Organic Cannot Replace Chemical Farming -- FAO

ROME - Dec 10/07 - SNS -- Organic farming is no replacement for modern chemical farming methods when it comes to fighting world hunger, though it has a role to play in agricultural markets, says FAO Director-General Dr. Jacques Diouf.

"We should use organic agriculture and promote it," Dr. Diouf said. "It produces wholesome, nutritious food and represents a growing source of income for developed and developing countries. But you cannot feed six billion people today and nine billion in 2050 without judicious use of chemical fertilizers."

Organic farming generally bars the use of any chemical inputs. Nearly 31 million hectares, or roughly 2% of the world's farmland, was farmed organically in 2005, generating sales of some U.S. $24 billion in the EU, US, Canada and Asia in 2006.

In May of this year, FAO hosted an international conference on organic agriculture. One of the papers presented for discussion – not an FAO document - argued that organic agriculture could produce enough food for the current world population.

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