Alex Rose-Innes
Organic refers to the method of growing and processing agricultural products. In effect, it means grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, bio-engineered genes petroleum-based or sewage sludge-based fertilisers.
Some research claims that organic foods could have higher nutritional value than conventional food. In the absence of pesticides and fertilisers, plants boost their production of phytochemicals (vitamins and antioxidants) automatically strengthening their resistance to bugs and weeds.
Organic growing starts with healthy soils which would nurture plants and aid in decreasing plant disease. In order to earn organic certification, land (soil) on which it is grown should have been handled without prohibited materials for at least three years.
Organic gardening is then above all, a term used to designate that flowers, herbs or vegetables had been grown totally free of any chemical or synthetic fertilisers or herbicides. This distinction includes the soil it was grown in and the way these products were treated while producing.
How to Grow an Organic Garden
Choose a site with good light and properly prepared soil before planting wisely and watering well. As plants derive nutrients from the good soil, ensure the land on which it is grown is replenished throughout the growing season. This is ideal for subsistance farmers in rural African areas who only own a small tract of land.
The Pros and Cons
Some researchers had indeed proved that organic food is the best. However, as with everything in life, there are always up- and downsides. Organically-grown produce goes off (bad) much quicker than conventionally grown products and is more expensive. There also has not been de facto scientific proof of nutritional and health benefits and organic produce could have high levels of bacteria as even minimum pesticides are not allowed under the “organic” banner. It is also still unclear if pesticides used in organic farming are safer than the non-synthetic types used in conventional farming.
Before starting organic farming, the soil should preferably be treated with organic fertiliser made from mined rock minerals, and natural plant and animal materials. It also includes manure, guano, dried and powdered blood, ground bone, crushed shells, finely pulverised fish, phosphate rock and wood.
But, it is not necessary to buy all foods which had been grown organically. There are various types which are sufficiently covered with their own “safety shields.” The conventionally grown onion has some of the lowest amount of pesticide residue out of all the fruits and vegetables. Other safe products are sweet corn, avocados, asparagus, pineapples, mangoes, kiwis and papayas.
However, what makes organic food special is that it could indeed feed the world and especially the poor as it could compete on equal footing with conventional produce and even perform better in not ideal weather conditions. Small, subsistence farmers across the African continent would find that organically grown food’s huge potential lies in the fact that it could not only expand global food production, but alleviate poverty and food scarcity.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) “Clean” list includes:
- Avocados
- Sweet corn
- Pineapple
- Onions
- Papaya
- Egg plant
- Sweet peas (frozen)
- Asparagus.
The EWG is an activist group specialising in research and advocacy in areas of agricultural subsidies, toxic chemicals, drinking water pollutants and corporate accountability. But, scientists call them alarmists using scare tactics and peddle scientific half-truths and outright fabrications.
According to the Rodale Institute, it is true that in the future more food than ever would be needed to feed a growing population and the indication is that between 20% and 70% more food would be needed. The Institute maintains that a common misconception exists that not organic food could be grown. It alleges that only taking harvests into consideration may not be correct and that much of current research regarding organic crops is wrong. It is also of the opinion that pesticides and synthetic fertilisers, even precisely applied, would be defeating the object.
Taking all this into account, especially as the population growth in Africa is expected to double over the next few years, conventional farming’s harmful effects on the environment should be mitigated at an accelerated rate.
“Global agricultural output is on the right trajectory, but its environmental performance is going in the wrong direction.”- Rodale Institute.
Currently, agriculture accounts for as much as 13% of greenhouse emissions and indirectly for another 12%. With climate change, current methods eroding the soil and polluting the environment should be addressed urgently.
Organic methods had proved that it could produce highly competitive harvests in good weather and even outperform conventional crop yields during droughts or flooding. Organic farming uses less energy and generates fewer emissions while at the same time revitalising the soil and sequestering carbon. Agricultural pollution from conventional methods is a large contributor to the 9,000-square-mile dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.
To decrease the negative impact of conventional farming, organic is proving to be the way of the future as current farming methods do not only contribute to climate change, but is also negatively affected by it. According to scientists it would become increasingly more difficult to grow food in extreme weather.
Conventional and organic growing methods are compared based on harvested crop per acre or per farmer as with subsistence farmers in Africa. New technologies also support higher yields with chemical fertilisers, pesticides and genetically modified food.
This approach had shown to lead to farm consolidation and isolation of farm workers and rural communities, environmental degradation such as soil erosion and increased air and water pollution.
Organic products CAN feed a growing world population.
By avoiding most toxic synthetic inputs, organic farmers protect the environment and the soil, wildlife habitat, clean air, water and nutrient-dense foods. Their emphasis is less on maximizing crop yields and more on creating healthy, resilient ecosystems.
On its blog, The Rodale Institute states that it is untrue that the difference in yields between organic and conventional is drastic, or that organic does not yield as much as conventional. The truth is that organic outperforms conventional in adverse weather conditions such as drought by as much as 40%.
