Agricultural Science and Organic Farming: Time to Change Our Trajectory

Organic farming bans all rates and uses of nearly every synthetic fertilizer and pesticide. This comprehensive ban ignores the range of differences in these materials, from dangerous to benign, and ignores research showing that specific uses and rates of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides can be the best solution to specific agricultural problems. Although organic farming emphasizes beneficial practices like crop rotation and application of manure and compost, it is this ideological ban that defines a farm as "organic." Despite this rigid rejection of some parts of modern farm technology, organic farming has been incrementally embraced by agricultural science, influencing research, education, and outreach. Mingling ideology and science compromises science, misleads the public, and hinders efforts to sustain agriculture. It is time to review our relationship as agricultural scientists to organic farming and change the current trajectory.