Significance and Value of Non-traded Ecosystem Services on Farmland
A newly-published study comparing organically-managed and conventional farmland in New Zealand found that organic fields consistently provide more value per acre in the production of beans, peas, barley and wheat. The study calculated and compared the value of both “non-traded ecosystem services,” and the market value, of crops produced on matched pairs of ten organic and ten conventional farm fields. It assessed two ecosystem services – biological pest control versus conventional pesticide applications, and the nitrogen produced by microbial action versus applications of conventional fertilizers.