Organic agriculture is the process of growing fruits and vegetables without the help of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Until relatively recently, all agriculture was organic because modern technologies for artificially increasing yields and controlling pests had not yet been invented. During the past fifty years, many farmers have begun opting out of mainstream agricultural methods, to use healthier, more sustainable strategies instead.
Health Benefits
Organic agriculture offers a range of health benefits for consumers who eat organic fruits and vegetables, and also for the farmers who grow them. According to Beyondpesticides.org, the toxic fertilizers and pesticides which have become a routine part of modern farming have been linked to a range of health problems, from a variety of cancers to immune deficiency disorders. Organic agriculture also provides health benefits for the farm workers who handle the produce. According to the Occupational Health and Safety Association, the chemicals that are routinely used in mainstream agricultural operations can cause harmful symptoms that include neurological and respiratory difficulties. In contrast, organic agriculture provides a healthier working environment, one that is free from these destructive toxins.
Environmental Benefits
Organic agriculture provides an alternative to the destructive environmental consequences of the chemical fertilizers and pesticides used by conventional farmers. In the early 1960s, Rachel Carson's groundbreaking book "Silent Spring" made these environmental dangers common knowledge. She described the effects of toxins on fish and wildlife as they are incorporated into the food chain. Animals eat plants that have been sprayed and store the chemicals in their tissues until these animals are consumed by other animals who acquire an even greater concentration of poisons. Organic agriculture uses pest control methods that foster a healthy ecosystem, such as introducing beneficial insects or choosing companion plants that attract natural predators. These strategies benefit the environment by creating balance and promoting species diversity.
Economic Benefits
The modern organic agriculture movement started with innovative, small-scale farmers interested in creating an alternative to the trend of consolidation and industrialization that characterized American farming during the twentieth century. In addition to the health and environmental consequences of this type of agriculture, factory farming also did considerable financial damage to millions of families. In 1900, nearly forty percent of all Americans worked the land; today that figure is less than three percent. Many of these families did not leave their farms willingly, but rather were forced to give up their homesteads because they could not compete with the economies of scale that larger operations were able to achieve. Organic agriculture allows small-scale farms to be more competitive by striving for quality rather than quantity and selling to consumers directly at venues such as farmers' markets.
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