Federal policies that help advance organic agriculture will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change, the Organic Trade Association said in a paper released Thursday.
The organic sector “represents the best option in agriculture to mitigate climate change and adapt to its effects, while still delivering a suite of other benefits to people and the planet,” the white paper says.
“Researchers at the National Soil Project at Northeastern University, in collaboration with The Organic Center, have shown that soils from organic farms sequester 26% more carbon than soils from non-organic farms,” the paper says.
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In June, OTA’s board of directors unanimously adopted 10 principles for climate policy, including incentivizing farmers and businesses: “Farmers should not have to bear the brunt when making transformational changes. Public and private sector programs should provide tools and resources to achieve outcomes through market-based incentives or financial payments that encourage conservation practices or ecosystem services.”
