Is organic farming really better for the environment?
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Organic Farm Vang Vieng, www.laofarm.org/#
Question by Jenna: Is organic farming really better for the environment?
My friend and I were arguing about this. Her opinion is that it is actually worse for the environment because since no pesticides are used the ground must be tilled more to get rid of weeds causing more erosion.
Give your answer to this question below!
13 Responses to Is organic farming really better for the environment?
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YES! pesticides are awful for the earth and humans. Most of the times the organism they are trying to kill is actually beneficial to the earth. Also I don’t think tilling would hurt the earth, though I am not sure.
Sarah
January 4, 2012 at 5:12 am
What’s ORGANIC?
For plant foods to be considered organic they can’t have been subjected to any synthetic fertilizers or chemicals (like pesticides); the land they’re grown on must be certified organic; and genetic modification and irradiation are off limits.
When it comes to animal foods, organic refers to livestock that has access to the outdoors, has been given only organic feed for at least a year, and hasn’t been treated with antibiotics or growth hormones.
What is LOCALLY GROWN?
Locally grown is a less definitive term, some say it applies only to foods grown within a 100-mile radius, others stretch it to 250-miles, and one pioneer of the movement defines it as food grown within a “day’s leisurely drive from your home.”
It also usually means seasonal food from small farms, as opposed to the massive agribusinesses where most supermarket food comes from.
What’s the BEST Option?
As a nutritionist, I’d have to say that no matter what type of produce you buy — locally grown, organic or conventional — it’s VITAL for your health. Tens of thousands of studies have confirmed that the intake of fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of chronic illness and improve the quality of life. That said, in the perfect world I’d recommend the following:
Buy as much seasonal, locally grown produce as you can … you get the chance to connect with your food, help local business, support the environment and get super fresh-delicious produce (securing nutrient density because there’s less time spent in transit). However, depending upon where you live, you are limited to seasonal food items. So for greater variety, supplement with store bought organic (consider frozen organic to secure nutrient density and slightly reduce cost).
If money or availability is an issue, I’d limit your supplemental organic purchases to what many experts claim to be the most heavily sprayed 12 items and stick with conventional for the rest.
Suggested 12 foods to buy ORGANIC:
Apples
Cherries
Grapes, imported
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Raspberries
Strawberries
Bell peppers
Celery
Potatoes
Spinach
Keep in mind that many local farmers do NOT use pesticides….however, they can’t advertise themselves as certified organic because it’s a long and expensive process. Therefore, if you’d like to support your local farmers (and organic matters to you) – ask local farmers about their farming methods, you may be pleasantly surprised with the answers.
Patrick Cool
January 4, 2012 at 5:16 am
Absolutely! Organic farming is not only beneficial to the environment, it also benefits our communities, our economy and our futures. In addition to the previous answer, there is more to organic farming than putting additives (of any kind, natural or not) into the soil. If the proper environmental conditions are provided to the crop being grown, they will be healthy and able to defend themselves against pests and diseases. If proper pest management programs are followed, when pests do occur they are more easily controlled. As for the erosion control issue, it is just as important to manage the soil in both organic and non-organic farming and the techniques are the same.
j_nail
January 4, 2012 at 6:00 am
Organic farming is a form of agriculture which avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, plant growth regulators, and livestock feed additives. As far as possible organic farmers rely on crop rotation, crop residues, animal manures and mechanical cultivation to maintain soil productivity and tilth, to supply plant nutrients, and to control weeds, insects and other pests.
According to the international organic farming organisation IFOAM : “The role of organic agriculture, whether in farming, processing, distribution, or consumption, is to sustain and enhance the health of ecosystems and organisms from the smallest in the soil to human beings
if you want more informations and details try this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_farming
bobb
January 4, 2012 at 6:48 am
Organic farming is better by far. And as you mentioned tilling to start with, that is actually a very poor practice. With the no till method, which in short relies on a thick blanket of mulch to keep out weed competition, hold in moisture, and keep the soil structure intact (not pulverized over and over), soil is managed in an organic way that leaves it better even after a harvest that it was. Once begun and the initial preparation behind, it is just a maintenance of keeping up with the mulches as opposed to plowing/ harrowing. No weed chemicals, less fertilizer input, less watering, and erosion control are all the benefits to name the big ones. With a 5 or 6 inch layer of mulch, all one has to do to plant is to open up a small spot in the covering, place seed or a plant, and go on to the next. Provided the soil has not been compacted prior to your working with it, plants and seeds will grow without any problem, as their genetics designed them to before the human animal took over. Trust me, they will without plowing. That ruins the soil quality in regards to the micro and macro pore relationship and the ability for air to get into the soil. Roots need air like leaves do. And so does the soil flora and fauna, with out whose likes the soil would be little more than moon regolith. There is so much more to organic and sustainable agriculture, but suffice to say, this can all be done anywhere be it a backyard 10X10 garden or a hectare.
mike453683
January 4, 2012 at 7:26 am
If you take all of the synthetic pesticides out of agricultural production then you need to figure out what to do with all the corpses of the people who will starve to death.
Jon C
January 4, 2012 at 8:10 am
Yes, it is very good for the enviorment =)
Quynh O
January 4, 2012 at 8:39 am
ofcourse dear!
Nibir
January 4, 2012 at 8:57 am
yes
scherlinggarrett
January 4, 2012 at 9:55 am
Many farmers that call themselves organic farmers aren’t entirely using organic procedures. I realize that their are extensive procedures that have to be followed to ensure that these farmers are truely planting organically. I think that organic farming and farmers have their heads in the right place, but they fail to meet the production needs as to your good old midwestern boys.
spoady2006
January 4, 2012 at 10:12 am
organic farming is an environmental friendly and it is better than inorganic farming although it is laborious and more time is being consumed it is still better because there is not pesticide use that can harm the environment another one is don’t you know that more than 70% of cemment or stones are being use in manufacturing artificial fertilizer. and once this cemments or stone mixed to our riceland it will turn to acidic? regarding the soil erosion both organic and inorganic can contribute to erosion why, in organic we uproot the weeds to remove it and in inorganic we use herbicide to eliminate the weeds. once the weeds uprooted or eliminated the erosion has been enhance because ther is no grasses that will holds the soil. and most of all in organic farmiong we can maintain the ecological balance which is very important to our life. remember this ” we just need to eliminate pest or weeds and not ot eradiacte for ecological balance.”
kwago
January 4, 2012 at 10:31 am
the flat areas are nice to be tilled but not the uphill areas.organic farming is the use of all organic matters to condition the soil for the cultivation of the crops and if possible no synthetic chemicals will be used to remove insects so the the produce will have positive effects to the consumers.(for long term)
katagalugan9
January 4, 2012 at 10:48 am
Organic farming is better for the environment because it does not use chemicals that destroy soil life and uses techniques such as composting and cover cropping to create soil.
The ground is not tilled any more than in conventional farming not using no-till (which has to use a lot of herbicide to “burn down” the weeds before planting) than on an organic farm. In many cases there is less tillage being done on organic farms than convenional farms.
Well managed organic farms use cover crops on fallow fields which means almost zero erosion and the cover crops add organic matter when they are plowed under this in turn builds soils.
Conventional farms not using no-till lose billions of tons of soil annually via wind and water erosion. Chemical use does nothing to build soils so convenional generally have a net soil loss. Organic farms build soils so generally have a net soil gain.
ohiorganic
January 4, 2012 at 11:05 am