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UN says ecological farming can boost production

By on March 26, 2011

Small-scale farmers can double food production in a decade by using simple ecological methods, according to the findings of a new United Nations study, which calls for a fundamental shift towards agroecology as a poverty alleviation measure.

“To feed nine billion people in 2050, we urgently need to adopt the most efficient farming techniques available,” says, the UN Special Rapporteur, Olivier De Schutter, on the right to food and author of the report, entitled “Agro-ecology and the right to food.”

“Today’s scientific evidence demonstrates that agroecological methods outperform the use of chemical fertilizers in boosting food production where the hungry live – especially in unfavourable environments,” he added.

Agroecology applies ecological science to the design of agricultural systems that can help put an end to food crises and address climate-change and poverty. It enhances soils productivity and protects the crops against pests by relying on the natural environment such as beneficial trees, plants, animals and insects, according to the study.

Source : The Nation