Omnivore's Dilemm The Future Of Organic Farming

Every year, the average person in America consumes nearly a ton of food, and the majority of this consists of packaged and highly processed products. These foods also contain a substantial amount of unwanted fats and chemicals. The growing of organic versus nonorganic food has been a controversial issue for a long time among organic and nonorganic farmers and their customers. This is due to the myriad definitions of healthy eating and the stated benefits on both sides.

When we think or the term ‘organic’ in reference to produce we think of food grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic fertilizers. We also think of animals that produce meat and dairy products that don’t take growth hormones, antibiotics, or corn but rather fed their natural food like forage/grass in the case of ruminants. Upon Michael Pollan’s trip to Whole Foods, a well-known supermarket known for its organic products, he stumbles upon the labels of milk and compares each brand to one another. The common denominator between all the labels is that all of the companies falsely advertise their products and drown their labels with words such as “certified organic,” humanely raised,” or “free range.” Big organic companies

Organic Farming is a deliberate approach to farming based on regeneration and the promotion of life and health in the soil. Organic farmers do not use most of the fertilizers and pesticides that are used by conventional farmers. By using

By the year 2050, estimates show that over 9 billion people will inhabit Earth, and it is imperative that agriculture finds a way to feed them all. That is about 1.5 billion more people than there are today. One of the biggest dilemmas that agriculture faces is that relatively very little more land can be converted into land used for agriculture production, without causing irreparable, detrimental effects to the environment The damage that this would cause is the subject for another essay, but the bottom line is that we have to produce this food using the land we already have. The only way we can accomplish this, and the point that I will try to argue, is to combine the best practices organic, or small farms, with those of conventional farms (Foley).

Research suggests that organic farming is a sustainable system of agriculture because it builds a toxin free biologically diverse ecosystem, controls soil erosion, and enhances the quality of air and water by reducing the hazardous chemicals.

It is a common held belief that organic foods and products are significantly healthier than conventionally grown foods but the evidence does not support such claims. Organic foods only have a slight nutritional benefit and may cost the consumer more than just dollars.

2. This article is discussing the issue of whether or not we should be spending the money on organic produce over non organic produce. They are clearly portraying that organic food should be purchased and consumed over non organic food. They convey the message that non organic food is relatively a newer concept than organic produce as it has only come into place since 1950s, where before this all food was originally organic grown. Non-organic farmers have at their disposal an arsenal of over 320 pesticides and they use them routinely. Evidence links some of these pesticides with developmental damage to mammals that could lead to cancers, developmental problems and birth defects. They’re claims that these pesticides are all below “safe limits, but it is all very suspicious, whereas organic produce is hardly ever found with any traces of harmful pesticides or food additive as they are only available to very limited numbers. Same goes with their animals, they are only treated with antibiotics when they show clinical signs of illness. Although organic food costs more this article is in the opinion the non-organic farming is cracking at the seams, that is unable of delivering safe, healthy food, treating animals humanely, or taking care of the environment properly. Concluding that Organics is the only organised, coherent, global alternative to this failed industrial food experiment.

The definition of organic varies by the type of food, but at its core, organic farming and production involve techniques that are generally safer for the environment and for human consumption than conventional farming, including using only nonsynthetic pesticides. Proponents of organic farming stress the health benefits of cleaner foods and less chemical residue.

Everyone needs to eat and the matter of how farmers grow the food is important for our future. As the world progresses and becomes more and more modernized the old and the new clash and that is what is happening with farming. In the world of farming there are many methods of growing crops, two of them being organic and the other industrial. The two are definitely not the same and hold different viewpoints on the methods of farming. Organic farming is more old fashioned and very natural while on the other hand industrial farming being more modern and more synthetic. Organic farming has more of a moral side and industrial farming has a more “get the job done” attitude. Industrial farming uses genetically modified organisms and modern machinery with science behind it. Organic farming still uses some modern technology such as tractors and harvesting tools. Industrial farming is the better way of farming due to the use of genetically modified organisms,yield of crops through industrialized farming methods, and the efficiency of industrial farms.

When consumers hear the word “organic” they think the food they are eating is free of pesticides, hormones, and a plethora of chemicals, which is partly true. Farmers of all crops have to use pesticides to keep their crops alive; in the case of organics, farmers use case natural pesticides. However, consumers do not take into consideration that their food could have potential dangers due to lacking certain chemicals which help maintain a safer produce. Not only do Americans forget about the consequences of organic foods, but they do not realize that growing organic puts our production and yields at a lower supply, has potential to put our health at risk, and creates challenges in livestock production.

Organic farming is becoming the next big thing in the food industry. Organic farms “produce products using methods that preserve the environment and avoid synthetic materials.”1 Organic standards explain how farmers grow and treat their plants and animals. As you can see, organic farming isn’t just food like vegetables and fruits but also includes dairy and poultry. Like many other topics, there are many parts that play into one thing. This research will provide you with the background on organic farming, its economic statistics, the ecosystems benefits, biodiversity benefits, and the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in organic farming.

Organic food consists of any crops or animal product produced without the use of pesticides, man-made fertilizers, additives, or growth regulators. ‘In 2002 the USDA created national organic standards, overriding any state regulators and creating a labeling system.’ (Griswold 2015) The Labels include different levels such as “100 percent organic” which means the product must be made from only organic products, “organic” products that have at least 95 percent organic ingredients, and products, “containing organic products” with at least 70 percent organic products. However, manure contamination may not be isolated to organic farming since the difference between manure use, inorganic, and conventional farming is small. If organic food prices are lowered then more people will be able to eat healthier. Once this occurs, it will have a positive effect on overall health of consumers.

Organic Agriculture, as defined by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB): “Is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain, and enhance ecological harmony.” Which is very fancily put for agriculture with as little man made input as possible trying to farm, as they perceive at least, the most beneficial to the environment in the agricultural setting. To do this, all uses of pesticides, herbicides, chemical nutrients, genetically modified seed, and the list goes on and on. The producer relies more heavily upon the application of manure and in most cases is forced into higher tillage to control weed pests. Although there is some other natural pest control methods, but the choices are pretty limited. Organic production’s man principle is to return organic matter back to the soil, as well as fetch premium market prices for their production. As for the history of the term “organic” and its association with agriculture as far as anyone can tell, at least in this country was around the 1940’s.( Gegner, L, & Kuepper, G, 2004) Until 1962 Organic Agriculture really wasn’t something the general population knew about or even cared, but in 1962 Rachel Carson’s Silent spring came into print. The publication was a graphic statement about the harms of pesticides on the environment. This one book had a

The pros and cons of organic farming vary in health concerns. For a product to be completely organic there must be no chemicals, insecticides, hormones, or any product that is not earth made being used in the farming process. Nutrient value is usually a lot higher in organic products because there is no chemical use. The micronutrients from the rich soil, without chemical use decrease health risks. The chemicals used to help grow the plants and animals often take away some the nutritional value. The plant or animals develops

Additionally, when an organic farm starts up it uses double the space as a conventional farm uses. Although most people think that organic farms are better for the environment they are actually wasting space that could be used to produce food to satisfy the need all over the world. An argument that is used is that pesticides harm the environment therefore farms without the use of pesticides or organic farms are better. Most pesticides are actually just used to kill insects and other harmful diseases. This use of