Organic farming uses less energy than regular farming

Organic farming produces the same yields of corn and soybeans as conventional farming, but consumes 30 percent less energy, less water and no pesticides, according to a study that reviewed 22 years of farming results.

"Organic farming offers real advantages for such crops as corn and soybeans," said David Pimentel, a Cornell University professor of ecology and agriculture, in a prepared statement. Pimentel studied the results from the Rodale Institute Farming Systems Trial, the longest running comparison of organic vs. conventional farming in the United States.

The study compared a conventional farm that used recommended fertilizers and pesticides with an organic animal-based farm (where manure was applied) and an organic legume-based farm (that used a three-year rotation of hairy vetch/corn and rye/soybeans and wheat). The two organic systems received no chemical fertilizers or pesticides.