www.revolutionhealth.com

The word “organic” refers to the way farmers grow and process agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat. Organic farming practices are designed to encourage soil and water conservation and reduce pollution. Farmers who grow organic produce and meat don’t use conventional methods to fertilize, control weeds or prevent livestock disease. For example, rather than using chemical weedkillers, organic farmers conduct sophisticated crop rotations and spread mulch or manure to keep weeds at bay.

Here are other differences between conventional farming and organic farming:

Conventional Farmers

• Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth.   
• Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease.    
• Use chemical herbicides to manage weeds.
• Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth.

Organic Farmers

• Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants.
• Use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pest and disease.
• Rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds.
• Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors.
• Use preventative measures – such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing – to help minimize disease.

www.ifoam.org

Through its holistic nature, organic farming integrates wild biodiversity, agro-biodiversity and soil conservation, and takes low-intensity, extensive farming one step further by eliminating the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which is not only an improvement for human health, but also for the fauna and flora associated with the farm and farm environment.

Organic farming enhances soil structures, conserves water and ensures the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Organic agriculture dramatically reduces external inputs by refraining from the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, genetically modified organisms and pharmaceuticals. Pests and diseases are controlled with naturally occurring means and substances according to both traditional as well as modern scientific knowledge, increasing both agricultural yields and disease resistance. Organic agriculture adheres to globally accepted principles, which are implemented within local socio-economic, climatic and cultural settings. As a logical consequence, IFOAM stresses and supports the development of self-supporting systems on local and regional levels.

Agricultural contaminants such as inorganic fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides from conventional agriculture are a major concern all over the world. Eutrophication, the suffocation of aquatic plants and animals due to rapid growth of algae, referred to as “algae blooms”, are literally killing lakes, rivers and other bodies of water. Persistent herbicides and insecticides can extend beyond target weeds and insects when introduced into aquatic environments. These chemicals have accumulated up the food chain whereby top predators  often consume toxic dosages. Organic agriculture restores the environmental balance and has none of these or other such deleterious effects on the environment.