IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i4p1530-d1337347.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Rooted in Nature: The Rise, Challenges, and Potential of Organic Farming and Fertilizers in Agroecosystems

Author

Listed:
  • Dinesh Panday

    (Rodale Institute, Pocono Organic Center, Long Pond, PA 18610, USA
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Nikita Bhusal

    (Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA)

  • Saurav Das

    (Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68543, USA
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Arash Ghalehgolabbehbahani

    (Rodale Institute, Kutztown, PA 19530, USA)

Abstract

Organic farming, which is deeply rooted in traditional agricultural practices, has witnessed a profound evolution over the last century. Transitioning from a grassroots initiative resisting the industrialization of agriculture to a global industry, organic farming now plays a pivotal role in addressing contemporary challenges related to environmental health, sustainability, and food safety. Despite the growing consumer demand for organic products and market access, organic farming has its challenges. This paper discusses the origin and evolution of organic farming with an emphasis on different types of organic fertilizers, benefits, and challenges. Nutrient variability and the slow-release nature of organic fertilizer often do not meet crop demands and can substantially reduce yield. Some organic fertilizers, like manure and biosolids, can provide a higher yield benefit, but there are environmental and health risks associated with them. Weed and pest management in organic farming can be labor-intensive and increase costs. Inefficient planning of organic farming and rapid transition can also create food insecurity. This paper also gives a brief account of the current certification process for organic fertilizers and their technicalities. It showcases how the holistic approach of organic farming extends beyond production, including strategies like reducing food waste and building self-sufficient farming communities. These practices contribute to a more sustainable agricultural system, reducing environmental impacts and supporting local economies. Future technological innovations, especially in precision agriculture and bio-physicochemical models, can help in formulating targeted organic fertilizers.

