一份新报告详细介绍了有机农业的好处，并概述了通过2023年农业法案扩大有机农业实践的策略。该报告是国家资源和国防委员会（NRDC），亚利桑那州立大学（ASU）的SWETTE可持续食品系统中心和农药改革（CPR）的产品的产物。
标题为“Grow Organic: The Climate, Health, and Economic Case for Expanding Organic Agriculture，”该报告将有机农业提升，因为它专注于生态多样性，土壤生育能力和自然系统，而不是化学干预措施。作者写道，这种方法“具有应对我们社会面临的多种危机，包括气候变化，卫生和挣扎的农村经济的巨大潜力。”
对有机农业的人类和环境益处的研究，得到了十多个农场的案例研究的补充，有助于强调这些农业实践的潜力。该报告表明，有机农业可以帮助隔离碳，增强土壤健康并减少温室气体排放。这些技术还可以帮助限制抗生素耐药性的传播，Agrowing problemthreatening human health—and reduce exposure to harmful agricultural chemicals.
“Expanding organic agriculture is an investment in our future, one that could ultimately produce significant returns. Today’s conventional system contains immense hidden costs subsidized by our tax dollars that we can no longer afford. When we account for the true costs of our current farming systems—including health, environmental, social, and economic impacts—the value of organic farming is undeniable,” says Dr. Kathleen Merrigan, Executive Director, Swette Center at Arizona State University and former U.S. Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
But “Grow Organic” notes that only 1 percent of agricultural land is managed organically. A report from the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) finds that producersoften struggle面临挑战，包括在过渡到有机，杂草和害虫管理所需的三年期间的收益率以及有机认证成本。OFRF还指出，这些挑战不成比例地影响BIPOC种植者。
To change this, the authors of “Grow Organic” provide 10 recommendations to help policymakers scale organic agriculture through the2023 Farm Bill超越。
“在农场法案中更重要的有机投资，以及对有机有机和利益相关者的持续倡导的强有力的行政承诺，必须确保每个想要耕种，牧场，管理土地和有机饮食的人都可以这样做，”报告指出。
Suggestions include providing greater support to farmers during the transition period, increasing federal resources to support research into and technical assistance for organic agriculture, and reducing barriers to organic certification for BIPOC farmers. Using True Cost Accounting can also help stakeholders better understand the value of organic agriculture.
“The cash register receipt captures only part of the true cost of food,” Merrigan tells Food Tank. “The harm of synthetic chemicals on human health, biodiversity, and the environment are not accounted for, which is one of the many reasons why organic is always a best buy.”
作者还呼吁围绕有机食品进行更多的消费者教育，并更好地将有机计划整合到USDA等公共机构中。
“It’s time to unlock the potential of organic agriculture through our public policies, including the upcoming Farm Bill,” says Allison Johnson, Senior Attorney at NRDC. “Taxpayers are spending billions every year to prop up conventional farming practices that put people and the environment in danger. Investing in the transition to organic means climate-resilient farming, healthier food options, and more robust local economies.”
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Photo courtesy of Markus Spiske, Unsplash
