05
May
Review of Studies Highlights Organic Farming as Central to Climate Adaptation and Mitigation
(Beyond Pesticides, May 5, 2026) In a literature review of peer-reviewed research published in Cambridge University publication Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, researchers at Institute for Applied Agriculture Research (Germany) and Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems (Arizona State University, USA) determine that organically managed systems have better performance indicators under climate-induced stressors, emit less nitrous oxide emissions, increase overall soil organic carbon, and reduce overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The researchers also point out the potential socio-ecological benefits of organic management systems, including their potential for building local and regional food systems.
On the eve of the Spring National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting in the United States, advocates continue to call for a wholesale transition to organic and for the immediate appointment of five Board members, who the U.S. Department of Agriculture has failed to seat to fill vacancies, representing farmers, consumers, and an organic certifier.
Main Findings
This literature review is a follow-up to a 2010 literature review that evaluates the climate mitigation and adaptation potential of organic agriculture based on new science from 2010 to 2025. The research is derived from meta-analyses, peer-reviewed studies, and global reports published by sources such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) or United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO). Findings include metrics on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, soil carbon sequestration, energy use, and yields, among others, pertaining to climate resilience.
Climate Mitigation Findings
- Organically managed systems reduce indirect CO2 emissions largely due to the avoidance of synthetic fertilizers. (See cited studies here and here.)
- Organic agriculture increases soil organic matter, offering potential long-term offsets for agricultural emissions more broadly. (See cited studies here and here.)
- There are lower N2O emissions per hectare. (See cited study here.)
- There are potential reductions in methane emissions in livestock systems due to grazing and composting. (See cited studies here and here.)
- Total GHG emissions are lower in organic versus conventional systems due to reduced agrichemical inputs and gains in soil carbon. (See cited studies here and here.)
Climate Adaptation Findings
- Organic systems improve soil fertility due to higher organic matter, which in turn supports soil structure and water retention capacity, critical under drought conditions and climate variability. (See cited studies here and here.)
- Under harsher conditions, organic systems show more stable yields compared to conventional systems. (See cited studies here and here.)
- Organic systems have been found to emphasize local seed breeds and genetic diversity, lending to climate adaptation potential relative to the chemical-intensive status quo. (See cited studies here, here, and here.)
System-Level Assessment Findings
- Organic farming alone does not guarantee climate-neutral agricultural systems, with broader transformation necessary along the lines of incentivizing integrated crop-livestock, landscape diversification and integration (agroforestry), and on-site crop diversification, among other interventions.
- A transition to plant-based diets with organically managed systems is essential, according to the researchers, in terms of GHG emissions and competing demands for land and resource use. (See cited studies here, here, and here.)
- Organically managed food systems associated with local supply chains and lower consumption of meat combine to ensure more sustainable consumption patterns. (See cited studies here, here, and here.)
- From a behavioral change standpoint, organic systems encourage an environmental ethic and strengthen cooperatives (considering many organic farmers organize in associations across the globe and the U.S.), ultimately enhancing knowledge-sharing among agricultural stakeholders. (See cited studies here and here.)
Previous Coverage
The preponderance of scientific evidence, not to mention the various field trials led by farmers themselves, demonstrates that the organic transition is necessary for ensuring climate-resilient and smart agriculture without greenwashed solutions. (See Daily News here and here for examples of greenwashing.) This is in addition to increasing findings on the synergistic nature of the climate and pesticide contamination crises.
To better understand synergistic interactions between multiple stressors, researchers from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Leipzig, Germany, analyze exposure to the pyrethroid insecticide esfenvalerate with two nonchemical environmental factors: elevated temperature and food limitation. In their recent publication in Environmental Pollution, the authors find the greatest synergistic effects when Daphnia magna (D. magna) are subjected to esfenvalerate under conditions experienced with climate change, including lower food availability and increased temperature. D. magna, also known as daphnids or water fleas, are small planktonic crustaceans that represent an essential part of the food web in lakes and ponds. Impacts on populations of daphnids can lead to effects throughout multiple trophic levels that impact overall biodiversity. As the researchers state, “Global biodiversity is declining at an unprecedented rate in response to multiple environmental stressors… A key challenge is understanding synergistic interactions between multiple stressors and predicting their combined effects.†(See Daily News here.)
The climate crisis exacerbates pollution in communities. One recent example includes the destructive impact of Hurricane Milton, a climate-change-fueled extreme weather event that slammed into Florida in early October 2024 and led to the temporary closure of all phosphate mining facilities, integral to petrochemical fertilizer production, in the state after reported wastewater spillage, according to reporting by Tampa Bay Times. The Mosaic Company, the largest phosphate mining company in Florida, reported at least 17,500 gallons of wastewater from one of its processing plants leaked into Tampa Bay (“The Bayâ€), according to a company press release at the time. An analysis by Environment Florida Research & Policy Center found that the state environmental agency conservatively estimated that at least 91.65 million gallons of contaminated waterways and communities. Most of the pollution reports identify raw/partially treated sewage sludge (which has been found to include PFAS contamination), citing additional overflows from sources including a coal ash pond, ammonia, and phosphate mining wastewater. (See Daily News here.) For additional related coverage, please see here.
