CGFI Favors High-Yield Farming Over Organic

CGFI Favors High-Yield Farming Over Organic

CHURCHVILLE, Va.The Hudson Institutes Center for Global Food Issues(CGFI) strongly favors high-yielding farming practices over organic farmingtechniques. CGFI is urging the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) to exerciseits newly announced partnership with the Organic Trade Association (OTA) toadopt such practices. NWF and OTA announced a partnership March 5 to promoteorganic practices and products, and educate consumers about the benefits oforganic production.

Growing more per acre saves more land for nature, said Alex Avery,director of research and education for the Hudson Institute, a conservativethink-tank. Current organic practices and policies are counter to the safeand proven technologies such as biotechnology and no-till farming that areneeded for the conservation of land and resources essential to protecting ourenvironment for future generations.

In a press release issued March 5, OTA (www.ota.com)emphasized organic farming practices are safer and healthier than conventionalfarming methods for humans and animals. Most conventional farming methodsrelease toxic and persistent pesticides, herbicides and other toxins into theenvironment each year. Soil and surface waters become contaminated with thesetoxins and pose a serious threat to wildlife, particularly to species alreadythreatened or endangered. People are also at riskindividuals and theirfamilies may ingest small amounts of these toxins every day from conventionallygrown foods and contaminated drinking water.