Learning Event No. 8, Session 4: Niggli. ARDD2012 Rio
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Transcript of Learning Event No. 8, Session 4: Niggli. ARDD2012 Rio
Research Institute of Organic AgricultureForschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau
Process and product related aspects of organic food quality - from biodiversity to human nutrition.
Urs Niggli
Institut de recherche de l’agriculture biologique
www.fibl.org
Organic king-size-Burger Conventional apple No way!
Is organic food healthier?
Mac Cheese Organic apple Yes of course! Double Burger
www.fibl.org
The concept of health is a comprehensive one – and consumers do understand it in a holistic way.
www.fibl.org
Trade-offs between food production and other ecosystem services
Soil erosion
Food security
Water waste andpollution
Climate change
Losses of biodiversity
www.fibl.org
Organic = Strentghening synergies between food production and other ecosystem services.
www.fibl.org
High methane emission Low methane emission dairy system dairy system
Sustainablity never means focussing on one indicator
www.fibl.org
2 Examples for the interaction between ecologically sustainable farming practices and superior food quality:
www.fibl.org FAOSTAT, 2011
Worldwide agricultural land use (in billion ha and percentage)
1
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Permanent grassland: Hotspots of habitat and species diversity
Forests Grassland Fields Human settlements
Alpine pasture
Mountains
Vascular plants
21 +/- 1 35 +/- 1 15 +/- 1 19 +/- 3 42 +/- 3 21 +/-
Mosses 15 +/- 1 6 +/- 1 1 +/- 0 5 +/- 1 19 +/- 2 13 +/- 1
Snails 9 +/- 1 6 +/- 0 3 +/- 1 6 +/- 1 3 +/- 1 3 +/- 1
Source: BDM Switzerland
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Low health status and longevity: Culling rates in comparison
Projected culling rates corresponding to the percentage of heifers in the herd per year
The Israeli herd book (2008)
Hare et al.(2006)
73 organic dairy farms of FiBL
Concentrates-Based diets
Roughage-based diets
www.fibl.org
Production of grass-clover leys in arable rotations: source and driver for nitrogen, protein, soil fertility, water conservation
www.fibl.org
Soil quality data from field experiments
Increased SOM or Corg-contents (Gerhardt, 1997; Clark et
al., 1998; Brown et al., 2000; Pulleman et al., 2003; Pimentel et al., 2005; Marriott & Wander, 2006)
Ranging from 10 to 60 %
Increased carbon stocks (+ 5 tons of carbon per hectare (average of 76 Studies, Gattinger et al., 2012 (submitted)).
Improved biological properties of soils (e.g. microbial biomass, microbial enzyme activities, abundance of earthworms and soil-dwelling insects): Gerhardt, 1997; Siegrist et al., 1998; Hansen et al., 2001; Mäder et al., 2002; Pulleman et al., 2003; Fließbach et al., 2007, Pfiffner, L. and Luka, H., 2002.
Ranging from 40 to 120 %.
www.fibl.org
Increased aggregate stability (Gerhardt, 1997; Siegrist et al., 1998; Brown et al., 2000; Maeder et al., 2002; Pulleman et al., 2003; Williams & Petticrew, 2009).
Increased water holding capacity, higher water content in soil (Brown et al., 2000; Lotter et al., 2003; Pimentel et al., 2005)
Improved infiltration rate of water (Lotter et al., 2003; Pimentel et al., 2005; Zeiger & Fohrer, 2009).
Organic = good adaptation to climate change due to higher soil carbon levels
PGPR (Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria)
www.fibl.org
Milk quality (EU project QLIF, 2005/2006)Effect of organic and conventional production systems
0
20
40
60
80
100
RRR-alphatocopherol
betacarotene
lutein zeaxanthine CLA omega-3
North East England Wales
% higherin organicmilk
______ _____________________ ______________ Vit E Vit A (carotenes) poly-unsaturated Fat-soluble Vitamins fatty acids
p<0.01
Butler et al., 2009. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
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Davis University field trial: high levels of polyphenolic compounds (antioxydants)
Tomatoes:Quercetin + 79 %Kaempferol + 97 %
2
Positively correlated with duration and SOM rise.
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Improved productivityof land use for food.-> Food insecurity and obesity!
Productive
Unproductive
Conventional farmingOrganic farmingLow external input farming
Cereals for livestock
Energy crops
85 % losses
100 % losses
www.fibl.org
ConclusionsMany organic practices have both environmental and health benefits:
E.g. forage-based dairy and meat production from ruminants (maintaining biodiversity of grassland and carbon stocks in soils and delivering high quality milk).
E.g. organic fertilization improving both soil carbon stock and the contents of antioxidants in food.
E.g. resilient crop systems increasing both biodiversity and the contents of antioxidants and the taste of foods.
Organic production means a change of nutritional patterns and food consumption towards more vegetable foods and less high fat and high protein ones.
Organic combined with changes in diets (and less food wastes) can nourish also a growing population.