What is organic farming???
"Organic production is a holistic system designed to optimize the productivity and fitness of diverse communities within the agro-ecosystem, including soil organisms, plants, livestock and people." Organic farming utilizes organic residues and nutrients created on the farm that is then recycled back into the soil.
How popular is organic farming?
Certified Organic farms in the US accounted for about 3.7 million acres of organic production. In the 2014 census, approximately 14,490 organic farms were accounted for in the US.
Is the popularity growing or decreasing for organic farming?
Over the past few years, there has been an increase in the demand for organically grown food. The public has taken interest in organic food because of how eco-friendly this method of farming is. The main thing holding organic foods back is that their prices are generally 20-50% higher than the same non-organic food.
Reasons why organic farming is implemented into farmers lives'
People implement organic farming oftentimes because of how eco-friendly it is. Some of the environmental benefits include:
- Long term soil sustainability
- Increased water quality. Conventional farming methods use chemicals that can contaminate groundwater. Organic farming uses natural pesticides that enhance water infiltration.
- Improves air quality by reducing agrochemical needs
Why is organic farming so important?
Organic farming is very important because of how eco-friendly it is. Water pollution and air pollution are both reduced greatly by using this farming method. Soil building practices such as crop rotations are used and they encourage plant growth which improves soil formation and structure. Organic farming leads to an increase of nutrients in the soil which produces healthier plants.