Food Systems Explorer

Conventional farming uses synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to maximize yield per hectare. Organic farming relies on natural inputs, crop rotation, and biological pest control, typically producing 20-25% lower yields but with significantly less environmental impact.

The yield gap varies by crop. For some vegetables the difference is small (5-10%), while for cereals it can reach 30%. Organic farms generally have 30% more species diversity and much lower pesticide residues in nearby waterways.

When excess nitrogen and phosphorus run off farmland into lakes and rivers, they trigger eutrophication. This is a chain reaction where nutrient enrichment fuels algal blooms, which then die, decompose, and consume dissolved oxygen, potentially creating dead zones where aquatic life cannot survive.

The Gulf of Mexico dead zone, caused largely by fertilizer runoff from the Mississippi River basin, covers up to 22,000 square kilometers during summer months. Globally, more than 400 coastal dead zones have been identified.

Agriculture accounts for 10-12% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The largest sources are synthetic fertilizer production (which requires natural gas), methane from rice paddies and livestock, and nitrous oxide from soil management.

Producing 1 kg of nitrogen fertilizer emits about 5.5 kg of CO₂. Organic and permaculture systems can actually sequester carbon in soil through cover cropping and composting, partially offsetting their emissions.

IPM combines biological controls, habitat manipulation, resistant crop varieties, and targeted pesticide use to manage pests with minimal environmental impact. Pesticides are used only when monitoring indicates they are needed, not on a fixed schedule.

IPM can reduce pesticide use by 50-80% compared to conventional methods while maintaining 85-95% of conventional yields. Beneficial insects like ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitic wasps are encouraged as natural pest predators.