Environmental benefits of Organic farming
The Rodale Institute has reported that organic farming systems use 30% less fossil fuels than other farming systems. They have also found that organic farming tends to hold more carbon in the soil, reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon dioxide is an important greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.
“No food has higher amounts of beneficial minerals, essential amino acids and vitamins than organic food”. Research from around the world has supported this statement. There is not always a difference between organic food and other food, but when there is a difference, organic foods do have higher amounts of these beneficial substances.
Eco-friendly Organic farming
* Topsoil erosion: One-third of our nation's topsoil has eroded due to modern industrialized farming practices. Not only does each lost inch cause a 6% drop in farm yields, but it also leads to increased flood exposure as a result of siltation.
* Toxic runoff: Pesticide-heavy runoff from farmland into rivers, lakes, and streams takes a toll on wildlife. Riparian habitats within watersheds are destroyed by chemical contamination. Additionally, the conversion of wild habitat to agricultural land significantly reduces fish and wildlife populations through erosion and sedimentation, the effects of pesticides, removal of riparian plants, and the diversion of water.
* Decreased biodiversity: With its emphasis on yield, uniformity, market acceptability and pest resistance, present-day agricultural norm sacrifices variety of species. Before the advent of modern industrialized agriculture, farmers produced roughly 80,000 species of plants; today farmers rely on about 150. The increasing reliance on a small number of crop species means declining nutritional variety for consumers as well as increased strain on overburdened farmland.
* Health risks: Heavy reliance on pesticides by conventional farmers is suspected of leading to increased rates of cancer and reproductive problems in humans. More than 80% of the most commonly-used pesticides today have been classified by National Academy of Sciences researchers as potentially carcinogenic -- and are routinely found in mothers' milk.
The Rodale Institute has reported that organic farming systems use 30% less fossil fuels than other farming systems. They have also found that organic farming tends to hold more carbon in the soil, reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon dioxide is an important greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.
“No food has higher amounts of beneficial minerals, essential amino acids and vitamins than organic food”. Research from around the world has supported this statement. There is not always a difference between organic food and other food, but when there is a difference, organic foods do have higher amounts of these beneficial substances.
Eco-friendly Organic farming
* Topsoil erosion: One-third of our nation's topsoil has eroded due to modern industrialized farming practices. Not only does each lost inch cause a 6% drop in farm yields, but it also leads to increased flood exposure as a result of siltation.
* Toxic runoff: Pesticide-heavy runoff from farmland into rivers, lakes, and streams takes a toll on wildlife. Riparian habitats within watersheds are destroyed by chemical contamination. Additionally, the conversion of wild habitat to agricultural land significantly reduces fish and wildlife populations through erosion and sedimentation, the effects of pesticides, removal of riparian plants, and the diversion of water.
* Decreased biodiversity: With its emphasis on yield, uniformity, market acceptability and pest resistance, present-day agricultural norm sacrifices variety of species. Before the advent of modern industrialized agriculture, farmers produced roughly 80,000 species of plants; today farmers rely on about 150. The increasing reliance on a small number of crop species means declining nutritional variety for consumers as well as increased strain on overburdened farmland.
* Health risks: Heavy reliance on pesticides by conventional farmers is suspected of leading to increased rates of cancer and reproductive problems in humans. More than 80% of the most commonly-used pesticides today have been classified by National Academy of Sciences researchers as potentially carcinogenic -- and are routinely found in mothers' milk.
