Energy Input Use in Environmentally Friendly Farming Systems: A Comparative Analysis between Organic and Conventional Dried Fig Production

Abstract

Energy efficiency in organic farming has been the subject of various investigations. Overall, these studies indicate that diverse organic farming systems have higher energy efficiency compared with conventional farming systems, primarily because no mineral N fertilizers are used. The investigations also show, however, that there is considerable potential for improvement. Dried fig production by conventional farming methods averaged 26% higher energy inputs and only 5% higher yields per hectare than fig produced by organic farming methods. The economic costs averaged 6% less per hectare for conventional fig production than for organic fig production, using a standard accounting procedure.