Benefits of Organic Farming

Over the past fifty years, the way we eat has changed compared to the previous 10,000 years. The figure that is used to advertise the food, remains to be the figure of Agrarian America. No seasons in the supermarkets means that there are food like tomatoes that are all year round, halfway around the world being grown, picked when it was green, and ripened with ethylene gas. The importance of this all is that the industry does not want you to know about what you are eating, because if you knew, you might not want to eat it. When you look at the stickers on the food packages, it shows a farm, but in reality it is a factory.

The food is being processed by gigantic multinational corporations that have nothing to do with ranches and/or farmers. It has become much more menacing in ways because it is being secretly hidden from us. Organic farming uses different types of methods to growing crops and raising livestock. Organic farming recycles livestock wastes to reduce pollution and conserves soil, water, energy and biological resources. It also uses less fossil energy by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide that is released to the atmosphere. On top of that, it uses extended crop rotations that help conserve soil and water resources and reduce insect, disease, and weed problems.

The different types of methods avoid synthetic chemicals, hormones, antibiotic agents, genetic engineering, and irradiation. The crops are produced on farms that does not use synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizer for 3 years before a harvest and have an amble buffer zone that decreases contamination from adjacent lands. This provides many benefits for us humans. Since there are fewer chemicals being used to grow these crops, it allows humans to be able to consume them without a risk of danger or traces of the chemicals. Now that there are no chemicals being added to make them last longer, they taste better and more flavorful. Organic livestock must be raised without the routine use of antibiotic agents or growth hormones and must have availability to the outdoors. If an animal is being treated for a disease, it cannot be sold as organic because it has some antibiotic agents. This ensures that all consumers know that nothing is being added or given to the livestock and that they are not given any antibiotics, growth hormones, or animal fed byproducts. Feeding the livestocks animal by products increases the risk of cow disease, and the use of antibiotics can create resistant strains of bacteria.

Organic foods do use pesticides. The difference is that they only use naturally-derived pesticides, rather than the synthetic pesticides used on commercial farms. Natural pesticides are said to be “less toxic”, but in actuality, some have been found to have health risks. The fact the organic rules require approved synthetic pesticides are only to be used as their last option. On top of that, people think that the use of any chemicals are not allowed, but organic food production does allow a limited number of chemicals added. The disadvantages about organic farming/food is that the are more expensive. Organic products cost up to 40% more. Organic crops are time consuming to produce because they refrain from chemicals and growth hormones. You need highers costs of fertilizer because you need to know how to grow it. There is a certain amount of water you need for organic crops. There aren’t that many people who work in organic farms. This is why the prices go up for organic products.

An advantage that GMO has is that the taste is better than organic foods. They contain preservatives in it and it keeps them from not rotting and make it last longer. Genetically modified crops conserve energy, soil, and water. These foods can be grown anywhere. Such as places that don’t receive that much rainfall. It will help with extinction by the growth of genetically modified food. The way they would do that is taking a seed or a sample of it and genetically modify it. GMO crops can also provide advantages for humans and better health benefits. They could modify and provide complete nutritional profile. Genetically modified foods could also add multiple vitamins and minerals that they built into the crops which helps with low costs. It also helps to keep up with the population growth. As the amount of babies being born per second and the amount of gmo foods are being made provides humans the insurance that there are enough food for almost everyone. Since the costs are lower, it does benefit us dramatically.

Genetically modified foods have flaws and inconveniences just like organic foods. In some genetically modified crops, there are chemicals that can cause a allergic reaction. GMOs create superbugs that causes a huge threat to the crops. When they cause a threat to the crops, they modify it more so the insects won’t be able to harm it. By keeping the bugs away, they inject an antibiotic resistance into the foods. Antibiotic resistance is a ability to keep the bacteria away. Pesticides is a insect or harmful organisms (like bacteria) that is very harmful to plants or animals. Organic foods are more fresher than GMO foods. Traces chemicals and pesticides used in plants are being digested by humans which damage many internal functions. The exposure to harmful pesticides will be lower when eating organic. The use of pesticides at the low doses can increase the risk of certain cancers. Children and babies are vulnerable to the exposure because their immune system, brains, and bodies are still developing. This exposure at a young age can cause disorders, autism, motor dysfunction, and development delays.