Are organic farming practices safer than conventional farming practices? What is the definition of “organic”? We have probably all seen advertisements while browsing the supermarket that say “organic foods”, such as produce or meat, are sold there, or even in the window of certain retail clothing stores. How can the term organic apply to things as different as food and clothing? According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word organic refers to something that “was grown or made without the use of artificial chemicals” (Merriam-Webster 2014). People use this label when referring to vegetation, farm-raised animals, and sometimes even the way an article of clothing is made. Research shows that organic farming practices are safer than conventional …show more content…
Let us examine the issues of soil erosion and water conservation first. How do organic farming practices differ than that of conventional with regard to its affect of soil erosion? A major goal of organic farming is to produce nutritional plants (food) while also preserving the environment and its natural resources, such as soil and water (Pimentel et al. 2005). Soil erosion has been a concern for the United States and other countries for many years. An article prepared in 1987 by Reganold, Elliott and Unger, details the effects of different agriculture practices by comparison. Two important differences of organic farming are the “tillage methods and crop rotations” (Reganold et al. 1987). Farming organically means that the farmer relies heavily on crop rotations to control weeds and pests. Heavy tillage practices used in conventional agriculture further contribute to soil erosion issues (Reganold et al. 1987). It was noted from a water erosion test comparing the topsoil of adjacent farms, one growing organically and one conventional, that the amount of topsoil lost between from the conventional farming practices was almost four times more than the organic (Reganold et al. …show more content…
Organic farming can offer many different employment opportunities. Statistics prove that the demand for organic products is steadily increasing, so the need for more skilled laborers, inspectors, and consultants, to name a few, will also continue to grow (LBS 2010). Currently, the retail market for organics brings in a steadily increasing amount of $35 billion (USDA 2014). In order for food or fiber to be considered organic, it must produced by a farm that is certified organic by the USDA. This certification requires that farmers meet different criteria than a conventional farmer would follow. The farmer would have to allow their farm animals access to outside areas and support the health of the animals. This is very important to consumers who worry about animal welfare. Also, any and all materials used must be approved organic products. These farmers have agreed to “preserve natural resources and biodiversity” (USDA 2014). This involves extra manpower to labor the crops without heavy tillage. The farm would also be open to yearly inspections. All of these standards set forth by the USDA require persons certified or trained in the area of organics to keep the farm running properly. Depending on the size of the farm, this could also include office jobs, such as sales, marketing, and
Organic food is produce untreated with pesticides, fertilizers or bioengineering. The truth is that all produce that consumers purchase from their local supermarkets has been treated or chemically altered in some way, shape or form. Edwin Marty, founder of Jones Valley Urban Farm Alabama, states that even local farms, including his own, are prompted by local and state agencies to use conventional agricultural solutions which require soil fertilizers, etc, making the produce not organic like most consumers may think. (http://www.pbs.org/food/features/lexicon-of-sustainability-local-vs-organic/) Organic food can be purchased at local farms however a consumer must be willing to have a face certification with the owner of their local farm. This means establishing a connection with the farmer, learning their growing and agricultural practices to form a trust over the organic quality of their
Firstly we need to define in detail what organic produce, natural produce, are and how they differ. In order for a product or produce to be classified organic it must abide by USDA requirements for organic food. To meet these requirements for the USDA, organic crops must be produced without conventional pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, bioengineering, and ionizing radiation. (Organic Production and Organic Food Information) Organically raised farm animals must have access to the outdoors for grazing. If a food has a "USDA organic" label, it contains at least 95 percent organic ingredients, and a government-approved expert has inspected the farm where it was produced to make sure the farmer follows USDA requirements. (Organic Production and Organic Food Information)
Organic products and non-organic products have been a subject of interest to me for a great amount of time because I have often questioned whether there really was a difference between the two types of products. I always wondered what the nutritional, economic, laborious, and pollution differences were, if any, in the creation of the two types of products. Through research, I have found several sources of information that allow me to determine more than a physical difference between the two. To start, labeling something as organic is specific and determined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The regulations set are extremely specific and it is relatively difficult to meet the standards.
Organic refers to the way agricultural products, food and fiber, are grown and processed. “It is an ecological system that at its core relies on a healthy rich soil to produce strong plants that resist pests and diseases. Organic farming prohibits the use of toxic and persistent chemicals in favor of more “earth-friendly” practices that work in harmony with nature. In the case of livestock, antibiotics are prohibited, opting instead for preventative measures for keeping animals healthy and productive. Organic production also prohibits the use of genetically modified organisms (GMO’s).” (Ameriorganic) To find organic products one must only look for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) seal. The seal certifies the product must be 95%
The amount of foodstuffs produced by organic farms does not meet the demand of the population, which is the main objective of farming. Observing the United States of America alone and using myself as the average American we
Many people ask the question of what is organic food? This paper is going to go into many things that people might have questions about when it comes to organic food. What is organic food? Is there a difference between Organic and conventional food? Is growing organic easier on farms soil compared to conventional farming? What does it take to be organic food, who watches and regulates what is considered to be organic? Why does organic food cost so much more than conventional? Is it really worth the higher cost? Organic food, is it more beneficial than that of conventionally grown food. Why? What is the difference between CERTIFIED organic and organic foods that are not certified? We will go into all of these questions and more throughout this paper trying to find the answers
Organic foods have become more and more popular over the years, and consumers may or may not be knowledgeable when shopping for organic and/or conventional foods. This report will help define the difference between organic and conventional foods and farming, including the health benefits and risks. The demand for organic foods will also be discussed briefly. The purpose of this research is to describe and identify the advantages and issues that are involved with organic and inorganic foods.
