Should you go Organic?

All farming originally was organic farming. Farmers used natural pesticides and even the fertilizer was manure and compost. However after World War II and the advance of science, farmers started using a lot of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. With the advent of the twentieth century, genetically modified (GM) foods and growth hormones added more artificial things into our food. This is actually done to cut labor costs and increase the crop yield, but these chemicals are extremely harmful, they poison our bodies and the planet and wear out the topsoil in the fields.

Some farmers have opted out of the modern methods of farming; some never joined this chemical revolution. They use traditional methods like crop rotation to keep the soil fertile, use manure and natural pest control methods. The crop they obtain by these safer methods is called organic food. This is safer and more nutritious.

Food is considered organic if it is certified by U.S. Department of Agriculture. This is a major benefit of going organic. Such food is grown under strict control and monitored at every stage of farming by a responsible authority. Farmers have to meet federal regulations which state that farmers must avoid the usage of any kind of toxic pesticides and fertilizers for three whole years before the harvest. Only then will the product be classified as organic and sold as such. Organic farmers are required to have a plan that they submit to the authorities which states the procedures of farming used and the material. Crops are inspected each year to ensure that regulations are met with. Even processed food that are canned can be certified as organic if they do not use harmful additives like sulfites, nitrites and nitrates. They also have to comply with approved procedures.

Consider this, farmers are required to be vigilant and take all necessary steps to prevent seepage of fertilizers and pesticides from the adjoining farms into their soil so that their crop has no residue of chemicals. If they fail to do so, their crop may show such residue when it is tested and they are not given the “organic” certification.

We live in a polluted planet and our soil has a lot of chemical residue. Conventionally grown crops are not subjected to such vigilance. We owe it to our own health to adopt a diet which is pure and healthy. Moreover, growing organic food is much healthier for the planet. So do not ask if you should go organic. Do yourself a favor, eat organic food.

What is organic

Organic is a general term that has various different definitions. If you ask a chemist he would say that it refers to a class of chemical compounds that have a carbon and hydrogen. Hence all hydrocarbons are organic.

A biologist would say that organic refers to living organisms and use the term in relation to living beings for example organic life, organic disease, organic growth etc.

These days the term organic is increasingly being used to denote a lifestyle that is eco friendly and green. It also is used in relation to foodstuff that is grown or raised on farms that do not use synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and growth hormones. This has led to the use of such terms like organic vegetables, organic eggs, organic milk and organic pesticide (manure).

Organic vegetables and fruits are those crops that are grown without usage of chemical pesticides. No artificial fertilizer is used in such farms. These farms also do not use sewage sludge, radiation or genetic engineering. This means one does not have to worry about residue of pesticides and fertilizers that may lead to ailments. Since GM food is not produced here, we do not have to be concerned about cellular damage in our bodies.

Organic chicken, meat and diary products are also raised in a non-toxic way. They are raised and slaughtered humanely. They are not fed antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic chicken are cage-free and cattle are free range. These livestock are also raised to be vegetarian. Of course when the organic animals are ill, they are often given home remedies. In case they are given antibiotics their organic classification is permanently withdrawn.

Eco friendly methods of farming are used like crop rotation, composting and crop is grown which are best suited for the region where the farm is located. For instance watermelons are not grown in cold regions and peas in the desert. This means that organic products are healthier for people, animals and also the environment.

The only disadvantage with organic products is that they are very expensive. They may even cost twice as much as crops grown the conventional way. This is because they are labor intensive and cost effective short cuts like chemical pesticides and fertilizers can not be used. Weeding is done manually and with the help of natural predators. This is the price one has to pay for being eco-friendly and going organic.

What is Organic Farming and is it Important

Organic farming is a broad concept with extreme application. It is well appreciated on a large scale by the people as now with the help of it they can easily grow their own food. If you have a little bit of free time with you then you need not to face any kind of problem. You can prepare and serve good quality delicious food by doing organic farming at your home.

It is not true that organic farming is practiced at a small scale only. By having a trip of farming sector you can easily understand how much vast this sector actually is. This is not the case some time before. Few years back it was not a highly thriving and demanding sector but now the case has totally changed. It is now not limited to a small scale industry as day by day more corporate sectors are taking interest in this field. Large corporate farming is taking keen interest in the concept of organic farming. Continuous research is going on to find out the way by which huge fields of a single crop can be grown. No one can deny the fact that in the process of organic farming, pests are believed to be the major threat. Due to harmful impact on the biodiversity unnatural pesticides are not much preferred to use.

