A conventional farm must adhere to organic standards for this period, often two to three years.

"We've cut the use of commercial phosphate fertilizers on the conventional farm by two-thirds since we started with organic."

A 2003 study found that during drought years, organic farms can have yields 20-40% higher than conventional farms.

Organic farms have been consistently found to be as or more profitable than conventional farms.

Organic farms have a much more diverse range of fungi living in the soil than on conventional farms.

Species activity and foraging were both more than double on organic farms compared to conventional farms.

He's an organic farmer so he doesn't use any of the chemicals used on conventional farms.

Experts agree that in general organic farms tend to be less damaging to the environment than conventional farms.

"But our concern applies to both organic and conventional farms."

The cutbacks must be organised in such a way as to create equal conditions for both conventional and organic farms.