Meta-analysis on soil organic carbon and cereal production in organic farming systems across Europe

Organic farming may improve agroecosystems’ resilience against external stressors, favour below-ground biodiversity, soil health, and increase soil water holding capacity. At the same time, organic farming systems are repeatedly reported to have lower average crop yields than conventional systems. To date, global meta-analyses on organic farming systems include a diverse range of crops, but none of them specifically focus on arable systems with cereal-based rotations. Further, they are not representative for specific European agro-environmental zones and often show weaknesses in the applied meta-analytical methodology.