'Organic Revolutionary' book review

Organic Revolutionary: A Memoir of the Movement for Real Food, Planetary Healing, and Human Liberation
A book review submitted to The Digest by Graham Bell; thanks Graham! All readers are most welcome to submit Digest content to research@permaculture.org.uk

I recommend this book to anyone interested in setting standards.  Grace delineates her progress from hippy farmer to state legislator in great detail.  In the process she describes the challenge of setting standards for organic production in the US.  Because the book took fifteen years to write there are great changes in mood.  For those similarly challenged with 'What is a good standard' (a debate raging in various permaculture circles right now) it clearly states the different positions people will take: purist and enabler would be the extremes.  It points out very perceptively the advantages and disadvantages of these polar opposites.

Personally I would like to have heard more about Grace the person.  Whilst in some respects she is very open about her life, loves and relationships, I feel a little more of these aspects of her story would have helped me appreciate her journey.

 Meanwhile a very worthwhile read.  I particularly like the section: Soil is anything but pure.  Quote: 'the reductionist model of nutrition gives no indication of the vital, living quality of a food product.', 'Those that respect the law and love sausage should watch neither being made' Mark Twain (AKA Sam Clements) and lastly: 'Yet in fact the push for higher standards actually made it easier for the large, professional business organisations than for smaller owner-operators.  They were simply better equipped to deal with the increasingly finicky and paperwork heavy demands of organic certification.' A salutary lesson for us all.

Organic food is better for you (journal)

Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses

  

This study analyzes 343 peer-reviewed publications that indicate statistically significant differences in composition between organic and non-organic crops/ foods. The concentrations of a range of antioxidants were found to be substantially higher in organic crops. Many of these compounds have been linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases and certain cancers. Additionally, the occurrence of pesticide residues was found to be four times higher in conventional crops, which also contained significantly higher concentrations of the toxic metal cadmium. Significant differences were also detected for some other minerals and vitamins.

Agronomy with global impact (#journal)

 Global agronomy, a new field of research. A review

Agriculture management is influencing the quality of water, air, soil, and biodiversity at the global scale. Therefore, a research plan for global agronomy is proposed. Agronomists should update their research objects, methods, and tools to address global issues. Yield trends and variations among various regions should be analyzed to understand the sources of these variations. Crop model simulations should be upscaled to estimate potential yields and to assess the effect of climate change and resource scarcity at the global scale. Advanced methods should analyze output uncertainty of complex models used at a global scale. The meta-analysis of published data is a promising approach for addressing global issues, though meta-analysis must be applied carefully with appropriate techniques. Finally, global datasets on the performance and environmental impact of cropping systems should be developed.

The latest news on climate change (website)

Responding to Climate Change

A great site that carries all the latest news on climate change politics, policy and science from around the world. Dozens of articles, with a good mixture of factual reporting and opinion stating, plus headlines and research reports.

The need for agro-ecology - a lit review (#journal)

Is There a Need for a More Sustainable Agriculture?

In this paper the environmental impact of current agriculture is reviewed. Soil loss, increasing water demand, environmental pollution caused by agrochemicals, biodiversity loss and greenhouse gases are among the most pressing issues concerning agriculture sustainability. A number of alternative agricultural practices are also presented that can make agriculture less environmentally damaging. Research should be implemented in order to better assess the potential and constraints of the different options. Addressing key socioeconomic issues, such as inequality in access to resources, population growth, and access to education are also a priority.

 

Organic yields average 80% of conventional (#journal)

The crop yield gap between organic and conventional agriculture

A key issue in the debate on the contribution of organic agriculture to the future of world agriculture is whether it can produce sufficient food to feed the world. This article analyzes 362 published organic–conventional comparative crop yields. Organic yields of individual crops averaged 80% of conventional yields, but variation was substantial (standard deviation 21%), with significant difference between crop groups and regions. The authors  suggest reasons for the gap and its high level of variation.

 

An international movement for urban agriculture? (#journal)

Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture: Part 4

This article introduces, synthesises, and discusses four articles from four issues of the Journal 'City'. The author argues that while urban and peri-urban agriculture is emerging in almost every city in the world, seeing it as a coherent 'movement' is problematic as it varies so widely in its form, its motivation and its aims between countries and continents. It is also often unable to stop the increasing control of urban land by wealthy urban elites. Nevertheless, urban agriculture has a major role to play in achieving food security for the world's poor, and needs to be recognised as an international trend of rapidly growing importance. The author argues that the Transition Movement has played a key role in supporting some of these initiatives.