Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. Organic farmers prefer to use renewable resources and recycling to return what most conventional farmers would have wasted, back to the soil.
Regional Distrubion
There is no formal or legal definition for organic agriculture. However, as universally accepted, organic farming do not use synthetic fertilizers, man-made pesticides, herbicides, growth regulators, antibiotics, hormone stimulants and/or livestock feed additives to grow crops and raise animals. Instead, it relies on such methods as crop rotation, green manure, compost, biological pest control and mechanical cultivation. By minimally using off-farm inputs while maximally restoring, maintaining and enhancing ecological harmony, it is to optimize health and productivity of soil life, plants, animals and people.
“Organic” often refers to “natural” and “eco-friendly”, implying that some organic methods were used in the production of food. However, this label does not guarantee complete adherence to organic practices. Though most “natural” products do not contain synthetic properties, they may have been provided conventional (synthetic chemicals used in production) food or feed (i.e. “natural” beef).
Today, more and more people realize the importance of both producing and consuming organically grown foods and livestock products. Sales of organic products are rapidly growing; it continues to grow by over 20% annually and have shown an increase of at least 20% a year during the last 6 years. And it still promisingly grows…
Benefits for (Conventional) Farmers
Organic agriculture can be learnt by conventional farmers, whereas they use their established resources and skills to gain more profit—more than they used to enjoy from conventional farming.
More profit comes from less production cost. Researchers have found that by eliminating the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, minimizing soil erosion by up to 50% and increasing crop yields up to five-fold within five years can reduce the production cost by over 25%.
Organic agriculture is also simple and easy to learn. A well planned transition strategy allows conventional farmers to adopt new, more effective and more cost-efficient organic agriculture methods in three to five years.
It also shows big love and appreciation to the earth. Organic agriculture supports higher levels of wildlife as well as improves the entire ecosystems, including the ground water. It promotes soils that are life-friendly and rich in micro nutrients. It also benefits the dairies where cows organically fed experience better health, less sickness, less diseases and ultimately produce better tasting milk.
In the end, not only farmers and consumers enjoy the benefits. The whole global ecosystem does, too.
Benefits for Consumers
It is easy to differentiate the organically grown foods from the conventional ones. Consumers can taste the difference and quality.
Organically grown foods are free from harmful chemicals, artificial flavors and preservatives. Eating these kinds of food may reduce the risk of heart attack, strokes and cancer. You are basically what you eat anyway.
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