What Are the Benefits of Organic Farming?

Have you heard of organic farming? It’s attracting a lot of attention these days. Supermarkets are filled with food labeled as organic. Not only this, but people also seem to be favoring organic foods more because of their benefits.

There is such a rising interest in organic food and organic farming that people are even ready to pay a higher price for organic products. But why is organic farming and organic food gaining such popularity? You can only understand the reason once you know about the numerous benefits of organic farming. Want to learn all the benefits? Let us first understand the meaning of organic farming.

What is Organic Farming?

Organic farming, sustainable agriculture, sustainable development – words often used interchangeably with the organic mode of food production. But what exactly is organic farming?

Organic farming is a model of food production that does not involve any chemicals and synthetic Fertilizers. At its core are the preservation of the quality of soil, water, and ecosystem.

One main attribute of organic farming is its adoption of sustainable agricultural practices – food production without compromising the ecology, environment, and natural resources.

The main advantage of organic farming comes from the fact that it does not involve any chemical fertilizers, pesticides, GMOs, additives, or preservatives. The practice relies solely on organic means to grow food, prevent disease and fight off pest attacks.

Below we will learn about the numerous benefits of organic farming, both in terms of its impact on health, environment, and ecology as well as its sustainability and profits.

What Are the Benefits of Organic Farming?

Organic food is gaining popularity among consumers because it offers a healthier choice. However, its benefits are not limited to health only. Sustainability and improved environmental quality are also a major focus of it.

Health Benefits of Organic Farming

Undeniably the most crucial factor in the popularity of organic farming is its numerous health benefits. Organic produce is free from harmful chemicals and pesticides and therefore poses no health risk.

Besides, depending solely on organic ways to produce crops also preserves the nutrients that are otherwise lost to favoring quantity over quality in conventional farming. Nutrition-rich organic food is extremely beneficial for human health.

Numerous studies have also established the better quality of organic food over conventional products. the AFSSA report on “The nutritional and health assessment of foods from organic farming” of 2003 and the Food Standard Agency report of 2009 concluded higher concentrations of minerals and vitamins in organic food.

Benefits of Organic Farming on The Environment

At a time when ecological concerns are mounting, organic farming presents a viable option to preserve the ecology and environment. One main attribute of organic farming is the system of crop rotation.

This practice helps prevent nitrogen losses to the atmosphere, preserving the quality of air. Moreover, it also lessens the release of harmful gases like methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon-di-oxide responsible for global warming.

FOA also agrees that organic farming could significantly prevent global warming and environmental decline. In the International Conference of 2007, FOA concluded that organic farming holds the potential of ensuring food security, biodiversity, and mitigating climate change.

Organic Farming Promotes Soil Health

At the core of organic farming is the production methods that do not rely on chemical inputs to increase yield. Harmful chemicals drastically reduce the quality of the soil.

By cutting the use of chemicals, organic farming aids to improve the overall health of the soil. Organic fertilizers not only improve the water retention quality of the soil it also increase the natural fertility of the soil.

Moreover, crop rotation practice further aids the replenishment of nutrients in the soil and helps prevent land degradation.

Organic Farming Promotes Biodiversity

One of the essential components of healthy crop production is respecting the biodiversity of the related ecosystems. Besides, bacteria and microorganisms help in better food production.

However, with its excessive use of chemicals, conventional farming destroys the biodiversity of soil and water. In time, the soil loses all of its beneficial microorganisms and becomes unfit for crop production.

On the other hand, organic farming limits the use of chemicals and, therefore, significantly boosts soil quality, enhancing biodiversity. Besides, organic farming involves crop rotation – a practice known as polyculture. This technique conserves a variety of helpful insects and microorganisms in the soil.

Organic Farming Promotes Sustainability

Sustainability is defined as a way of utilizing the resources available to us in a way that does not drastically deplete them. It aims to preserve the environment and ecology, keeping in mind the future generations.

In this regard, organic farming is completely synonymous with sustainable development. Organic food production respects the land, the water, and ecology and does not overburden them to extract higher profits and yield.

Moreover, it aims to create a balance with nature, applying techniques that significantly improve the quality of connected ecosystems like soil, water, and air.

Social Benefits of Organic Farming

Organic farming has opened several job avenues on various levels of crop production. Incidentally, the exponential growth of the organic market has also led to a significant increase in the number of jobs.

Besides, it’s more about quality of work than job creation. Less exposure to harmful chemicals means better working conditions for the laborers on-farm and healthy living conditions for the livestock. Therefore, the quality of life of laborers and farmers, as well as the livestock present on the farm, also improve after switching to organic farming.

Conclusion

Natural resources are depleting at an alarming rate. Water bodies are shrinking, soil quality is degrading, and the air becomes poisonous day by day. On top of that, there is a mounting challenge of global warming that has a negative impact on every aspect of life on Earth. It’s high time to adopt ways that could prevent the deteriorating state of our planet.

Organic farming could be a potential solution with its approach to sustainable development and respect for the environment. Besides, the numerous benefits of organic farming and the rapid increase in organic food consumption presents a compelling case that organic is the next big revolution on its way.