ORGANIC FARMING: SUSTAINABILITY, BIODIVERSITY AND DIETS

摘要

The current agrofood system is one of the most responsible for the ecosystem degradation, in particular, the biodiversity loss. Moreover, it has proved to be unable to addres hunger and malnutrition. Biodiversity in the food systems is absolutely crucial for both a sustainable food production and food security. Diets based on different food species promote health by addressing the problem of micronu-trient and vitamin deficiencies. Therefore, it seems that the transition towards sustainable forms ofagriculture cannot be deferred further. The organic food production is seen having the potential to contribute substantially to the global food supply and reduce the environmental impact of the conventional agriculture.This paper summarizes the evidence present in the scientific literature on these subjects and offers insights into the links between organic food production, sustainability, biodiversity and healthy diets.IntroductionThe current globalized food system is one of the most responsible for the ecosystem degradation. Agriculture alone contributes about 13 percent to the global human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, but this rate increases ranging from 17 to 32 percent ifthe indirect emissions (fertilizers production and distribution, farm operations, land conversion to agriculture) are included (Bellarby era/., 2008). Therefore, the so-called "industrial agriculture" based on the adoption of large-scale farming systems, on the massive use of fertilizers, that needs high energy inputs to have high yields and to maintain a constant level of production, is widely considered no longer sustainable. Overall, if one takes into account that it failed to address hunger and malnutrition. Currently, it is widely accepted that facing the dual challenge of achieving food security and reducing the environmental impact of food production, it is necessary to take steps of transition towards sustainable forms of agriculture (Hoffmann, 2011).