My key point was that organic farming does not have a monopoly on beneficial practices; nor is it automatically "better" than conventional farming. If the goal is biodiversity there are many approaches that will encourage this, including *not farming*. One does not have to be an organic farmer to create habitats for beneficial insects, any more than one has to be a Christian or a Buddhist to be a good person. The key points from the study are:

> Three broad practices that are strongly associated with organic farming were identified as being of particular benefit to farmland biodiversity in general:  (1) Prohibition/ reduced use of chemical pesticides and inorganic fertilisers is likely to have a positive impact through the removal of both direct and indirect negative effects on arable plants, invertebrates and vertebrates. (2) Sympathetic management of non-crop habitats and field margins can enhance diversity and abundance of arable plants, invertebrates, birds and mammals. (3) Preservation of mixed farming is likely to positively impact farmland biodiversity through the provision of greater habitat heterogeneity at a variety of temporal and spatial scales within the landscape.  

> One contrary point should also be borne in mind. It is plausible that those farmers who choose to convert to organic status may be pre-disposed to environmentally friendly farming practices in the first place or may farm land that has previously been managed less intensively and is therefore easier to convert successfully to organic. Even as conventional enterprises, biodiversity may have been greater than "average" on such farms and may have simply remained at that higher level after conversion. These issues demonstrate the need for more rigorous, standardised investigations into the apparent differences between organic and conventional farming systems.

"Does organic farming benefit biodiversity?" D.G. Hole et al. / Biological Conservation 122 (2005) 113–130

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