Reframing the Debate Surrounding the Yield Gap between Organic and Conventional Farming
In this article, we review the literature regarding the yield gap between organic and conventional agriculture and then reflect on the corresponding debate on whether or not organic farming can feed the world. We analyze the current framework and highlight the need to reframe the yield gap debate aw...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2019-02-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/9/2/82 |
| _version_ | 1818965302082273280 |
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| author | Klaus-Peter Wilbois Jennifer Elise Schmidt |
| author_facet | Klaus-Peter Wilbois Jennifer Elise Schmidt |
| author_sort | Klaus-Peter Wilbois |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this article, we review the literature regarding the yield gap between organic and conventional agriculture and then reflect on the corresponding debate on whether or not organic farming can feed the world. We analyze the current framework and highlight the need to reframe the yield gap debate away from “Can organic feed the world?„ towards the more pragmatic question, “How can organic agriculture contribute to feeding the world?„. Furthermore, we challenge the benchmarks that are used in present yield comparison studies, as they are based on fundamentally distinct paradigms of the respective farming methods, and then come up with a novel model to better understand the nature of yield gaps and the benchmarks that they are premised on. We thus conclude that, by establishing appropriate benchmarks, re-prioritizing research needs, and focusing on transforming natural resources rather than inputs, organic systems can raise their yields and play an ever-greater role in global sustainable agriculture and food production in the future. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T13:14:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3dd90164311d4e02b441e29726c7e7cb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T13:14:51Z |
| publishDate | 2019-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-3dd90164311d4e02b441e29726c7e7cb2022-12-21T19:39:35ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952019-02-01928210.3390/agronomy9020082agronomy9020082Reframing the Debate Surrounding the Yield Gap between Organic and Conventional FarmingKlaus-Peter Wilbois0Jennifer Elise Schmidt1Department of Sustainable Agriculture and Energy, Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, 85354 Freising, GermanyDepartment of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USAIn this article, we review the literature regarding the yield gap between organic and conventional agriculture and then reflect on the corresponding debate on whether or not organic farming can feed the world. We analyze the current framework and highlight the need to reframe the yield gap debate away from “Can organic feed the world?„ towards the more pragmatic question, “How can organic agriculture contribute to feeding the world?„. Furthermore, we challenge the benchmarks that are used in present yield comparison studies, as they are based on fundamentally distinct paradigms of the respective farming methods, and then come up with a novel model to better understand the nature of yield gaps and the benchmarks that they are premised on. We thus conclude that, by establishing appropriate benchmarks, re-prioritizing research needs, and focusing on transforming natural resources rather than inputs, organic systems can raise their yields and play an ever-greater role in global sustainable agriculture and food production in the future.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/9/2/82yield gapcropping systemsyield-limiting factoryield ratioorganic agriculturefeeding the world |
| spellingShingle | Klaus-Peter Wilbois Jennifer Elise Schmidt Reframing the Debate Surrounding the Yield Gap between Organic and Conventional Farming Agronomy yield gap cropping systems yield-limiting factor yield ratio organic agriculture feeding the world |
| title | Reframing the Debate Surrounding the Yield Gap between Organic and Conventional Farming |
| title_full | Reframing the Debate Surrounding the Yield Gap between Organic and Conventional Farming |
| title_fullStr | Reframing the Debate Surrounding the Yield Gap between Organic and Conventional Farming |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reframing the Debate Surrounding the Yield Gap between Organic and Conventional Farming |
| title_short | Reframing the Debate Surrounding the Yield Gap between Organic and Conventional Farming |
| title_sort | reframing the debate surrounding the yield gap between organic and conventional farming |
| topic | yield gap cropping systems yield-limiting factor yield ratio organic agriculture feeding the world |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/9/2/82 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT klauspeterwilbois reframingthedebatesurroundingtheyieldgapbetweenorganicandconventionalfarming AT jennifereliseschmidt reframingthedebatesurroundingtheyieldgapbetweenorganicandconventionalfarming |