World Bank Going Organic
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, commonly known as the World Bank, is supporting more organic agricultural research and production in states around the world.
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The Green Revolution's, support for increased crop yields based on the use of scientific research and chemical fertilizer and pesticides, was once applauded as a great idea to help a starving world.
The goals underlying the Green Revolution are still noble. However, after thirty years of supporting large scale agriculture projects, Bank members have taken note of the growing collection of environmental problems associated with chemical intensive farming practices. A team of agriculture development economists are working on a series of projects under the general heading Toxic Pollution from Agriculture: Costs and Remedies. Their research into Green Revolution practices around the world conclude that many of the same environmental problems faced by the United States' adoption of chemical intensive farming practices are found world wide on a larger scale.
For example, because of their potential to cause harm to human health, The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates the manufacturing and distribution of pesticides. Most developing states around the world lack a strong regulatory system like the EPA, and the World Bank researchers discovered,
"A survey of 820 rice, potato, bean, eggplant, cabbage, sugarcane and mango farmers was conducted in Bangladesh in 2003. When compared with the dosage recommended on the pesticide package labels, over 47% of farmers were found to be overusing pesticides. With only 4% of farmers formally trained in pesticide use or handling, and over 87% openly admitting to using little or no protective measures while applying pesticides, overuse is potentially a very threatening problem to farmer health as well as the environment."
Environmental effects of chemical intensive agriculture are also documented by the World Bank researchers. People around the United States are familiar with the phenomena known as coastal dead zones, areas with no marine life. They are caused when the nutrients in chemical fertilizers run off the land to the rivers, bays and oceans, causing a chain reaction that chokes off oxygen supplies. Dead zones are increasing in numbers and size in coastal areas around the world, harming others traditional local industries such as fishing.
Bank researchers are still unsure how to calculate the costs and benefits of chemical intensive versus organic farming practices. Their next series of projects are based on the theme "the environmental externality of pesticide use". Researchers hope to clarify the types and scale of financial losses in other environmental areas associated with pesticide. They also want to compare these losses with the types of financial gains related to organic farming practices. Current research into the organic gardening and farming revolution instituted by Cuba during the past fifteen years provides a good case study in the financial gains category.
© 2006. Patricia A. Michaels