Organics And The Environment

The USDA estimates that within the next ten years half of all America’s farm products will come from only 1% of the farms. The EPA also states that commercial agriculture is accountable for 70% of the pollution in our country's rivers and streams. Small-scale organic farmers finance innovative and far reaching research designed to minimize agriculture’s impact on the environment. They preserve bio-diversity by planting heirloom varieties of plants and harvesting seeds for future crops. The loss of a large variety of species is one of the worlds most pressing environmental concerns. The good news is that many organic farmers and gardeners have been gathering, preserving seeds and growing unusual and unique varieties for decades.

Organic farming methods naturally enrich the soil with manure and compost. Well balanced soils product healthy, strong plants, nourishing for both people and animals. Organic agriculture can be a lifeline for small farms as it offers an alternative market where sellers can command fair and equatable prices for crops. Organic farming may be one of the last ways to assure the survival of both our ecosystems and our rural farming communities .

Conventional farming endangers farm workers and their families. Scientific research confirms pesticide-related health problems which include cancer, birth defects, memory loss, paralysis and death. Unsecured storage, improper application methods and unsafe handling and transportation procedures are not at all uncommon and often lead to tragic mishaps. As pests develop resistance, farmers desperate to maintain or increase crop yields often resort to more and more applications of expensive and stronger chemical products. Facing rising costs, depleted fields and contaminated ground water, many small farmers have been forced to abandon their livelihood.

Organic farming, on the other hand, is not only safer and healthier for farmers, but also promotes just compensation in the supply chain. Organic farming provides an economically viable and socially acceptable alternative to large-scale farming and the accompanying dependence on government crop subsidies. Support of the small farmer supports America’s economy.

Organic production dramatically reduces health risks. Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered and approved prior to extensive research linking these noxious chemicals to cancer and other significant health problems. Crop dusting has often resulted in drifts of toxic pesticides from fields to residential areas.

Organic agriculture is one way to prevent more of these chemicals from contaminating the earth that sustains us. An increasing body of research indicates that pesticides and other contaminants are considerably more prevalent in the foods we eat, in our bodies and in the environment than we previously believed.

By choosing organic products we lessen this toxic burden. Organic farmers regularly rotate crops and plant cover crops to control weeds, nutrient leaching and erosion. Soil is the foundation of the food chain. The focus of organic farming is to use methods that build and maintain healthy and sustainable soils.

Source : articlesbase