Ten: Go bird watching.
Organic agriculture is better for birds,
according to a 2013 study from France.
This is not a new idea, and many papers have cited examples of the benefits that organic farming plays on bird
species. However, the 2013 study is
the first complete synthesis of available research examining the relationship between farming practices and
bird population health.
ly” practices used by organic techniques--such as diverse crop rotations, reduced use of pesticides, and
the creation of more heterogeneous
landscapes--as being responsible for
these benefits.
The Organic Center’s mission is to
convene credible, evidence-based science on the health and environmental
benefits of organic food and farming
and to communicate the findings to
the public. As an independent non-profit 501(c)(3)
research and education organization operating under the administrative auspices of the Organic Trade
Association, The Center
envisions improved health
for the earth and its inhabitants through the conversion of agriculture to organic methods.
The researchers focused on birds in
Europe and North America to test
whether organic agriculture is more
favorable to farmland birds compared to conventional agriculture,
and found that organic farming techniques benefit birds on a large scale.
Researchers found that organic agriculture had a global positive effect on
bird abundance compared to conventional agriculture with ten out of the
36 species they examined showing
a significantly higher abundance on SOURCE
organic farms than on conventional The Organic Trade Association
farms. The study cited “bird-friend-