Farming Is Not A Feasible Method Of Producing Food For The Planet

By the year 2050, estimates show that over 9 billion people will inhabit Earth, and it is imperative that agriculture finds a way to feed them all. That is about 1.5 billion more people than there are today. One of the biggest dilemmas that agriculture faces is that relatively little more land can be converted into land used for agriculture production, without causing irreparable, detrimental effects to the environment. The damage that this would cause is the subject for another essay, but the bottom line is that it is necessary we produce this food using the land we already have. The only way we can accomplish this is to combine the best practices of organic, or small farms, with those of

As an alternative to the industrial food chain which is now prevail in the US, the organic food chain emphasis that “nature rather than the machine should supply the proper model for agriculture” (Pollan 131). The idea of “organic” is best demonstrated by farms that raise diversified species in a traditional way and target at the local market. However, most of the “organic food” people consume today is produced from the “industrial organic” farms which belong to the industrial food chain instead of the ideal organic food

Organic farming began in the late 1940’s in the United States, and in recent years it has seen a dramatic increase in popularity (Rubin 1). The sales of organic food have been increasing by about 20 percent a year over the past decade (Marcus 1). That is over ten times the rate of their conventional counterparts (Harris 1). There are 10 million consumers of organic food in the United States, yet organic food represents only one percent of the nation’s food supply. This year organic food sales are expected to rise to six billion dollars (Rubin 1). So what is organic food? Organic food is that which are grown without hormones, pesticides, or synthetic fertilizers. Also, the soil in which organic food

In the world we live in today the population has increased to more than seven billion people with a life expectancy of seventy years old. As the years continue to progress this number is expected to double within twenty five to thirty years as it raises daily. Over the years, the agricultural field has changed dramatically. Most farmers and businesses who are specialize in food production utilize pesticides and hormones to mass produce the food we eat. While these processed are great for business, it is harmful for the human body. It is for this reason that people must be conscious about what they consume. As the inhabitants in America increase, the population of organic food decreases. Both, people and animals, had

With the world’s population continuing to increase, the demand for food is higher than ever. This increase in food demand also calls for more efficient ways of growing and providing the food. Two methods that are very controversial are the organic and conventional method. While many people support the organic method because of its known benefits, others feel that it is an over inflated industry that cheats consumers out of their money. But recently many studies have disproved those critics. These studies prove that Organic food is a better choice than conventional because it is better for the environment, avoids the use of chemicals, and is generally more beneficial.

Conversely, natural cultivation is an advanced technology that does not harm the environment as well as the biosphere. As a matter of fact, no longer do cultivated areas contaminated, pesticide residual, emaciated and degraded. Instead, this technique assists boost biodiversity and the biosphere reserve in nature and protect the environment from antiquated farming practice. It would be the height of folly, however, not to mention some drawbacks of organic agriculture and advantages of intensive farming. For one thing, organic farming, while conventional farming is manufacturing bigger yields, cannot produce enough food to assuage the world’s appetite. For another thing, it would be rather difficult for the impoverished and underprivileged to afford high-priced products from natural farming, which, consequently, can in part limit their interests of utilizing fresh food. Meanwhile, intensive agriculture, with curtailed prices, can meet the requirements of more people. In conclusion, there is no denying that organic and intensive farming play a vital role in life. Notwithstanding, everything frequently parallels with its downsides and these methods are not an exception. Anyway, with the rational ways of exploiting these technological advances and future development in their security, hopefully all problems will be eliminated and the merits can be

Organic farming is becoming an increasingly popular market throughout the world. (Adam, 2004, p. 666). The aims of organic farming are, to decrease pollution, maintain soil fertility and biodiversity, be more sustainable, and have increased nutritional benefits than conventionally grown foods (Yaping et. al., 2003, p. 298). While the aim of conventional farming is to provide safe, proficient supplies of food, in abundance and at low prices (Trewavas, 2001, p.409). Since 1996, the amount of land in the UK dedicated to organic farming has risen tenfold (Adam, 2004, p. 666). As well, from 1992 to 1997, the amount of certified organic cropland in the US more than doubled (Tafel et al, 2007, p.182 ). The main difference between organic and

Who would not want to keep the earth healthy? Organic farmers also use enhancing practices such as rotating crops, tilling soil, hand weeding, and mulching to help manage weeds and break cycles of disease. Hence the name “organic,” in which farmers are not allowed to use genetically modified seeds in organic fields. Animal welfare is also kept in superb condition by organic farmers.

