Impact of Organic Agriculture on Soil Quality and Ecosystem Services: A Review

Organic agriculture enhances soil physical, chemical, and biological properties, contributing to ecosystem services like carbon sequestration and biodiversity, despite yield trade-offs. Barriers include yield variability and certification complexity, but long-term research and policy support can unlock its potential for climate-smart farming.

Shalakha John; R. Mohapatra; Mohd Abass; A. P; R. Ranjith; Sagar Chaudhary; Karnati Anjireddy· Journal of Scientific Research and Reports· 2025· DOI 10.9734/jsrr/2025/v31i63123

The core problem

Organic agriculture is increasingly recognized as a sustainable alternative to conventional farming, offering multiple environmental and agronomic benefits through ecologically based management practices. This review synthesizes evidence from long-term field trials, meta-analyses, and empirical studies to assess the impacts of organic agriculture on soil quality and associated ecosystem services. The growing global interest in sustainable food systems underscores the need to evaluate organic farming's potential to restore degraded soils, enhance ecosystem functioning, and contribute to climate-smart and resilient food systems.

Innovation

The review is based on a comprehensive synthesis of existing literature, including long-term field trials, meta-analyses, and empirical studies. Evidence was gathered from peer-reviewed sources to evaluate the effects of organic management practices on soil physical, chemical, and biological properties, as well as broader ecosystem services. The authors also considered barriers to adoption and the transition period dynamics. No new experimental data were generated; instead, the study integrates findings from multiple studies to draw holistic conclusions.

Introduction

Organic agriculture is increasingly recognized as a sustainable alternative to conventional farming, offering multiple environmental and agronomic benefits through ecologically based management practices. This review synthesizes evidence from long-term field trials, meta-analyses, and empirical studies to assess the impacts of organic agriculture on soil quality and associated ecosystem services. The growing global interest in sustainable food systems underscores the need to evaluate organic farming's potential to restore degraded soils, enhance ecosystem functioning, and contribute to climate-smart and resilient food systems.

Why it matters

The evidence indicates that organic agriculture has the potential to restore degraded soils, enhance ecosystem functioning, and contribute meaningfully to climate-smart and resilient food systems when supported by science-driven policy and adaptive management strategies. Barriers to widespread adoption include yield variability, certification complexity, and region-specific performance constraints. The transition period is particularly critical, with initial declines in productivity and biological activity before system stabilization. To address these challenges and realize the full potential of organic agriculture, future efforts must focus on long-term, data-driven research and technological integration, such as remote sensing and metagenomics. A multidimensional evaluation that incorporates environmental, economic, and social indicators is essential to accurately assess the role of organic systems in meeting global sustainability targets.

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