Scottish Crop Research
Institute

Organic Farming: Science And Belief
(A Summary)

The organic movement presents a challenge to the scientist, who cannot - and would not want to - abandon a scientific approach. The challenge for the scientist is to find a way of living beside, and working with, that system, while recognising that not all of its tenets are correct, and while identifying which of them are misguided, and enabling the improved application of those that are correct.

Where the organic system does not conflict with science, there is no problem but it is possible to show, for example, that strict adherence to some principles such as sources of fertilizer, could be more harmful to the environment than other ways.

We would like to be able to argue for a different route in some aspects, between 'organic' and 'conventional, high input' farming. An exemplary issue is the production of varieties that are resistant to pests and diseases, that would lead to the reduction or even elimination of particular chemical inputs. Instead, the pharisaic attitude of many in the organic movement leads to feelings of frustration in some scientists who can see the applicability of their work to the system, yet have it rejected. The products of biotechnology in general and of genetic engineering in particular are among that work.