What are the Advantages of Organic Farming?

Have you been wondering about the advantages of organic farming? Is there any point to purchasing food or products that have been produced via organic farming methods? Do you think that organic shopping comes with a higher price tag than conventional?

You may have noticed that the dollar amount charged for organic produce and products can often be higher than that of conventional ones. Read on to discover why.

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Why Am I Charged More For Organic Products?

• Intensive production methods that rely on quick-fix chemical fertilizers, fungicides, pesticides, and herbicides are not used.  This is one of the main advantages of organic farming.
• If chemicals are used in organic farming, they are natural and biodegradable. Therefore, they have less impact on the environment. Sick animals are kept apart from other animals for a certain period of time, rather than impacting the health of the rest of the herd. Antibiotics are not routinely used like they often are in conventional farming.
• Organic farming does not allow the use of growth-promoting hormones or protein-rich feeds. Therefore, organically reared animals take longer to reach marketable size.
• Healthy crops are grown using natural methods rather than chemical solutions, which can have dire consequences for our health and the environment. Therefore, organic farming often yields less than conventional farming. Some of the natural methods used in organic farming include crop rotation, companion planting, and the use of manure. The farmers have a good understanding of ecology.
• Organic farming is more labor-intensive because people remove weeds by hand or use natural treatments. The focus is on control, rather than the annihilation of pests and weeds.

As you can see from the points above, the advantages of organic farming from a sustainability perspective are many.

What Is The Real Cost Of Conventional Farming?

Conventional farming is simply not sustainable. Air and water pollution result in high environmental costs, and plant and wildlife habitats suffer. Excess consumption of toxic chemicals comes at a massive cost to our health. For example, there is potential for endocrine disruption from pesticide use.

Let’s look holistically at the implications of conventional versus organic farming. If we consider social, environmental, and health factors, which one costs the most?

Rather than asking ‘Why does organic cost so much?” perhaps we should ask “Why is conventional so cheap?”

Where To Get Organic Products

iHerb is a great ‘go-to’ online health shop for certified organic and natural products, and they deliver all over the world.

They stock a massive range of groceries, household items, and personal care products. Not all the products are organic, but each item is clearly labeled with all information and ingredients. Therefore, it is easy to find organic if that is what you are looking for. Try typing ‘certified organic’ into the search box, or search by brands that you know are certified organic. You can also read my review of iHerb here.

Click here to check out what they have on offer and see the latest prices.

Read More About The Advantages Of Organic Farming

• Monsanto Roundup may be the best weed killer, but what is it doing to your health?
• Soil and health – the basis for Organics
• Irradiation

The information in this article was gathered from our knowledge of organic practices. Some ideas have also been influenced by the book “Organic – a new way of eating”. Sophie Grigson and William Black.  Headline Book Publishing 2001.

P.S. If you’re into food awareness and making conscious choices, you can find out how to avoid wastage of food by making the most of your fresh produce.

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