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ORGANIC food isn鈥檛 just tastier and better for the environment, it also makes
better business sense. That鈥檚 the conclusion of scientists who have compared the
economic efficiency and environmental impact of conventional, organic and
鈥渋ntegrated鈥� apple orchards.

John Reganold, a soil scientist at Washington State University in Pullman,
and his colleagues ran a detailed comparison of factors such as soil quality,
apple yield and environmental impact at the three types of orchard between 1994
and 1999. The organic orchard relied on manure as fertiliser and used natural
methods to deal with parasites. The integrated farming system is not totally
organic, but uses some organic methods to reduce the reliance on chemicals.

The team found the soil fared best in the organic plot. It held water better,
and resisted degradation at the surface. Previous studies have shown that the
build-up of sulphur, commonly used as a natural fungicide, could be a long-term
problem, but the team found no evidence of this. 鈥淭he incidence of pests was
very low on all the plots,鈥� says Reganold.

To their surprise, the researchers also found the organic orchard was more
energy efficient than the conventional and integrated systems, requiring less
labour and less water per apple produced. It even made more money, mainly
because organic apples command higher prices.

It鈥檚 not clear whether the study holds a lesson for farming in general. Some
past attempts to compare conventional and organic farming methods have suggested
that organic farming may be less economic and energy efficient than conventional
methods. Some studies even suggested that it might be worse for the environment.
But until now, 鈥渢here鈥檝e been almost no studies looking at the overall
sustainability of both methods鈥�, says Reganold.

Critics point out that if everyone farmed organically, organic food might not
command a premium. 鈥淲hy should consumers pay so much more for what is
essentially a comparable product?鈥� asks Dennis Avery of the Center for Global
Food Issues in Churchville, Virginia, which campaigns on the environmental
impact of agriculture.

Reganold counters that consumers are getting more for their money. 鈥淭he
organic apples were firmer and taste better, sweeter and less tart to a
non-expert panel,鈥� he says.

But Avery doubts organic farming will ever provide a large-scale solution.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to have 10 billion people to feed worldwide,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 just
don鈥檛 see the relevance of this.鈥