UN study reveals that organic farming ups African yields

According to a UN study to be presented on Wednesday, organic farming offers Africa the best opportunity of breaking the cycle of poverty and malnutrition it has been locked in for decades.

The research by the UN Environment Programme, which involved analysis of 114 projects in 24 African countries, found that yields had doubled more than where organic or near-organic practices had been used and that increase in yield jumped to 128 percent in east Africa, reports the newspaper.

The report indicates that the potential contribution of organic farming to feeding the world may be far higher than many had expected, said head of the UN's Environment Programme, Achim Steiner.