Importance of organic agriculture Maintaining and improving fertility, soil structure and biodiversity, and reducing erosion. Reduce the risks of human, animal and environmental exposure to toxic materials. Improve agricultural practices to meet local production conditions and satisfy local markets. In general, organic agriculture is considered to be a much more sustainable alternative when it comes to food production.
The lack of pesticides and a greater variety of plants improves biodiversity and translates into better soil quality and a reduction in pollution from fertilizer or pesticide runoff.
Organic
agriculture is based on the idea that agriculture is carried out without the use of synthetic agricultural chemicals; including, but not limited to, fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides or insecticides. This challenge has led to the development of collaborative agricultural cooperatives, such as the New England Neighborhood Food Cooperative Association, which is a network of more than 30 food cooperatives, community-supported agricultural initiatives, and increasingly popular farmer's markets that give farmers a better chance to get their products into the hands (and mouth) of the public. While researchers and the general public remain divided on whether organic agriculture is more sustainable than conventional agriculture, Sonali McDermid, an adjunct professor in the Department of Environmental Studies at New York University, says that it is very difficult to generalize any agricultural system or to label conventional or organic agriculture as “good” or “bad”.This makes organic farmers more vulnerable, from a financial point of view, to adverse weather events that could wipe out their entire harvest for the year, or if the harvest itself fails. According to the Research Institute for Organic Agriculture (FiBL), the demand for organic products is constantly increasing, making this form of cultivation economically interesting for farmers; India is in the lead in terms of the number of organic producers, while Australia has the highest proportion of organically cultivated land (more than 22.7 million hectares) in the world. In organic agriculture, the use of pesticides is completely abandoned, reducing the chances of potential contamination. The greater farmers' exposure to these chemicals during their lifetime, the more likely they are to suffer from a variety of health problems, ranging from headaches to fatigue and memory loss.
These developments have had a positive impact on the availability of organic food in local markets, allowing more people to enjoy the benefits of eating organic food (without chemicals). Keep in mind that organic crop yields are approximately 35% lower than conventional crops (USDA data), so it follows that for every bushel of organic food produced, there is a 35% larger footprint; 35% more water is used; and more fertilizers, pesticides (yes, even organic ones) and labor are used. Considering the long list of disadvantages of organic farming, it seems that we should stay away. Organic agriculture aims to prevent the use of harmful chemicals that leave poisonous residues that have a negative impact on the soil at various levels and affect microorganisms found in soil, animals and even humans.
This is one of the most common problems of organic farming in some countries and one of the reasons why consumers are skeptical about the higher quality of organic food compared to standard products. Instead, farmers use plants and biodiversity to help regulate their cropping systems, McDermid said. In addition to all that, organic agriculture strives to achieve sustainable agriculture and promotes the existence of bacteria and decomposition agents that lead to sustainable soils. Organic farmers must have a good understanding of the ecology and functioning of the soil, since organic production depends largely on healthy soils and natural systems.
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