User:Organofarm1

Organic Farming: Sustainable or Not

Definition of Organic Agriculture:Organic Agriculture is an agricultural system absent of the use of synthetic chemicals, fertilizers, or drugs. Genetically modified organisms and preservatives are also not certified for use in organic agriculture.

Hypothesis: With an increasing demand of food, can organic agriculture sustain the global need? We are here to explore the advantages and disadvantages of organic agriculture.

Pros: •	Similar yields in self irrigated or high rain areas. •	Improves land conditions and ecosystem. •	Lowers risk of chemical exposure to farmers. •	Increases soil biodiversity. •	Lowers agro-chemical needs. •	Lowers water pollution. •	Flora and fauna, soil quality, and stability can be increased with soil building practices. •	Contains a higher nutrition value. •	Free of contamination. •	Uses less energy due to no use of nitrogen fertilizer, which is expensive to produce.

Cons: •	Decreases yields in industrial countries. •	May lead to disease build up. •	Some essential elements may not be available to the plant anymore. •	Higher production cost. •	Decreased yields lead to raised prices in the market and causes more land to be used. •	Lowers productivity. •	No use of genetically modified crops. o	 Genetically modified crops can be developed to handle drought and increase yields. •	BHA and BHT (preservatives), when not added to wheat products, increases the risk of colon cancer.

Conclusion: Though we have found many benefits to organic agriculture it still has its downfalls. It generates a healthier environment and product but is also more expensive and harder to grow. With what we researched we did not see organic agriculture as a benefit leading to global food sustainability.