Suggested Citation

  • Dinesh Panday & Nikita Bhusal & Saurav Das & Arash Ghalehgolabbehbahani, 2024. "Rooted in Nature: The Rise, Challenges, and Potential of Organic Farming and Fertilizers in Agroecosystems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-25, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:4:p:1530-:d:1337347
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/4/1530/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/4/1530/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. de Ponti, Tomek & Rijk, Bert & van Ittersum, Martin K., 2012. "The crop yield gap between organic and conventional agriculture," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 1-9.
    2. Timsina, Jagadish & Dutta, Sudarshan & Devkota, Krishna Prasad & Chakraborty, Somsubhra & Neupane, Ram Krishna & Bishta, Sudarshan & Amgain, Lal Prasad & Singh, Vinod K. & Islam, Saiful & Majumdar, Ka, 2021. "Improved nutrient management in cereals using Nutrient Expert and machine learning tools: Productivity, profitability and nutrient use efficiency," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Monica Laura Zlati & Costinela Fortea & Valentin Marian Antohi, 2024. "The Economic Value of European Organic Farming in the Transition to Climate Neutrality," Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development Studies, "Dunarea de Jos" University of Galati, Doctoral Field Engineering and Management in Agriculture and Rural Development, issue 1, pages 63-75.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Blasi, E. & Passeri, N. & Franco, S. & Galli, A., 2016. "An ecological footprint approach to environmental–economic evaluation of farm results," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 76-82.
    2. Atanu Mukherjee & Emmanuel C. Omondi & Paul R. Hepperly & Rita Seidel & Wade P. Heller, 2020. "Impacts of Organic and Conventional Management on the Nutritional Level of Vegetables," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-25, October.
    3. Janet MacFall & Joanna Lelekacs & Todd LeVasseur & Steve Moore & Jennifer Walker, 2015. "Toward resilient food systems through increased agricultural diversity and local sourcing in the Carolinas," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 5(4), pages 608-622, December.
    4. Mohamed Allam & Emanuele Radicetti & Valentina Quintarelli & Verdiana Petroselli & Sara Marinari & Roberto Mancinelli, 2022. "Influence of Organic and Mineral Fertilizers on Soil Organic Carbon and Crop Productivity under Different Tillage Systems: A Meta-Analysis," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-19, March.
    5. Nesar Ahmed & Shirley Thompson & Giovanni M. Turchini, 2020. "Organic aquaculture productivity, environmental sustainability, and food security: insights from organic agriculture," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(6), pages 1253-1267, December.
    6. Bourceret, Amélie & Accatino, Francesco & Robert, Corinne, 2024. "A modeling framework of a territorial socio-ecosystem to study the trajectories of change in agricultural phytosanitary practices," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 494(C).
    7. SIngh Verma, Juhee & Sharma, Pritee, 2019. "Potential of Organic Farming to Mitigate Climate Change and Increase Small Farmers’ Welfare," MPRA Paper 99994, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. de la Cruz, Vera Ysabel V. & Tantriani, & Cheng, Weiguo & Tawaraya, Keitaro, 2023. "Yield gap between organic and conventional farming systems across climate types and sub-types: A meta-analysis," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 211(C).
    9. Bang, Rasmus & Hansen, Bjørn Gunnar & Guajardo, Mario & Sommerseth, Jon Kristian & Flaten, Ola & Asheim, Leif Jarle, 2024. "Conventional or organic cattle farming? Trade-offs between crop yield, livestock capacity, organic premiums, and government payments," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 218(C).
    10. Natalia Brzezina & Birgit Kopainsky & Erik Mathijs, 2016. "Can Organic Farming Reduce Vulnerabilities and Enhance the Resilience of the European Food System? A Critical Assessment Using System Dynamics Structural Thinking Tools," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-32, September.
    11. Patrick M. Carr & Greta G. Gramig & Mark A. Liebig, 2013. "Impacts of Organic Zero Tillage Systems on Crops, Weeds, and Soil Quality," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(7), pages 1-30, July.
    12. Marie Lassalas & Sabine Duvaleix & Laure Latruffe, 2024. "The technical and economic effects of biodiversity standards on wheat production," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 51(2), pages 275-308.
    13. Dapeng WANG & Liang ZHENG & Songdong GU & Yuefeng SHI & Long LIANG & Fanqiao MENG & Yanbin GUO & Xiaotang JU & Wenliang WU, 2018. "Soil nitrate accumulation and leaching in conventional, optimized and organic cropping systems," Plant, Soil and Environment, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 64(4), pages 156-163.
    14. Karlsson, Johan O. & Röös, Elin, 2019. "Resource-efficient use of land and animals—Environmental impacts of food systems based on organic cropping and avoided food-feed competition," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 63-72.
    15. Debuschewitz, Emil & Sanders, Jürn, 2021. "Bewertung der Umweltwirkungen des ökologischen Landbaus im Kontext der kontroversen wissenschaftlichen Diskurse," 61st Annual Conference, Berlin, Germany, September 22-24, 2021 317076, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA).
    16. Mariarosaria Agostino, 2016. "Organic Agriculture, Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Environmental Efficiency: An Empirical Study on OECD Countries," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 8(11), pages 1-78, November.
    17. R Chitra & N L Balasudarsun & M Sathish & R Jagajeevan, 2023. "Supply chain modelling in organic farming for sustainable profitability," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 69(6), pages 255-266.
    18. Takamitsu Kai & Dinesh Adhikari, 2021. "Effect of Organic and Chemical Fertilizer Application on Apple Nutrient Content and Orchard Soil Condition," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-10, April.
    19. Carlson, Andrea & Greene, Catherine & Raszap Skorbiansky, Sharon & Hitaj, Claudia & Ha, Kim & Cavigelli, Michel & Ferrier, Peyton & McBride, William, 2023. "U.S. Organic Production, Markets, Consumers, and Policy, 2000-21," USDA Miscellaneous 333551, United States Department of Agriculture.
    20. de Moura, Maíse Soares & Silva, Bruno Montoani & Mota, Paula Karen & Borghi, Emerson & Resende, Alvaro Vilela de & Acuña-Guzman, Salvador Francisco & Araújo, Gabriela Soares Santos & da Silva, Lucas d, 2021. "Soil management and diverse crop rotation can mitigate early-stage no-till compaction and improve least limiting water range in a Ferralsol," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:4:p:1530-:d:1337347. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.