If you are going for the natural pesticides for controlling the pests then it is certainly an eco friendly approach but believed to be much expensive in contrast to unnatural ones. Some time before, due to expensive nature they were not much preferred in the process of organic farming. After the entrance of large scale industries with huge budget this can be achieved now very easily. Natural pesticides can be a good option when it is about the large scale organic farming but if you are going for it at your home or at a small scale in a separate piece of land then it is advisable to look for any other good option. This is because like other kinds of farming organic farming also requires the process of sowing, cultivating and harvesting. If you do not have proper arrangement of water for the purpose of irrigation then you require depending largely on the rain water. If you are concluding the process of organic farming at your home then irrigation is not a big issue but even at a small scale proper arrangement of water is very essential. If you do not have a huge budget with you then it can be a difficult work for you. You require investing a good amount on purchase of seeds, irrigation, fertilizers, harvesting, etc.

There is much debate till now on the use of unnatural pesticides in the process of organic farming. Several environmentalists and consumer protection organization have claimed that the use of unnatural pesticides not only damage the environment but also have an adverse impact on the quality of food. For killing the insects and pests these pesticides are used but they are not considered helpful after sometime. It is so because these insects as well as the pests easily get adapted to the effects of the chemicals involved in them and so these pesticides looses their worth. Sooner or later it damages the health of the final consumer who without knowing consumes a large amount of lethal chemicals and synthesized materials along with the natural food. Thus it is injurious for the health of the human being as well.

Thus there are several ways by which you can have your favorite vegetables as well as fruits and that too with the help of inorganic as well as organic farming. As there are several pros as well as cons of both it is up to you to decide the one that is best for you. You can make use of organic farming to turn your dreams into reality and the best part is it is already benefiting millions of people so you are not at all required to worry for it as well.

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What is Organic Coffee and how is it Grown

Organic is a new word used in the context of coffee, tea, cocoa and other food materials in recent times around local shops and super markets. Every year the word is being used by buying public more than the previous year and its use is growing year after year resulting in higher sale proportion of tea or coffee marked as 100% organically grown.

What is organically grown?

To simply put it, organic farming methods leave least or no harmful impact on the surrounding environment. Organic agricultural production systems are mostly traditional methods evolved through learning from nature. In the organic farming methods no synthetic chemical fertilizer or pesticide is used. So that organic production means natural, pure and healthy.

How coffee grows in nature

The coffee plant does not need much direct sun light and so it grows under the shade of large trees. The ground is never sprayed with any chemical insecticide or fertilizer and so the ground water remains pure and uncontaminated. From the canopy of trees leaves fall steadily and the ground is covered by fallen leaves layer on layer. The layers of fallen leaves work as a blanket and protect the moisture of the ground. The moisture in turn help the process of compost to turn the bottom layers of leaves into natural manure to nourish the land.

The thick foliage of shade trees over the coffee bushes house many varieties of birds and also attracts the migratory birds. The birds live on small insects and pests. So they work as natural pest controllers and keep the coffee plants healthy.

The coffee that grows in the shade of other local trees become original and pure in taste and flavor Organic Coffee.

The proposed plantation site is selected carefully. And if the site was being used to grow some other crop using chemical fertilizer or chemical insecticides, then a minimum period of three years are given as conversion years for the proposed site to get over the effects of the harmful chemicals.

After the conversion years coffee bushes are planted along with local shade trees. Care is given equally to the coffee bushes and shade trees and effort is put in to leave bird population to grow undisturbed.

The fallen leaves are left undisturbed to convert into manure to nourish the land and keep it fertile. The bird population effectively controls the pests and harmful insect and protects the coffee bushes. And finally for decaffeinating, approved processes are employed including the Swiss Water process. The coffee thus produced is organic coffee.

Organic vs. commercial production

Organic production methods along with producing coffee intend to protect environment. In this process of growing coffee, more and more trees are grown due to that local biodiversity is achieved. In this method, soil fertility and nutrients are sustained. No chemical pollution is created to harm the human health.

In contrast in commercial profit oriented method of growing coffee, the trees are felled and the cumulative effect is deforestation. Deforestation leads to soil erosion and severe depletion. The commercial grower cuts trees to allow direct sun light which increases production. As there are no birds to control pests and due to the absence of trees and its natural manure, farmers are forced to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides severely harming the environment.

Organic coffee - lifeline of future

Organic production process is eco friendly and helps to repair the environment spoilt by the greedy profit oriented approach of commercial growers of coffee through growing more and more shade trees.

Protecting environment locally helps to enhance the eco system. Rejuvenation and eco system alone can help the planet from disaster and help to sustain life on this planet.

Organic coffee is our responsibility, almost a human duty and life line to healthy future of mankind.

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