Does Organic Farming Use Less Water?

Check out this answer from Consensus:

Overall, organic farming has the potential to use less water and improve water quality compared to conventional farming. However, the efficiency of water use in organic farming can vary depending on the specific practices and crops involved. While organic farming offers several environmental benefits, including reduced chemical use and improved water reusability, it is essential to address the challenges related to nutrient management and potential water pollution to fully realize its potential for sustainable water use.

Water scarcity is a pressing global issue, particularly in the agricultural sector, which is a major consumer of water resources. Organic farming has been proposed as a more sustainable alternative to conventional farming, with potential benefits for water use efficiency. This article explores whether organic farming indeed uses less water compared to conventional farming, drawing on findings from multiple research studies.

Water Use in Organic vs. Conventional Farming

Several studies have investigated the water use efficiency of organic farming compared to conventional farming. A study conducted in the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia, found that organic irrigation farms use less absolute water than conventional farms and are more water-use productive, meaning they use water more efficiently relative to net farm income2. This suggests that organic farming can be more efficient in terms of water use, particularly in certain industry sectors like horticulture.

Water Reusability and Quality

Organic farming practices can also improve water reusability and quality. By reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, organic farming minimizes the contamination of water sources, thereby enhancing water quality and its potential for reuse1. This is crucial for maintaining sustainable ecosystems and reducing the anthropogenic footprint on water resources.

Case Study: Organic Rice Farming

In Indonesia, organic rice farming has been shown to consume significantly less water than conventional rice farming. This reduction in water use is attributed to the use of organic materials and water conservation practices, which result in a lower grey water footprint and overall water consumption6. Organic rice farming in Sindangkerta Village, West Java, for instance, saves about 30-50% of water consumption compared to conventional methods.

Challenges and Considerations

Despite these benefits, there are challenges associated with organic farming that may impact its water use efficiency. For example, intensive organic farming that relies heavily on solid organic matter, such as composted manure, can lead to significant nitrate leaching into groundwater, potentially causing water pollution3. Additionally, the increased reliance on organic fertilizers and pesticides in some organic farming systems can also contribute to water pollution, similar to conventional farming4.

Does organic farming use less water?

Adrian Muller has answered Uncertain

An expert from Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL in Agricultural Science, Organic Food, Environmental Science

No conclusive answer can be given on this indicator. There are indications that organic agriculture has better water absorption and water holding capacity due to better soil structure, such as e.g. higher soil carbon levels, etc. but there is no systematic review available on the water use under organic vs. conventional agriculture. Likely, the importance of climatic context variables and the efficiency of irrigation infrastructure is much more important for the water use levels than the production system being organic or not. 

Gattinger, A., Muller, A., Häni, M., Skinner, C., Fliessbach, A., Buchmann, N., Mäder, P., Stolze, M., Smith, P., El-Hage Scialabba, N., Niggli, U., 2012, Enhanced top soil carbon stocks under organic farming, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America PNAS, 109 (44) 18226-18231

Seufert, V., Ramankutty, N., 2017, Many shades of gray—The context-dependent performance of organic agriculture, Science advances 3(3): e1602638