In this article Prof. David R. Montgomery takes a critical look at 3 myths that are often used to argue the need to keep pursuing the current degrading agricultural paradigm.
- Large-scale agriculture feeds the world today.
- Large farms are more efficient.
- Conventional farming is necessary to feed the world.
Using scientific research and key statistics, Prof. David R. Montgomery shows why these myths are false and shows the need to move away from the conventional vs. organic debate.
“Whether they were organic or still used some fertilizers and pesticides, the farms I visited that adopted this transformational suite of practices all reported harvests that consistently matched or exceeded those from neighboring conventional farms after a short transition period. Another message was as simple as it was clear: Farmers who restored their soil used fewer inputs to produce higher yields, which translated into higher profits.” – David R. Montgomery