods they deliver. 15 UNITING THE ORGANIC WORLD Market approach and external costs c IFOAM EU demands regarding the role of organic farming in the CAP post 2013: - EU wide support for organic farming - Organic farming as a priority in all measures and axes (e.g. Bonus for organic farms under investment support and diversification schemes) - Organic farming and High nature value farming as leading measure under agro-environmental programmes, combination possible - End discrimination between 1st pillar and 2nd pillar measures 16 UNITING THE ORGANIC WORLD IFOAM EU demand for the future CAP c • Organic farming support payments in the EU, Schwarz, Nieberg and Sanders, 2010 • The effects of organic agriculture on biodiversity and abundance: a meta-analysis Bengtsson et. al, 2005 • Dabbert, S. 2006. Measuring and communicating the environmental benefits of organic food production. Online. Crop Management doi:10.1094/CM-2006-0921-13-RV • Stolze, M., Piorr, Häring and Dabbert: The Environmental Impacts of Organic Farming in Europe, Stuttgart-Hohenheim: 2000 To be completed. IFOAM EU factsheets www.ifoam-eu.org/positions/factsheets/index.php , CAP: www.ifoam-eu.org/workareas/policy/php/CAP.php Research: www.tporganics.eu, International aspects: www.ifoam.org 17 UNITING THE ORGANIC WORLD Literature c Contact: Antje Kölling Policy Coordinator IFOAM EU Group Rue du Commerce 124 BE- 1000 Brussels Phone: + 32 2 2806850 Email: antje.koelling @ ifoam- eu. org 18 UNITING THE ORGANIC WORLD Thank you for your attention!