The James Hutton Institute
This page is no longer updated. The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute joined forces with SCRI on 1 April 2011 to create The James Hutton Institute.
THE STATE OF SCOTLAND'S FARMED ENVIRONMENT 2005
23. ORGANIC AID SCHEME
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
According to the Soil Association, there is a large body of evidence that in lowland areas, organic farming supports much greater levels of both wildlife abundance and diversity than conventional farming systems. This includes those plants and animal groups that are known to have significantly declined on farmland in recent years. Organic farming also reintroduces the benefit of mixed farming to predominantly arable or grassland areas, addressing a fundamental problem in the current agricultural situation that cannot easily be addressed. This and the extensive nature of organic farming indicate important benefits for the uplands, too (Soil Association, 2000). A recent study by the CEH also shows that 85% more plant species populate organic units, alongside more birds and beneficial insects, in England; there is a lack of comparable studies specifically for Scotland (CEH, 2005).
A DEFRA study from 2000 showed that organic farming produces further environmental benefits in that less energy is used per unit output in organic production of individual arable crops. In stockless systems, however, this advantage is reduced due to fertility building crops and winter cover crops with no direct outputs. For livestock production, equivalent organic systems show a better energy ratio in all cases. Energy input levels for extensive conventional and organic grazing enterprises are more similar than arable or intensive livestock systems (DEFRA, 2000).
Although there is evidence that organic farming generally is beneficial to biodiversity as well as being more efficient in the use of energy, specific data for Scotland are lacking.
ORGANIC AID SCHEME - The Future >>