Many consumers and farmers have discovered that living in an industrialized culture where the focus has become faster, bigger, and cheaper is not the best way to produce our food. Obsessed with productivity, the agriculture industry is reaping the negative consequences of creating an unsustainable environment for food production. Time and time again, the media captures stories regarding deadly bacterial contamination and dangerous pesticide contamination causing illness and death in our communities. The environment is also damaged and contaminated. This devastating trend, due to irresponsible farming practices as a result of the industrialization of the food industry, has become all too common. Returning to organic farming, which our grandparents referred to as farming, and reclaiming our food is not only our choice, it is our right.
For years organic farmers and conventional farmers have feuded over which is superior. Organic farmers argue that their product is more eco-friendly because they do not use the synthetic chemicals and fertilizers conventional farmer’s use. Conventional farmers argue that their product is healthier and yields more. People tend to have stereotypes regarding the two types of farmers. Organic farmers are usually thought of as liberal, hippy, tree-huggers while conventional farmers are usually thought of as right-wing, industrialists. Obviously, some do adhere to this stereotype, but a majority of these farmers are normal, hardworking people. Although these farmers, both believe in their methods, one is no better than the other. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, but there is no true superior method of crop farming.
It is estimated that 37 farmers leave the land every day to pursuit in different field (Herro 2006). The decline in rural farmers is from the consequences of industrialization of agriculture. Only 1 percent of the UK workforce is now employed on farm, compared to 35 percent in the last century (Herro 2006). Many of these workers are being weaved out by better technologies that can do the same work at a faster and more efficient rate. On the contrary, organic farming relies more on people for knowledge, daily monitoring, and production. A study by the Soil Association shows organic farming can potentially provide 32 percent more jobs per farm than conventional farming in the United Kingdom (Herro 2006). However, critics have argued that human labors will lead to higher food prices, which makes the shift infeasible. But while this may be true in developed country, a full scale shift to organic farming in developing countries, where labors are much cheaper than pesticides, can lead to a much higher profit for the farmers. Organic farming attracts younger employees than any other work industry. Currently, the average age for conventional farmer is 56 (Herro 2006). If a full scale shift to organic farming were to happen, it would draw a more vibrant and enthusiastic workforce who are food conscious than that older generations, setting up a platform
In his illustration of this movement, all agriculture was generally organic until the 1920’s, and several farmers like Coleman have shared their perspectives on what we now consider “Organic Food” (Coleman). He also argues that to recognize what people eat and how that can influence on their health ought to be guaranteed. In addition, he divides his whole idea or organic farming. Basically when Coleman started farming, he believed that “organic” was a way of thinking rather than a “profit center” (Coleman). In other words, since organic food has become popular to the public, big companies in the food industry have taken over (Coleman). Moreover, he defined organic food as “locally grown and unprocessed, with exceptional quality” (Coleman). His standard of “Real Food” farming is the place where fresh fruits and vegetables along with a 50-mile radius of their final sale. Additionally, beans grains and potatoes are developed inside a 300-mile radius of the last sale. His standard is not a realistic goal which is to grow and produce food products naturally because it costs more money and requires nurturing by good farmers. It is unrealistic to have such farms everywhere throughout the spots nowadays; subsequently, individuals can purchase those ranches items on the grounds where those ranch’ agriculturists would take up more land. Consequently, more natural cultivating can make appropriately developed natural
Agriculture also leads to soil erosion, both through rainfall and wind. This soil can damage the aquatic ecosystems it ends up in, an...
First of all, the main reason that people choose organic food is that people think organic foods have less chemical residue, such as pesticide, and fertilizer. In the article “Organic foods contain higher levels of certain nutrients, lower levels of pesticides, and may provide health benefits for the consumer”, Crinnion indicated that organic foods just had 33 percent of the amount of pesticide and fertilizer residues that found in conventional foods, and conventional foods contain two or more types of chemical residues than organic foods (Crinnion, 2010). In addition, Crinnion used a study of Seattle preschoolers as an example to demonstrate organic foods have less pesticide residues. The study of Seattle concluded that children who ate more conventional foods had six times higher level of pesticide resi...
home farm. Reducing soil erosion is one of the most important practices on my home farm.
Agriculture is the industry that I am choosing to reflect upon that is one of the top industries in the United States and therefore I felt it to be a good industry to focus on.