The view that organic farming is inefficient is on its way to the recycle bin.

A new study by researchers at University of Michigan has shown that a switch to organic farming could yield up to three times as much food on the same amount of land being used for farming and generating livestock.

Although organic farming compared with industrial methods can be more labor intensive, the findings of the scientists show that the farming methods of developing nations, where access to expensive fertilizers is limited, almost tripled their yield on the same stretch of farmland.

A major objection to organic farming has been lack of sufficient nitrogen resources necessary for crops to grow green tissues (such as leaves) for photosynthesis. Unlike industrial farmers, organic agriculturalists don’t use bagged nitrogen fertilizers, and instead have to come up with natural ways of providing this crucial growth component. One way in which this can be achieved is by plowing legume cover crops into the soil between growing seasons. Such “green manure” provides the necessary nitrogen for the growing crops of the next season, without adding toxic synthetic fertilizers. In addition, non-chemical fertilizers vastly improve soil health. The central idea to the scientific findings is that better soil quality will increase crop yield, and organic methods promote this improvement.

Team member Ivette Perfecto, of the School of Natural Resources and Environment, says “My hope is that we can finally put a nail in the coffin of the idea that you can’t produce enough food though organic agriculture”.