Conventional agriculture has been harshly criticized for causing loss of biodiversity, soil erosion and increased water pollution due to the rampant use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Producing food without chemical pesticides has many benefits. Organic systems have been shown to produce 40% more yield in times of drought, use 45% less energy and release 40% less carbon emissions than conventional cultivation methods (Rodale Institute). Organic agriculture promotes soil health, supports natural ecosystems and prevents pesticide toxins from polluting waterways.
Non-organic farms produce runoff in our water supply and rivers full of pesticide and fertilizer residues. The absence of these synthetic chemicals in organic agriculture maintains a balance between soil and water and protects our water systems from this pollution. Natural fertilizers combined with annual crop rotation keep nutrients in the soil and increase its structure to help retain moisture and prevent runoff and erosion. This also means that less water is needed to irrigate organic crops, which is especially useful in times of drought.
You can eat organic foods for their health benefits or because you love the taste of whole foods in their purest natural form. But have you ever considered that by supporting organic farming practices you are also helping the environment? Think about these benefits that your consumption of whole foods provides to the environment while enjoying that arugula salad with traditional tomatoes, sweet onions and red peppers mixed with a lemon vinaigrette. Discover the difference between organic foods and their traditionally grown counterparts when it comes to nutrition, safety and price. The potential for acidification and eutrophication is more varied, but tends to be greater in organic systems; the average values in all types of food are higher in organic ones, although it is likely that there will be some exceptions in particular contexts.
The production of USDA-certified organic food must comply with a very specific set of standards, including the minimum use of chemicals in pesticides and soil management practices, the regulation of feed and livestock care, and the avoidance of genetic engineering. Because they avoid the use of chemical additives in the cultivation process, organic foods can also be more environmentally friendly and support local biodiversity. From a health perspective, many consumers consider organic foods to be safer due to lower exposure to pesticides. We create meals with organic foods from local farmers and deliver them fresh, never frozen, to your doorstep on Mondays and Thursdays.
When it comes to non-organic farms compared to organic ones, organic farms tend to release less greenhouse gas emissions and to be more energy efficient. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) has established an organic certification program that requires that all organic foods meet strict government standards. This comparison measures the relative impact relationship between organic and conventional agriculture, according to which a value of 1.0 means that the impact of both systems is the same; values greater than 1.0 mean that the impacts of organic systems are greater (worse) (for example, a value of 2.0 would mean that organic impacts were twice as high as conventional ones); and values lower than 1.0 mean that conventional systems are worse (a value of 0.5 means that conventional impacts are twice as high); and values below 1.0 mean that conventional systems are worse (a value of 0.5 means that conventional impacts are twice as high). For this reason, scientists warn that we should not completely switch to organic agriculture, as the world population continues to grow and food crops increase their demand.
And while organic foods have a reputation for being healthy and nutritious, studies show that there is actually very little difference in nutritional value between organic and conventional foods. .
