Going Organic: How it Benefits the Environment

The world organic food market has undergone significant expansion, with an increase of 11.6% from 2023 to 2024 and a projected growth rate of 11.17% by 2034. A major factor contributing to this demand surge is the increased emphasis on health and well-being especially since the COVID-19 pandemic era that saw most people change their eating behavior. This resulted in a rapid expansion of land areas for organic farming.

In the 25th edition of The World of Organic Agriculture jointly published by FiBL and IFOAM, it was reported that in 2022 global area under organic farming grew over 20 million hectares leading up to 98 million hectares in total. The data compiled from 188 countries also showed an increase in the number of organic producers by 26%, with the major share coming from India.

Organic farming practices like green manuring, minimum tillage, crop rotation, utilizing organic fertilizers helps improve soil properties and also enhance the soil microbiome. Reliance on organic pesticides also helps improve air and water quality and reduce pollution. As concerns about climate change, water pollution grow, organic farming offers a viable solution that benefits both nature and society.

What is Organic Farming?

Organic farming is the production of a variety of crops in a sustainable way. Sustainable practices include changes that will improve our way of life in long run and will also benefit the future generations. The most well-known aspect of organic farming is the utilization of organic fertilizers and pesticides for crop nutrition and protection. They not only ensure the consumptive safety of food but also improve soil quality, reduce pollution and enhance biodiversity.

Practices like crop rotation, minimum tillage, cover cropping, green manuring and exclusion of GMO crops are also an integral part of organic farming. These practices maintain the quality of the entire agriculture ecosystem by taking care of issues like soil erosion, biodiversity loss and pollution. All these practices when functioning in integration give rise to an healthy ecosystem thus benefiting the environment.

How does conventional farming affect the environment?

The Green Revolution in India commenced during the 1960s and was the time for great agriculture advancements. These advancements are now an integral part of our conventional farming system. But the same time saw an increasing demand for organic food worldwide. Rachel Carson’s book titled “Silent Spring” was a major contributor to this shift because it highlighted the environmental damage caused by insecticides. Nevertheless, insecticides are not solely responsible for harming the environment under conventional farming methods. Other bad practices include industrialized animal husbandry, monoculture practices, intensive fertilizer use among others and mechanized farming which lead to global warming among other negative effects on the ecosystem.

Benefits of organic farming on the environment.

Organic farming involves sustainable practices, which when practiced over a long time, it will have positive impact on the environment. Here is a brief of the different ways in which organic farming benefits the environment.

Improves Soil Health.

Organic farming utilizes soil-building practices like crop rotations, inter-cropping, green manuring, cover cropping, and minimum tillage. These practices enhance the soil biodiversity which improves the ability of the soil to retain nutrients. These techniques also help in reducing soil erosion.

Mitigates Climate Change.

As organic farming does not include the use of synthetic agrochemicals which require large quantities of fossil fuels to be produced, it reduces our dependence on non-renewable sources of energy. Organic farming also contributes in reducing green house gas emissions and in turn global warming because of its ability to sequester carbon in the soil. This is because practices like crop rotation, minimum tillage, and inter-cropping are an integral part of organic farming.

Reduces Water Pollution.

The groundwater is often polluted due to run-off of synthetic pesticides and also by leaching of fertilizers. However organic farming prohibits the use of these synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and replace them with organic fertilizers and pesticides. Due to this addition, there is a great reduction in the pollution of ground water.

Enhances Biodiversity.

Organic farming supports biodiversity at all levels, right from choosing the local varieties and breeds for the farm to maintaining biodiversity at the soil level. The practice of avoiding the use of synthetic pesticides and also utilizing organic pesticides ensures that crops are visited by different types of pollinators and natural enemies.

organic farming does not allow the cultivating of GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organisms) crops at any stage of organic farming. This is because GMO’s have their genetic material modified and are known to cause biodiversity loss. This is seen in the case of the monarch butterfly, reducing its population due to the introduction of herbicide-tolerant maize and soybean.

To sum up, with the global organic food market expected to grow by 11.17% by 2034 and over 98 million hectares now dedicated to organic farming, the importance of organic farming is clear. Organic farming is key to tackling climate change by improving soil health, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and protecting biodiversity. By adopting these sustainable practices, we can rely on organic farming as a powerful way to protect our natural resources and create a healthier, more resilient ecosystem for the future.

References:

• www.precedenceresearch.com/organic-food-market
• www.fao.org/organicag/oa-faq/oa-faq6/en/#:~:text=Air%20and%20climate%20change.,sequester%20carbon%20in%20the%20soil

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