Benefits of Organic Farming

Benefits of Organic Farming

Organic farming is an agricultural practice that is more than giving up use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and heavy tillage to produce food. It involves practices which work with natural ecological systems to enhance productivity of a whole farm. It combines traditional wisdom with appropriate scientific advances.

Organic farming is based on maintaining biodiversity, and the health of plants, animals, and people to provide sustainable production for the present and future generations, according to IFOAM – Organics.

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Health Benefits

Health benefits occur for everyone involved in organic farming, including animals.

Farmer and Farm Workers

Farm workers are no longer exposed to pesticides, an occupational health hazard associated with conventional farming that leads to many diseases some of which can be lethal.

Consumers

People benefit from eating food without chemicals which have been shown to cause health related problems, including cancer according to Time.

• This is especially true for fresh produce that are free of pesticides and heavy metals. Children are the greatest beneficiaries as they are most susceptible to chemicals.
• Meat from organic farms, also do not have antibiotics in them, or super bugs which have developed resistance to antibiotics.

Healthy Animals

One of the cornerstones of organic farming is that all people and animals are respected and treated well.

• So animals’ on an organic farm, are allowed to roam free and lead a healthy life in natural conditions outdoors.
• Animals are not raised in abnormal crowded populations that result in injury or rapid spread of diseases as in conventional farm.

Climate Change Mitigation

Intensive agriculture is one of the main contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emission which causes climate change. Organic farming eliminates the various sources of these emissions and helps in climate change mitigation.

• Fertilizers avoided: Use of compost and natural manure reduces contribution of GHG gases, like carbon dioxide and methane, during the manufacture of nitrogenous fertilizers, that is also very energy intensive.
• More soil carbon: Healthy soils have large amounts of humus a form of carbon stored underground as is the case in organic farms. So they act as carbon sinks removing carbon dioxide from the air according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
• Hedges and trees: Organic farming allows and encourages the use of hedges to protect farms against insect pest movement or as windbreaks. These are perennial shrubs and trees that fix carbon dioxide from air. Similarly, trees planted in a farm to attract natural predators of insects also help in carbon capture.
• Less use of fossil fuels: Replacing big tractors and harvesters meant for large farms with smaller machines and manual labor reduces the use of fossil fuels by organic farms and therefore helps reduce climate change.

Avoids Air, Water, and Soil Pollution

Organic farming uses compost, recycling farm waste instead of chemical fertilizers. Compost release nutrients gradually, so there is little or no wastage of nutrients, if proper amounts of manure are applied. So there is no soil or water pollution due to organic farming.

• Organic farming avoids eutrophication which results when the unused portion of fertilizers seep into the soil and are washed away into ponds, streams, and ultimately the ocean.
• Dead zones that result in oceans, ponds, and streams when fertilizers reach them can be prevented, and natural species living in them can remain safe.
• Animal waste are recycled by proper composting, so a major source of nutrient pollutionis eliminated.

More Employment Opportunities

Organic farms are labor intensive as much of the work is done by people as these farms are not designed for large machines. As a result, there are more employment opportunities in an organic farm compared to conventional farms. The occurrence of rural employment and poverty, a problem everywhere in the world, can be addressed by organic farming.

Growing Demand for Organics

Demand for organic products is increasing, in contrast to products from conventional farms. Moreover, people are prepared to pay more for organic given its health benefits. So organic farming these days is a sound business option.

Community

Certification for organic farms are expensive so many farmers choose to sell their products locally and avoid this cost.

• Farm shops and farmers’ markets: These practices offer opportunities for farmers and consumers to connect directly and build trust to trade in organic products. It also solves the problem of long distance transport cost usually associated with organic products.
• Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): CSAs are a great way for a community to be involved in saving their local environment, help an organic farmer, and in return get fresh local produce at good prices. Fresh produce, dairy products and meat can all be ordered and picked up at the farm or be delivered by boxes. CSAs are extending their reach to nearby urban centres to the mutual benefit of the farms and consumers.

Boosts Biodiversity

Organic farms typically grow many crops at the same time and during different seasons through inter-cropping and crop rotation. This increases the crop diversity compared to conventional farms. Moreover, by maintaining and augmenting natural ecological process there are other biodiversity benefits as well.

These permanent vegetation, such as hedges and trees, in a farm provide habitats and homes for a myriad of insects, birds, and small mammals. Soils in organic farms have much more biodiversity than the sterile and unfertile soils in intensive farms.