Supporters of organic farming say a critical article in a prominent magazine underestimates low-tech agriculture.
The Economist magazine, in an article in its Dec 9-15 issue, praised conventional agriculture, which relies heavily on chemicals, and ripped organic farming, which stresses protecting the environment.
The article gives conventional farming too much credit and organic farming too little,
said Gary Holthaus, administrator director the Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society in LaMoure, N.D.
Conventional agriculture "doesn't feed the world, and it never will," he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
The article fails to mention the higher-quality food produced by organic farms, he said.
Both organic and conventional farming have their pluses and minuses, said Brad Brad Brummond, organic agriculture contact for the North Dakota State University extension service.