A cultural shift to organic is critical for future human and environmental benefits for three reasons. First, a person’s health depends on good food being put in the body. Organic foods do not contain any artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, or pesticides making them better for one‘s health. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 60% of all herbicides, 90% of all fungicides and 30% of all pesticides-- all chemicals in conventionally grown agriculture-- cause cancer (CCOF). The bottom line is that these chemicals are poisons designed to kill living organisms and can all harm humans. Another reason would be that organic foods use natural fertilizers such as compost or manure, crop rotation, and careful breeding, many people say organics have a better, fresher taste than non-organic foods. Some studies show that organically grown food has higher amounts of vitamin C, magnesium, phosphorous, and iron (Crinnion) Chefs boast about using organic foods from local vendors all the time. Then another reason would be that organic farming is a definite win/win for the environment. Organic farming management relies on developing biological diversity in the field to disrupt the habitat for pest organisms for maintaining soil fertility. Since bagged fertilizer is not used, organic farming reduces the amount of groundwater pollution and soil erosion while increasing the biodiversity of animal, plant, and microbial life in a given biome. In the past, people who made food

Sustainability is one of the top issues when it comes to farming today. Farmers need to consider the effect they are having on their land when using certain practices and products. For this reason, it is important to remember that organic and conventional farming both require extensive work to maintain their products and to provide for the consumer. As we have seen in Steven Shapin’s essay “What Are You Buying When You Buy Organic”, in where he references Michael Pollan talking about “Asparagus, which had been grown in Argentina, [and] air-freighted six thousand miles to the States (433)”, the role of the consumer is not limited to those in

Additionally, when an organic farm starts up it uses double the space as a conventional farm uses. Although most people think that organic farms are better for the environment they are actually wasting space that could be used to produce food to satisfy the need all over the world. An argument that is used is that pesticides harm the environment therefore farms without the use of pesticides or organic farms are better. Most pesticides are actually just used to kill insects and other harmful diseases. This use of

Before reading my research paper, my readers will have to understand the different farming techniques and methods used in both conventional and organic farming. They will also need to know the types of pesticides used during both practices and whether or not these pesticides and chemicals are harmful to the human body. This can be best explained by Paul Maders article “Soil Fertility and Biodiversity in Organic Farming.” In this article he discusses the farming methods used in organic foods and conventional foods. This article also discusses the nutritional difference between the two types of growing foods and effect that both have on soil, crop yields and biodiversity within organic farms. This article helps the reader to understand the process in which these two different methods produce food and the many factors that go into the production of both.

Organic farming has become a central decision for various farmers and eliminates conventional farming practices. Conventional farming has put a risk on both the grower and the people consuming the products. Although genetically modified food has provided the masses with quicker access to food sources, it has also impacted people with many issues unlike organic farming such as Polyface Farms. Therefore, farms should gear towards organic farming like Polyface Farms because it reduces the risk of environmental impacts in agriculture due to climate change, depletes the need for genetically modified food by inducing a nutritious diet reducing health risks, and drives an opportunity for higher wages to unconventional organic farmers.

Technically the earth produces enough food for everyone, but the food is not able to reach those who need food. University of California study found that “relatively small, and potentially overestimated, differences in yield between organic and conventional agriculture, despite historically low rates of investment in organic cropping systems. (Berkeley)” Organic agriculture has increased biodiversity. There is an ambition that agriculture can help feed the world and will help maintain soil (Berkeley). A student at Berkeley says, “Increasing that proportion of agriculture that uses sustainable, organic methods of farming is not a choice, it’s a necessity (Kreman).”

A controversial topic in the agriculture industry today falls within various types of farming practices. As well as the procedures that are conducted on a daily basis in each type. For this analytical report, I will focus on the differences between conventional and organic farming practices. Both practices have multiple differences but face the same goal-feeding people. By the year of 2050, farmers are expected to feed around 9 billion people. The main debate in organic farming falls with the ability to compete with conventional farming. Conventional farming also poses a risk with competing with organic farming with the fact that some practices can be deemed unsafe within conventional practices. However, this report is to take an outlook on both practices to see not just the differences between the two, but how both can contribute to modern agriculture. Though there may be some differences in the two, both strive for the same common goal.