Another wrinkle to consider is the impact of Arctic ice melting induced by the climate crisis and the potential for additional toxic chemical and pesticide pollution. A study published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment warns that thawing of permafrost (a ground that remains completely frozen for two or more years) in the Arctic region can prompt the reemergence of greenhouse gases (e.g., methane and carbon dioxide), microbes, and chemicals (e.g., banned pesticides like DDT). Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including banned and current-use pesticides, are present in snow and ice on top of Arctic glaciers, according to a study published in Environmental Science & Technology.  Included are seven industrial chemicals, which include hexachlorobutadiene, 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorobenzene, 1,2,4,5-T4CB, pentachlorobenzene, pentachloroanisole, 3,4,5,6-tetrachlorodimethoxybenene, and pesticides include heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide B, aldrin, α-and γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), chlorpyrifos, trans- and cis-chlordane, 4,4′-DDE, dieldrin, dacthal (DCPA), trans-nonachlor, and α-endosulfan. Chlorpyrifos, dieldrin, and trans-chlordane dominate most Arctic areas, accounting for at least 50% of the total pesticide concentrations at each sample site. (See Daily News here. (See Daily News here.) For additional coverage, please see here.
In terms of water systems, a study of the effects of flooding on aquatic-terrestrial pesticide transfer, published in Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, finds heightened risks to riparian zone ecosystems as flooding frequency continues to increase with climate change. Riparian buffers, recognized as biodiversity hotspots, “are increasingly subjected to various stressors, including chemical contaminants such as pesticides,†the authors state. As transportation of toxic compounds can occur not only through surface runoff but also through flooding events, the frequency and duration of floods can greatly impact the cumulative effects of pesticides on soil health and organisms within ecosystems. (See Daily News here.) This builds on the findings of a previous study, published through the American Chemical Society, which analyzes pesticide contamination in riparian soil and plants as a result of flooding from streams in Germany.   “[O]ur study provides evidence from the field that nontarget plant species typical for riparian stream sites receive considerable pesticide exposure via flooding events,†the authors state. This exposure, and subsequent bioaccumulation in plants, threatens the food web, as many riparian plants are a vital food source for insects. (See Daily News here.)
The research on soil systems is also detailed. Through a literature review and data analysis of almost 2,000 soil samples, the authors of a recent study find negative effects on the presence of plant-beneficial bacteria (PBB) in soil with pesticide exposure, particularly bacteria with plant growth-promoting traits that are essential for crop productivity. The study, published in Nature Communications, by researchers at China’s Shaoxing University and Zhejiang University of Technology, adds to scientific literature documenting the effects of pesticides on soil health. (See Daily News here.) For additional coverage, please see here.
In the midst of a climate crisis and a lack of government recording of atmospheric measurements of sulfuryl fluoride (SO2F2), a study of the estimated emissions of sulfuryl fluoride throughout the U.S. shows elevated levels being released in California. The study, performed by researchers from Johns Hopkins University’s Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, University of California’s Scripps Institute of Oceanography, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Global Monitoring Laboratory, uses measurements from the NOAA Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network and a geostatistical inverse model.  Sulfuryl fluoride is a fluoride compound and pesticide used primarily for the extermination of drywood termites and beetles—linked to increased greenhouse gas emissions and having acute exposure consequences—with little data collected or reported on the amount of sulfuryl fluoride being used and released into the atmosphere. (See Daily News here.)
Pesticide dependency and climate change exacerbate biodiversity breakdown. In the book, Biological Control Systems and Climate Change, published this month, Danilo Russo, PhD—a speaker during the first session of our 42nd National Forum, The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health: Advancing Holistic Solutions Aligned with Nature—and other researchers add to the existing literature on the climate change threat to ecosystem services. Dr. Russo’s chapter, entitled “Impact of Climate Change on Bats Involved in Biological Control,†explains one of the lost benefits of ecological balance attributable to the climate crisis. As explained in the book: “In conservation biological control, habitats surrounding and within crops are managed to favour an increase in natural enemy populations while suppressing pest populations. These agroecological systems can be complex, and are affected by climate change.†The ability of climate change to influence the effectiveness of biological control systems is explored, showing the “effects on the large diversity of macro- and microorganisms involved in biocontrol, and the possible increase or decrease in pest outbreaks following changes in characteristics (morphology, physiology, behaviour….), distribution or phenology.†(See Daily News here.) A study published in Global Change Biology adds to research demonstrating that climate change can exacerbate the adverse impacts of pesticide exposure on managed and wild bees. Temperature can alter the sublethal effects of pesticides, particularly the neonicotinoid (neonic) imidacloprid and the sulfoximine sulfoxaflor, on bumble bee behavior tied to fitness and pollination services. Both an increase and a decrease in temperature can cause diverging thermal responses in bumblebee behavior. However, increasing temperature bears more severe behavioral abnormalities than cooler temperatures. (See Daily News here.) For additional analysis on the linkages between insect and pollinator die-offs, climate change, biodiversity, and pesticide impacts, please see here, here, and here.
