Increase in Organic Crops Would Help the World Food Supply

Over a year ago, researchers presented a solution for world hunger: a switch of even half of North America's and Europe's farming regions to organic methods could produce enough food to feed the current world's population. This shift has the added benefit of improving the environment. Talk about an amazing insight!

We, who have encouraged consumption of organics for years are not surprised by this revelation. Yet, who is listening? When will we see the shift made? Don't hold your breath.

An article in USA Today last May reported on the UN presentation. With all the concern over food shortages and world hunger, how far has anyone progressed on this initiative?

One study, by the University of Michigan, found that a global shift to organic agriculture would yield at least 2,641 kilocalories per person per day and as many as 4,381 kilocalories per person per day. The world's current farmers' production yields 2,786 kilocalories per person each day.

Of course, the other side of the coin, as we have seen in the Myanmar debacle, is the political powers-that-be. It is amazing how fingers point at this small country, but as we look at our own country's handling of natural disasters over the past several years, can we say that the politicians handled them in everyone's best interest?

I also have a hard time believing that such a small country contributes significantly enough to the world rice market that rice prices have quintupled in the past couple of months.

"World rice production in 2007 was approximately 645 million tons. At least 114 countries grow rice and more than 50 have an annual production of 100,000 tons or more. Asian farmers produce about 90% of the total, with two countries, China and India, growing more than half the total crop." (http://www.irri.org/science/ricestat/)

A chart of rice production by country from that same site shows Myanmar contributing only 4 percent of the production from Asia. Asia does indeed provide ninety percent of the world's rice. I imagine a good portion of rice is also consumed on that continent. The chart also shows that world wide production of rice has doubled in the last 35 years, ((http://www.irri.org/science/ricestat/pd...) .