the carbon and global warming potential impacts of organic farming does it have a significant role in an energy constrained world有机农业的碳排放和全球变暖的潜在影响它有一个重要的角色在能源约束的世界.pdf

Sustainability 2011, 3, 322-362; doi:10.3390/su3020322 OPEN ACCESS sustainability ISSN 2071-1050 /journal/sustainability Review The Carbon and Global Warming Potential Impacts of Organic Farming: Does It Have a Significant Role in an Energy Constrained World? Derek H. Lynch 1,*, Rod MacRae 2 and Ralph C. Martin 3 1 Department Plant and Animal Sciences, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, P.O. Box 550, Truro, NS B2N 5E3, Canada 2 Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada; E-Mail: rmacrae@yorku.ca 3 Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, P.O. Box 550, Truro, NS B2N 5E3, Canada ; E-Mail: rmartin@nsac.ca * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: dlynch@nsac.ca; Tel.: +1-902-893-7621; Fax: +1-902-896-7095. Received: 2 December 2010; in revised form: 19 January 2011 / Accepted: 24 January 2011 / Published: 28 January 2011 Abstract: About 130 studies were analyzed to compare farm-level energy use and global warming potential (GWP) of organic and conventional production sectors. Cross cutting issues such as tillage, compost, soil carbon sequestration and energy offsets were also reviewed. Finally, we contrasted E and GWP data from the wider food system. We concluded that the evidence strongly favours organic farming with respect to whole-farm energy use and energy efficiency both on a per hectare and per farm product basis, with the possible exception of poultry and fruit secto