Organic agriculture is a farm production system in which the agro-ecosystem including bio-diversity, biological cycle and soil biological activity, is being enhanced. It promotes the improved environmental, social and economical goods production. The use of inorganic inputs such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides and many others is refrained since the fertility of the soil is utilized. To increase the yield and resistance of the crops to pest, the factors caused by nature are allowed to take effect.
Throughout the years, organic farming has been an increasing trend. The increase in demand is caused by the motivation of the consumers to purchase organic products because of their perceived health benefits, thus, expanding the market for it. Organic products have been hard to find in the market due to its low availability. Commonly, its marketing is directly from the farmer to a contract buyer (Carating, Fernando, Abrina & Tejada, 2010)
In the Philippines, domestic producers of organic vegetables are community-based, small and medium enterprises. Multinationals and medium and large-scale companies usually produce organic products for export (Pearl 2 Project, 2007). Recently, organic farming was promoted in Laguna. Around 1,200 out of 60,000 farmers in the area practice organic farming. Marlon Tobias, the provincial agriculturist of Laguna, stated that the province will be majoring in organic farming starting 2015 (Cinco, 2015). Policies have been implemented to support organic
Pollan compares Naylor’s Farm and the Polyface Farm to understand the differences between organic and conventional farming. In organic farming, there are no synthetic
Despite the increase in organic buyers, the majority of people do not know how to merely interpret what the word organic even entails. The United States Department of Agriculture enforces and regulates the labeling of organic products, namely food products (cornucopia.org). In addition to the elusiveness of organic foods, organics are apt to be more expensive than conventional food; this is because instead of a huge manufacturing plant, one would be receiving their food products from a small farm (where a small amount of food is being grown and harvested). People choose to argue that organic food is far better for you than conventional or natural food; however, there are only minute differences between the two. Stephanie Watson, an executive editor of Harvard’s Women Health Watch, states:“The researchers discovered very little difference in nutritional content, aside from slightly higher phosphorous levels in many organic foods, and a higher omega-3 fatty acid content in organic milk and chicken” (Harvard.edu).
I originally thought about the word organic as fruits and vegetables picked freshly from the branches of a tree and packaged into stores and chickens wandering large fields, I realize that it is not that simple. Michael Pollan traced some of his organic purchases back to their sources and discovers that there are organic feedlots, organic dairy cows whose lives are not any nicer than the conventional, and organic “free-range” chickens whose only access to the outside world is a small door in their shed, which is only open for about two weeks. “The organic movement, as it was once called, has come a remarkably long way in the last thirty years, to the point where it now looks considerably less like a movement than a big business” (Pollan 138). My thoughts now on organic foods at supermarkets such as Wegmans and Walmart is that the animals aren’t treated as great as conventional foods. I’ve realized that the extra cost of organic that I pay is largely because of the transportation.
In Alex Garcia essay Why Organic Foods Are Worth the Cost she discuses why organic foods are actually worth the cost. In Garcia opening statement she beings by saying “Despite all the confusion, current research shows that the health and environmental benefits of organic foods outweighed their extra cost (Garcia 112).” Garcia main goal is to show her audience why organic foods are the better chose and why in the end they are worth the extra cost. She begins explaining to the readers the process of how organic foods are made.
They are “Organic farming [which] focuses on the inputs used (pesticides, herbicides, etc.) and sustainable farming [which] focuses on the physical treatment of the ground” (Tillable 2021). At TKO farm they practice sustainable farming, as it is “Completely self-sustaining—chickens feed off leftover veggies, and in turn, their eggshells go back into the soil as a source of calcium carbonate—they don't use any herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, or petroleum-based fertilizer” (Ervin-Springs 2022). Sustainable farming is a way to honor and preserve the land for future generations. It focuses on soil health, managing erosion, and incorporating natural materials into the farming process. Their goal is to teach future generations about how to sustainably farm, and the importance of preserving the
However, many people do not know the true meaning of the word “organic”. As decided by the Federal Government, organic foods can use certain synthetic ingredients in foods, but cannot use antibiotics, pesticides, or synthetic fertilizers. These rules were then bent and blurred, making it so that the common “organic” farm was not truly organic. For instance, when Pollan visited one of these organic farms, he was dismayed when he realized that despite the chickens having an outdoor area, it was so small that none of the chickens even bothered to venture outside their confines.
Catherine tells the reader that organic food could produce plenty of food for the whole world. She says “when the same products are grown, organic yields are 8% to 19% lower on average than conventional farming yields... We currently grow far more food than is necessary.” (COFFtW).
He used the average household income of local African farmers as an example of the ineffectiveness of organic agriculture; however, his views have created a number of opponents to his ideas. For example, Ann Lappe, author of “Diet for a Hot Planet” had this to say, “Paarlberg doesn’t get what it means to be organic. Organic farming isn’t just about not using chemicals. Organic farmers improve output by tapping a sophisticated understanding of biological systems to build soil fertility and manage pests and weeds through techniques that include double-dug beds, intercropping, composting, manures, cover crops, crop sequencing, and natural pest control. It could be aptly dubbed ‘knowledge-intensive’ farming.”
First of all, Pollan states just because it says it's organic doesn't mean it really is. If you buy an “organic” salad at your local grocery store, farmers will still use pesticides to keep bugs away and other animals. The chemicals they use are all natural, but it's not truly organic if you use pesticides or other chemicals. In The Omnivore’s Dilemma Pollan says, “Instead of toxic pesticides, crops are sprayed with natural substances, like BT, a pesticide made from a common soil bacteria” (140.) This quote proves that big organic industrial companies use pesticides to help produce grow.
Many people choose to eat only organic because it’s said to be healthier but when compared to non-organic food the difference is slim. Regardless people continue to buy organic products. People get emotionally connected to
Some people feel very strongly about what they eat and put in their bodies as well as how farming methods affect our environment and therefore buy organic products. Others do not feel that this is relevant and are not influenced by this research and continue to buy inorganic products,
Organic Food In the society where people are getting more concerned about one 's health organic food has become a widely spread and followed by many people tendency. Organic food is believed to have better impact on person 's well-being and not to cause harm to people and the surrounding world due to its ecological nature. The debate that has been recently developed around this topic cannot be solved easily since both supporters and their counterparts provide reasonable arguments supporting their positions. However, to get into the problem and find the answer to a question that concerns many people it is necessary to identify organic food at first.
Well, I have a good interest in food so that is why I chose to write about the agriculture and the history of organic foods. Most food today is organic. Bananas which are organic protects the rainforest. What is a organic banana. It’s followed by a couple of rules that a normal company
Imagine walking through a building that is crammed from wall to wall with thousands of chickens, making so much noise because of how little room they have to move around. “Corpses that have been in the cages for so long that their bodies have become mummified” (Humane Society of the United States). Walking on a floor that is caked with so many flies. Seeing the unsanitary location where the food you serve your family is coming from. You have just walked through a factory farm.
Introduction: “Sustainable agriculture is the efficient production of safe high quality agricultural products, in a way that protects and improves the natural environment the social and economic conditions of farmers their employees and local communities and safe guard the health and welfare of all farmed species“ There are three main principles of sustainable agriculture, the three principles are: 1. Economic sustainability 2. Environmental sustainability 3. Social sustainability With the human population continuing to rise, it is vital that the agricultural industry becomes more sustainable to meet the needs of the growing population. One of the impacts of this growing population is an increase in land usage for settlement purposes.