Essay on Organic vs. Sustainable Agriculture - 1357 Words

Organic vs. Sustainable Agriculture Agriculture, to many is just an industry of farmers and cows. Most people can’t even come close to fathom just how essential the continuance of agriculture is to not just our well being, but our very lives. People of the United States have been spoiled, they’ve never had to worry about the grocery stores running empty because, even to this day, there hasn’t been a problem growing enough to feed, not only the U.S. but a good part of the world too. The day though is fast approaching that we won’t be able to keep those grocery stores stocked. Due to the depletion of the vital resources, needed to produce our food, it is becoming increasingly challenging for today’s agriculturalists to feed the world.†¦show more content†¦To do this, all uses of pesticides, herbicides, chemical nutrients, genetically modified seed, and the list goes on and on. The producer relies more heavily upon the application of manure and in most cases is forced into highe r tillage to control weed pests. Although there is some other natural pest control methods, but the choices are pretty limited. Organic production’s man principle is to return organic matter back to the soil, as well as fetch premium market prices for their production. As for the history of the term â€Å"organic† and its association with agriculture as far as anyone can tell, at least in this country was around the 1940’s.( Gegner, L, Kuepper, G, 2004) Until 1962 Organic Agriculture really wasn’t something the general population knew about or even cared, but in 1962 Rachel Carson’s Silent spring came into print. The publication was a graphic statement about the harms of pesticides on the environment. This one book had a huge impact on the environmental movement of the 60’s and 70’s. With the environmental movement, the concept of Organic Agriculture finally took off (Gegner, L, Kuepper, G, 2004). From there on the Organic Agricultu ral sector has continued to grow and grow. Actually, from 1998 to 2003 the farm gate sales from organic production went from $93.8 to $154.8 million or by 53% (Fouche, C, 2006). From a market stand point, certain percentage of the population will pay a pretty penny extra for production stamped â€Å"organic,† thusShow MoreRelatedOrganic Agriculture, As Defined By The National Organic Standards Board1163 Words   |  5 PagesOrganic Agriculture, as defined by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB): â€Å"Is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain, and enhance ecological harmony.† Which is very fancily put for agriculture with as little man made input as possible trying to farm, as they perceive at least, the most beneficial to theRead MoreSustainability Vs. Conventional Farming1 299 Words   |  6 PagesWalsh states that today, Agriculture takes up one third of the planet. (Walsh) Agriculture is the science, art, or occupation concerned with cultivating land, raising crops, growing, feeding, breeding, and raising livestock. (Dictionary) According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), when you add the word sustainable to agriculture, it means an integrated system of plant and animal production having a site-specific application. (Gold) The sales of organics are at an all time highRead MoreOrganic vs. Conventional Farming: An Anthology757 Words   |  3 PagesPollan is of the idea that the use of organic farming detoxifies food and the environment. This includes using traditional food distribution methods such as free-range chicken. Horrigan, L., Lawrence, R., Walker, P. (2002). How sustainable agriculture can address the environmental and human health harms of industrial agriculture. Environmental Health Perspective . This article outlines problems that are associated with the current factory style animal agriculture. It points at ways of making the currentRead MoreWhy Organic Farming Is Capable Of Sustaining The Global Population891 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction Components 1. Discuss the â€Å"problem statement,† (what is the issue we are addressing?) - The â€Å"problem statement† to these three articles is to see if organic farming is capable of sustaining the global population by weighing the pros and cons of organic vs conventional farming. 2. Who are the authors and what are their qualifications? - First author, DiGregori has neither expertise or credential; he is a phD in Economics and does not have any experience dealing with agronomy nor didRead MoreAgriculture : A Global Environmental And Humanitarian Issue1489 Words   |  6 PagesAgriculture uses the domestication and cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms to produce food, fiber, biofuel, medicinal and other products to help sustain and enhance human life. Agriculture has existed for over the last 10,000 years and is credited into propelling our civilization into the modern cultures and technologies we see today. Without the ability to store and domesticate plants and animals it is unlikely that we would have been able to evolve beyond our hunting andRead MoreThe Effects Of Pesticides On Organic Farming1653 Words   |  7 Pagesfarmers noticed a decrease in soil quality and crop health due to the use of chemical fertilizers (â€Å"Pesticides in Organic†¦Ã¢â‚¬  1). This drop in soil quality l eft the farmers no other choice but to cease the use of chemical fertilizers and begin implementing less harmful supplements in order to improve crop quality (â€Å"An Oral History†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). This less invasive method of farming, otherwise known as organic farming, takes into account â€Å"the medium and long-term effect of agricultural interventions† (â€Å"What Are the Environmental†¦Ã¢â‚¬ )Read MoreCommercial And Industrial Farming Vs. Farming1028 Words   |  5 PagesTopic: Commercial/industrial farming vs Family farming. Structure: compare and contrast Three focus Areas: Quality of food/meat. How how farms are run. Quality of the milk. Example paragraph Have you ever asked yourself why is sustainable agriculture is so much better than industrial agriculture? Or what s in the milk i drink or the meat that i eat? Every time you sit down for a meal containing meat or dairy you’re dining with unknown carcinogens, bacteria, and other contaminants that canRead MoreThe Old Way Of Farming Is The American Future1536 Words   |  7 Pages and climate changes are some of the issues that concern most Americans. The interesting thing about them is that they all are related to agriculture. For years, Americans have not had a lucid concept of what farming is,or the importance of it, and as a result, most people do not have a clear understanding about what are the real benefits of local sustainable food as well as the consequences of supporting the current food system, the industrial food chain. Indeed, the current food system is â€Å"preventing†Read MoreThe Planet World Will Be More Than 11 Billion People2214 Words   |  9 Page sAbstract By the end of this century, the planet world will be home to more than 11 billion people. Feeding all of them in a truly sustainable way remains undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges of this generation. The population boom is sometimes feared as one of the major leading problems to the food security and malnutrition issue; this essay analysis shows that the reasons many suspects are not entirely true; it’s not the number, nor is it about enough land. The world has already what’s requiredRead MoreOmnivores Dilemma1260 Words   |  5 Pagesdoes make an interesting point about the denaturalization of the food industry, but Michael Pollan overlooks the many benefits of the current system of food production, which allows humans to produce more food on less land than in pre-industrial agriculture which in turn allows for greater sustenance to the human consumer. Additionally, the proposals that Pollan makes are simply not feasible. He believes that the United States sho uld change from an industrialized food distribution system to a model