Feeding world population will take best of organic and conventional farming | Eoin Lettice

The needs of a rapidly growing world population demand we abandon the hard-line ideology of organic versus conventionalA report published on Thursday by the Royal Society highlights the effect that a rapidly growing human population will have on the world's economy and environment. People and the Planet recognises that technology will play "an increasing role" if we are to feed a global population estimated to reach 9.3 billion by 2050 without turning significantly more natural ecosystems over to farmland.Is there a future for organic agriculture in a world where yields are so important? I'd argue yes, but only as part of a new approach that incorporates the best features of all agricultural systems.The Royal Society report is published in the same week that new research confirms the yield gap between organic and conventional agriculture, but which also shows that, given the right crop and growing conditions, organic can almost...

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