Food of the Future

The overflow of people at the ECO-FARM conference was bustling with energy. Dr. John Reganold, one of the new heroes of the organic movement, had just presented findings from a study that compared organic, integrated, and conventional apple production in Washington State. The goal of the work was to compare the various systems and determine levels of sustainability, incorporating factors like yield, profitability, and environmental impacts. The compelling results led to a cover story in Nature, one of the world's leading scientific journals.

After a five-year period, the study determined that the yield of organic apples was comparable to the other systems, a significant finding when you consider the fact that naysayers regularly charge that "organic can't feed the world." In addition, the organic system produced sweeter apples, better profit margins, and impressive environmental benefits. Reganold, still beaming from the pride of landing a cover story, was animated in his discussion of the implications, saying "When you put all those parameters together -- soil quality, horticultural performance, economics, environmental impact, energy efficiency -- then the organic system gets first place."

There has been plenty of good news for organic advocates in recent years. Numerous studies have indicated the environmental benefits of growing food organically. It can improve biodiversity, protect wildlife habitats, and prevent the emission of vast amounts of toxic chemicals into our water, air, and soils. Some research has even indicated that the soil building process in organic farming stores significantly higher levels of carbon dioxide, thus providing a way to help reduce global warming.

Reganold's work went beyond the environmental benefits and began to explore other important elements that have been an intrinsic part of the organic movement for the past sixty years. For many farmers and consumers, organic represents the values that are most important to them. It is food with a mission -- representing care for the earth, compassion for animals, commitment to social justice, and support for local farms and communities.

In coming years, organic agriculture will embrace these values in a more defined way. This will occur through the combination of two other movements that are now picking up speed, the fair trade movement and regional food systems. Fair trade is a program that applies social justice criteria to a certification program for farmers and companies. Regional food systems encourage the production of food on a local level in order to minimize transportation and environmental costs, support local economies, produce safe and healthy food, and maintain family farms.

A system that incorporates certified organic food with fair trade labeling would go a long way to meeting the needs of consumers who want assurance that their food is produced with integrity. When combined with programs that encourage regional food production, a truly sustainable food system is in sight.

Agriculture as a Public Good

Ten years ago, most ag circles considered organic farming a joke. Its status was best summed up by an oft repeated quote attributed to Nixon era Agricultural Secretary Earl Butz: "When you hear the word organic, think starvation." Butz was part of the old school of agriculture. He and his cronies believed in "better living through chemistry," and thus corporate America set its sights on turning agriculture into agribusiness. Over time, a few large companies came to control most segments of our food production.

In recent decades agribusiness became the dominant force in food production, at a tremendous cost to farmers and our society as a whole. Millions of small farmers were -- and continue to be -- driven off their land. Many local processors and other farm support businesses have been shuttered.