How regenerative agriculture and organic farming helps the earth

Last month, PBS published an article that exploredhow more organic farming could worsen global warming。

The article discussesa recent study, which predicts that a shift to 100% organic food production in the U.K. could result in higher greenhouse gas emissions. The finding is driven by the assumption that a significant yield gap between organic and conventional agriculture exists, and lower crop yields in the UK would require increased production elsewhere, offsetting any decrease in greenhouse gas emissions conferred by organic farming practices.

Toward the end of the article, the writercites a studyfrom theRodaleInstitute that suggests implementing a suite of regenerative agriculture practices, like cover cropping and diverse crop rotations, has the potential to effectively cut down greenhouse gas emissions.

While it is encouraging to see regenerative agriculture featured in the article, it is important to remember that many organic farmers are already employing regenerative practices. And while definitions of regenerative do vary, it is important to recognize and celebrate where all farmers have made inroads — and where there is opportunity to do more.

At General Mills, we take a holistic, inclusive and outcomes-based approach to regenerative agriculture. We define it as farming that protects and intentionally enhances natural resources and farming communities. Key tenets of organic agriculture include moving away from synthetic pesticides and herbicides, maintaining and building soil health, and improving biodiversity — aligning with the spirit of regenerative agriculture.

Regenerative agriculture can be practiced by organic and non-organic farmers alike, rendering the approach accessible to all types of farmers regardless of their starting point. General Mills frames its understanding of regenerative agriculture around five key principles championed by scientists and pioneering farmers likeGabe Brown: minimize soil disturbance, maximize diversity, keep the soil covered, keep a living root in the ground year-round and integrate livestock.

General Mills, as the PBS article acknowledges, works with farmers who employ regenerative agriculture practices to grow ingredients used across our product portfolio, from organic offerings like Annie's andCascadianFarm to iconic brands like Cheerios and Nature Valley.

Unfortunately, this article falls short on presenting a holistic lens into the food system and the nuanced role that organic can play in landscapes and communities. There are several omissions and misleading assertions we'd like to address:

The article fails to mention the study's finding that transitioning to organic would result in 20% lower emissions per ton of crop, compared with a conventional baseline.

• This is a significant omission and a point for which organic systems are often overlooked. The majority of conventional operations rely on fossil-fuel intensive synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, which are largely prohibited by the organic standard. This means that organic practices can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared with a conventional baseline, because they rely on biological nutrient cycling and pest management in place of fossil-fuel based inputs.

Production is an important metric of success for the food system, but it is not the only metric worth considering.

• 虽然产量是衡量的重要结果，但对产量的一个单数焦点模糊了清洁水，丰富的野生动物和健康土壤等成功的其他重要指标。有机农业可以产生无数的生态效益，这是值得的，包括衡量我们食品系统的长期健康的整体成本效益分析的一部分。此外，承认产量受到种子繁殖和农业实践的影响，产量差距为如何为农场带来研究和创新，阐述了一种新的农业方式，这些耕作将产生的产量，盈利能力和生态学。

A narrow focus on the organic-conventional yield gap sidesteps the fact that we waste one-third of the food we produce globally.

• By eliminating food waste globally, we couldrecover a thirdof our food supply. Focusing solely on a need for increased production ignores the fact that reducing food waste, eliminating poverty and equalizing access to food could all contribute to our ability to feed the growing population.

文章中引用的预测基于模型，而不是实际结果。

• Finally, it is worth raising a point about the models that run these analyses in the first place. Based on our work at General Mills, we know that there are limitations to current lifecycle assessment models — tools that track the impact of an ingredient or a product from cradle to grave. Results can vary tremendously based on the practices farmers use in their local landscape. The practices organic farmers implement vary significantly from operation to operation, and this variability is challenging to adequately capture in a model. That's why General Mills seeks to understand farmers' practices within the context of their location.

At General Mills, we celebrate the important role that organic farmers play in helping us better understand the negative consequences of farming practices that disrupt ecosystems. As regenerative agriculture builds momentum, we can thank organic pioneers like Gene Kahn for elevating the importance of farming practices that have the potential to not only sustain, but to restore our land. At the same time, it's important for farmers to autonomously choose the practices that best align with their land stewardship philosophies and the region-specific needs of their land. All farmers — organic, conventional, small, large, crop and livestock — are part of the path toward a healthy food system.

本文是一项重要提醒，以便继续改善我们的测量系统并支持基于结果的方法，以便包括所有农业，有机物，可以远离气候问题的大部分，而是气候解决方案的重要组成部分。