Switching agriculture from inorganic farming to organic farming is an important step.

The main reason behind the increase in the demand for organic food is the public concern on the impact of chemicals on human health and the environment. Organic food is free from synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. In addition, farmers who grow organic food use minimal use of herbicides and thus less pesticides on their crops. In the following paragraphs, we will discuss the environmental and economic benefits of going organic.

Benefits of going Organic Farming:

1. Environmental benefits of going organic

Most pesticides are poisonous for the environment. In fact, synthetic pesticides enter soil and water and negatively affect soil microorganism which in turn influences soil health. Moreover, the application of pesticides not only affects the soil microorganisms but also damages the surrounding plants which reduces the biodiversity.  Biofertilizers: What is organic manure? 

Organic farming uses less pesticides in comparison to conventional farming. In contrast, fertilizers are a major cause of water and air pollution. This is due to its toxic byproducts and because of the production of nitrous oxide in soil. These nutrients in fertilizers are also non-renewable. Moreover, fertilizers are extremely expensive.

2. Economic benefits of going organic

In 2014, global organic food sales in United States were $35.9 billion and is expected to increase in the coming years. This increase in the demand for organic food can be attributed to the public concern on the negative impact of the chemicals used in conventional farming.

While there is a lot of interest in organic food products, consumers have low spending power. In the past, they were not able to buy a wide variety of organic food products. In addition, the increase in the cost of conventional farming and high production costs of conventional farming caused the price to go up. Thus, in order to sustain their family and business, farmers had to depend on chemical-based fertilizers. However, due to the rise in demand for organic food, the price of the product has also increased. This has created a positive impact in the growth of organic food.

3. Environmental benefits of going organic

Apart from health, organic farming is also beneficial to the environment. Organic farming is sustainable, does not use synthetic fertilizers, and does not destroy the soil. In addition, organic food products are not tested on animals.

Organic farming also uses fewer resources like pesticides, electricity, and water which are not essential to produce conventional food. Thus, organic farming decreases the use of these resources. Furthermore, in organic farming, the use of fertilizers and pesticides decreases which reduces the amount of nitrous oxide produced.

This is not the end of the benefits of going organic. Organic farming also increases the availability of food and nutrition to people in developing countries.