How many farmers do you know who can claim that their work improves the environment, cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions and saves water? Not many. But organic farmers are making it happen everyday. Organic farming is not just good for the planet—it’s good business as well.
Here’s why:
Soil Conservation
Organic farming conserves soil.
Organic farming is better for the environment in many ways, but perhaps none more so than its ability to improve soil quality and protect our planet from extreme erosion.
The reason for this is simple: organic farmers don’t use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides—they rely on natural methods of enriching their fields.
This means that they have a vested interest in maintaining healthy soil structure, which helps prevent erosion.
Organic crops also use less water than conventional ones; for example, one acre of corn can require about 8 times more water than an acre of potatoes (which are grown organically). Since plants need less water, there’s less runoff into lakes and rivers—an excellent way to protect our waterways!
Water Conservation
Water conservation is one of the most important reasons to switch to organic farming. When you plant and grow crops using conventional methods, you use large amounts of water and chemicals that pollute our streams and rivers.
This includes pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and other chemicals that harm the soil biology living below ground.
When growing with organic methods instead of conventional ones, farmers don’t need to use these harmful chemicals because they can use natural ways instead.
Prevents Health Problems
The health benefits of organic food have been well documented. In addition to using natural fertilizers and less chemical pesticides, organic farming practices promote the growth of healthy soil.
Healthy soil is the foundation of a healthy plant, which means that you’re getting more nutrients from each bite when you choose organic produce.
It also allows farmers to raise animals without antibiotics or hormones, so they’re healthier too!
This is why I’m convinced that this is the future of agriculture: because it’s not just better for us individually—it’s better for our world as a whole
Boosts Environmental Sustainability
There are many reasons why organic farming is the future of agriculture. It’s better for the environment, soil, water, air and wildlife.
Organic farming uses fewer chemicals to grow crops and protect against pests or disease. This means that there is less runoff into local streams and rivers; less pollution from smog-inducing chemicals in the air; less contamination of groundwater supplies with toxins;
fewer dead zones in our oceans caused by chemical fertilizer runoffs; fewer greenhouse gas emissions from these processes; and more biodiversity on farms because there aren’t any synthetic pesticides killing off beneficial insects (like honeybees).
No Use Of Toxic Chemicals
- No use of pesticides
Pesticides are toxic chemicals that are used to kill insects, rodents, fungi and other organisms harmful to plants. While they’re effective at killing pests, they can also have detrimental effects on the environment and human health.
- No use of herbicides
Herbicides are also toxic chemicals used to kill weeds. When you spray herbicide onto your crops, it kills all plant life – even the weed grasses you want to get rid of!
Some farmers choose not to use herbicides because it will harm their soil quality in the long run by killing off beneficial bacteria that help break down nutrients into usable forms for growing plants.
- No use of fungicides or insecticides (not just for organic farming!)
Fungi compete with your plants for nutrients and water; this means that if there is too much fungus present in your crop then there won’t be enough left over for them!
Fungal diseases can cause serious damage if left untreated so make sure you keep an eye out when buying seeds/seedlings if they come from areas where fungus has been reported recently – especially during times when we experience heavy rainfall…which brings us onto our next point:
Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions
According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), organic farming is a more sustainable way of farming. It can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90%, compared with conventional agriculture.
Organic farmers use natural materials instead of synthetic products, which means that they don’t have to rely on fossil fuels for fertilizers or pesticides. This results in lower energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from machinery used in the farming process.
Organic farmers also don’t use any genetically modified organisms (GMOs) when growing their crops or raising livestock, which means there’s no need for herbicides or pesticides like glyphosate since GMOs are resistant to such chemicals anyway!
Additionally, GMO crops require extra irrigation because they’re not as drought-resistant as traditional crops due to their altered DNA structure; this adds an additional strain on water resources that isn’t necessary if we stick with non-GMO produce instead!
Cuts Down The Use Of Non-Renewable Resources
Non-renewable resources are important, but they’re not going to last forever. Organic farming helps cut down on the use of these resources by using less pesticides and fertilizers, which use up a lot of fossil fuels. It also cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions because the soil is healthier and can retain more carbon dioxide.
Organic agriculture is one of the best ways we have to combat global warming—and it might be our only hope if you haven’t heard about that whole climate change thing yet!
Detects Majors Diseases Early On
As an organic farmer, you’re more aware of the diseases in your crops. Because of this heightened awareness, you can detect a problem before it becomes a bigger issue.
The organic farming community has close relationships with each other and share information about what they’ve seen on their farms.
This allows them to quickly identify new diseases that may be affecting crops in one region but haven’t yet reached another part of the country (and world). If there is an outbreak, farmers are able to treat their crops before they become infected or spread to other farms nearby.
Promotes Healthy Soil Life
Soil is the foundation of organic farming. It’s not just the dirt you walk on; it’s a living ecosystem that provides us with food and clean air.
Soil life is essential to the health of the earth and its inhabitants. But what exactly is soil life? Soil organisms are made up of microorganisms, fungi, insects and other creepy crawlies that work together in an environment where their numbers can grow rapidly (and in some cases even exponentially).
This complex system works together to help plants grow by breaking down waste materials like dead leaves into nutrients for plants to use as they grow!
The importance of these tiny organisms cannot be overstated; they make up 99% of all life on Earth!
Because they’re so essential for our survival, it’s vital we protect them from harmful chemicals found in pesticides or fertilizers used during conventional farming practices which can kill off these beneficial critters before we even know about them.
This means supporting organic farmers who eschew these dangerous chemicals in favor of more sustainable methods like composting composting organically grown crops instead!
Increases Energy Efficiency
Organic farming is more energy efficient than conventional farming. It uses less energy, and therefore it’s better for the environment. Organic crops produce more yield per acre than conventional crops, and require fewer resources such as fertilizer, pesticides and antibiotics.
Organic farmers don’t use synthetic fertilizers or chemical pesticides because they’re harmful to soil quality and water supplies. Instead, they use natural methods like crop rotation which can improve yields while reducing erosion.
Using natural ways to boost soil fertility means no expensive inputs are needed; organic farms may even be able to sell excess compost back into local communities!
Organic farmers also rely heavily on working with nature rather than against it – so when something goes wrong (like a drought) it won’t wipe out their entire harvest overnight like it would in an industrial setting where all bets were placed on one type of crop growing well every year without fail thanks largely due to having been genetically modified specifically for maximum production efficiency under artificial circumstances rather than what nature actually intended at first glance: diversity.
Conclusion
Organic farming is the way of the future for agriculture, and we are about to see why. Organic farms use less energy than conventional ones and produce more food per acre.
They also reduce pollution in our air and water, which means better health for us all!
I’m Hellen James, and I’m an urban farmer and blogger. I’ve been growing food in my backyard for years, and I love sharing what I’ve learned with other people who want to start farming in their own yards.