Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Chorin), organic farming is specifically promoted in protected high nature value areas (Knickel
2001, Stolton and Geier 2002, Kullmann 2003).
Not only in developed countries but also in the developing world the nature conservation
agenda is one of the driving forces behind the growth of organic farming. A recent literature
survey highlights examples where nature conservation organisations are working closely with
local farmers who live in, or close to, areas of significant nature conservation interest (Parrot
and Marsden 2002). The Estancia Itabo in Paraguay is an example. It is a protected area of
5000 ha of high quality Interior Atlantic Forest where organic cultivation of yerba maté (
Ilex
paraguariensis
) and the heart of the palm
Euterpe
edulis
is in line with conservation goals
(Pryor 2000). Another example is the buffer zone of the Ampay Forest Sanctuary in Peru,
where organic farming practices are promoted (Flores-Escuerdo 2000). In the Meso-American
Biological Corridor, a projected complex of protected areas and sustainable management
stretching over seven countries, a range of sustainable land uses within buffer zones and
linking areas have been explored, including certified forest management and organic agricul-
ture (Stolton and Dudley 2000a; Miller
et
al
. 2001).
Future research needed
The main gaps in the literature (and presumably research) on the environmental effects of
organic farming can be summarised as follows.
• Scientific evidence of the environmental impacts of organic farming for the Southern
hemisphere is rare. More research on the environmental services and benefits or impacts
of organic farming is urgently needed.
• The knowledge of the impacts of organic farming in pastoral and upland agriculture is
limited. Therefore, a need for longitudinal, system-level studies that address these issues
remains. Furthermore, well-replicated studies are required that follow the development
of flora and fauna on organic farms during and after conversion, and compare them with
neighbouring farms that continue with conventional management.
• The complexity of interactions between species and ecosystem functions are not yet fully
explored so that simple biological indicators of soil productivity are yet to be identified.
In particular, more research is needed on the interactions between the diversity and
density of habitats in the agricultural landscape, and the performance of production
systems. Both the positive and negative interactions between cultivated and uncultivated
areas in organic farming systems need to be covered. Reliable indicators of a supposed
functional integrity need to be developed.
• Comparatively few data are available on the effects of organic farming on wild animal
groups (e.g. birds, mammals, amphibians, arthropods). There is particular urgency with
regard to the questions of pollinators. Organic farming (like conventional farming) is not
able to support highly specialised species which depend on complex mosaics of habitats.
Strategies to optimise nature conservation within organic systems are therefore required
(Reiter and Krug 2003). Particular attention should be given to developing organic
farming practices that support the healthy functioning of the relevant ecosystem processes
and functions.
• The basic principles of organic farming provide opportunities for the further development
of high-quality landscapes and a cautious utilisation of sensitive areas (Noquet
et
al
.
1996). How precisely organic farms (can) contribute to landscape quality should become
a main area of further research. There is, for example, little information available to
compare habitat diversity in organic and conventional farming systems. Particular
attention should be given to developing reliable indicators of both the positive and
