Sustainable Practices
Cleaner water and air
One of the main reasons people support organics is that they believe synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides to be potentially toxic to our environment. Not only are they potentially toxic where they lie but they may also eventually work their way down to the water level polluting much of the drinking water. And when sprayed, pesticide residues are left in the air for all creatures to breathe. These residues unfortunately stay around while others are continually being added. Many take years, decades and sometimes even centuries to break down.
Healthier soil
Others believe that healthier soil and the prevention of soil erosion is a good reason to support organics. In organic gardening, the soil is built up and enriched through the use of organic material such as compost, much in the same way that Mother Nature provides nutrients when she drops her leaves in the autumn, etc. Rather than depending on synthetic fertilizers which feed only the plant, the soil is actually fed so that our very earth becomes richer in nutrients and less prone to erosion. In addition, many organic growers routinely rotate their crops, plant cover crops and grow a more diverse range of plants on a particular plot of land. All of these practices help to conserve the minerals and nutrients in the soil.
Conserve water
Healthy, nutrient rich soils created through the practices of organic gardening also retain moisture more easily, reducing the need for additional watering.
Balanced ecosystem
There are still others that choose the effects on ecosystems as their basis for supporting organics. Though pesticides may kill a particular pest, eventually resistant strains can develop, ultimately creating an even more difficult pest control situation. Also in the process of aiming at a particular pest, competitors and natural enemies of other pests will inadvertently be killed off, leading to an increased population of other pests. It is also believed by some that many song birds have disappeared from our world, possibly because of, being at the top of a long food chain, they are ingesting highly concentrated doses of chemicals. These are just a few examples of how our ecosystem can be affected.
Conserve energy
Some believe that organic farming saves energy. They believe that it takes more energy to produce synthetic fertilizers than it does to cultivate, till and harvest crops. Also farms have changed so drastically over the years, from small, family based businesses that depend more on the energy of humans to large farm factories that depend on other forms of energy such as petroleum.
Increased bio-diversity
Because mono-cropping (the practice of planting the same crop on the same plot of land year after year) is less prevalent in organic farming, growing organically may help to preserve thousands of, otherwise lost, varieties of natural edible plants, ultimately providing us with a greater choice of fruits and vegetables.
Use of plants suited for environment
Organic growers generally use plants that are suited to their environment and disease resistant varieties therefore reducing the need for fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides.
One of the main reasons people support organics is that they believe synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides to be potentially toxic to our environment. Not only are they potentially toxic where they lie but they may also eventually work their way down to the water level polluting much of the drinking water. And when sprayed, pesticide residues are left in the air for all creatures to breathe. These residues unfortunately stay around while others are continually being added. Many take years, decades and sometimes even centuries to break down.
Healthier soil
Others believe that healthier soil and the prevention of soil erosion is a good reason to support organics. In organic gardening, the soil is built up and enriched through the use of organic material such as compost, much in the same way that Mother Nature provides nutrients when she drops her leaves in the autumn, etc. Rather than depending on synthetic fertilizers which feed only the plant, the soil is actually fed so that our very earth becomes richer in nutrients and less prone to erosion. In addition, many organic growers routinely rotate their crops, plant cover crops and grow a more diverse range of plants on a particular plot of land. All of these practices help to conserve the minerals and nutrients in the soil.
Conserve water
Healthy, nutrient rich soils created through the practices of organic gardening also retain moisture more easily, reducing the need for additional watering.
Balanced ecosystem
There are still others that choose the effects on ecosystems as their basis for supporting organics. Though pesticides may kill a particular pest, eventually resistant strains can develop, ultimately creating an even more difficult pest control situation. Also in the process of aiming at a particular pest, competitors and natural enemies of other pests will inadvertently be killed off, leading to an increased population of other pests. It is also believed by some that many song birds have disappeared from our world, possibly because of, being at the top of a long food chain, they are ingesting highly concentrated doses of chemicals. These are just a few examples of how our ecosystem can be affected.
Conserve energy
Some believe that organic farming saves energy. They believe that it takes more energy to produce synthetic fertilizers than it does to cultivate, till and harvest crops. Also farms have changed so drastically over the years, from small, family based businesses that depend more on the energy of humans to large farm factories that depend on other forms of energy such as petroleum.
Increased bio-diversity
Because mono-cropping (the practice of planting the same crop on the same plot of land year after year) is less prevalent in organic farming, growing organically may help to preserve thousands of, otherwise lost, varieties of natural edible plants, ultimately providing us with a greater choice of fruits and vegetables.
Use of plants suited for environment
Organic growers generally use plants that are suited to their environment and disease resistant varieties therefore reducing the need for fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides.
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