When it comes to organically managed systems, emerging evidence continues to pile up in terms of their competitive edge over the chemical-intensive status quo on various climate resilience metrics. For example, a study published in European Journal of Agronomy, based on a 16-year, long-term experiment (LTE), finds that organic crops (cotton production with wheat and soybean rotations) in tropical climates are competitive with chemical-intensive (conventional) systems when evaluating systems’ resilience (to weather and insect resistance), input costs, and profitability. One of the underlying assumptions of continuous pesticide use is that the chemicals will continue to serve as effective weapons in the never-ending war against insects, weeds, and fungal diseases that threaten the economic viability and sustainability of the farming operations. While organic systems faced reduced yields due to pest pressures from pink bollworm infestations, their relative productivity decline was much smaller than that of the chemical-intensive operations. This study’s findings indicate that a different direction is not only possible, but necessary, for the long-term financial viability of farms. Farmers understand that the health of the soil is a compounding investment that will help or hurt you depending on the actions taken yesterday, today, and tomorrow. (See Daily News here.) A comprehensive study released in Journal of Cleaner Production in August 2023 identifies the potential for organic agriculture to mitigate the impacts of agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the fight to address the climate crisis. In “The spatial distribution of agricultural emissions in the United States: The role of organic farming in mitigating climate change,†the authors determine that “a one percent increase in total farmland results in a 0.13 percent increase in GHG emissions, while a one percent increase in organic cropland and pasture leads to a decrease in emissions by about 0.06 percent and 0.007 percent, respectively.†(See Daily News here.)
A study published in Scientific Reports highlights the benefits of organic agriculture in comparison to different farming systems over five years on four crops (maize, tomato, faba bean, and potato). “Soil carbon sequestration is a long-time storage of carbon in soil which represents 70% of the carbon in land,†the authors note. “Therefore, the main aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the agricultural practice systems on the soil carbon sequestration and properties, productivity, water consumption, soil carbon sequestration, CO2 emission and cost of some agricultural crops.†As a result, the experiment reveals that, compared to chemical-intensive farming, organic methods enhance soil properties, reduce water consumption, provide higher yields and higher soil carbon sequestration, reduce CO2 emissions, and achieve the highest total net profit for all four crops after five years. (See Daily News here.)
The benefits of organic agriculture will also ensure that consumers can continue to enjoy popular products as the impacts of the climate crisis deepen. For example, organic banana production is significantly more conducive to microbial decomposition than its chemical-intensive counterparts in the Caribbean nation of Martinique, according to a recent study published in Applied Soil Ecology. “Macrofaunal decomposition was increased more (55%) than microbial decomposition (20%), indicating that organic farming removes a constraint of conventional farming, especially affecting macrofauna.†Biological activity in the soil is foundational to organic land management and critical to the cycling of nutrients that feed plant life while contributing to resiliency and soil water retention. (See Daily News here.) Additionally, In the Journal of Environmental Quality, researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report that a 4-year organically managed corn-soybean-oat system reduces nitrogen (N) loads by 50 percent with corn and soybean yields “equivalent to or higher than conventional [chemical-intensive] in most years.†The findings from a 7-year study comparing nitrate loss in organic and chemical-intensive management found that organically managed perennial pasture reduced nitrogen loads significantly. The study, which focused on nitrate pollution in agriculture that harms biodiversity, threatens waterways, drinking water, and public health, and releases nitrous oxide (an extremely potent greenhouse gas), was conducted at USDA’s National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment. (See Daily News here.)
Call to Action
For additional background and analysis on the intersection of the climate, agrichemical, and fossil fuel dependency crises, see here for a review of a poignant article published in 2024 by Tracey Woodruff, PhD, author and professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
The Spring 2026 National Organic Standards Board meeting will be held in Omaha, NE, and virtually, May 12-14, 2026. As part of this process, the public is invited to submit written comments and/or provide oral comments on the Spring 2026 meeting issues. Please see the Action of the Week, Organic Must Lead the Way, with suggested comments on priority issues to copy/paste into Regulations.gov; also featured in the Daily News from April 27, 2026, “Organic Standards Open to Comment; USDA Defies Congressional Mandate to Fill Organic Board Vacancies.†The deadline to submit written comments is 11:59 pm ET on Monday, May 4, 2026. Please get them in as early as possible! More information is also available in the Keeping Organic Strong resource hub.
You can also contact your members of Congress to ask them to become a cosponsor of the Opportunities in Organic Act, which provides a significant opportunity to reduce barriers to organic farming, strengthen organic supply chains, and ensure that farmers have the support they need to transition to and remain in organic production to meet the growing demand for organic food and grow the sector. Importantly, the bill will provide an opportunity for partners to continue the transition support and technical assistance models that are proving effective through USDA’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program, which ends in 2026.Â
All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.
