Hi
A friend and I have been having a discussion that has lead us to get into organic farming. She is a technical writer for the agricultural industry - and thus has a very different opinion than what I have encountered here. I have to admit, I'm a newbie to all of this - I've been trying to buy organic because it makes sense to me from all the info I've found thus far - but her email is written from a totally different perspective, and it makes sense too.
I'd love to hear thoughts from those of you who are really aware of the issues surrounding this choice - so that I can respond at least semi-intelligently! Thanks:
Her email:
Quote:
A friend and I have been having a discussion that has lead us to get into organic farming. She is a technical writer for the agricultural industry - and thus has a very different opinion than what I have encountered here. I have to admit, I'm a newbie to all of this - I've been trying to buy organic because it makes sense to me from all the info I've found thus far - but her email is written from a totally different perspective, and it makes sense too.
I'd love to hear thoughts from those of you who are really aware of the issues surrounding this choice - so that I can respond at least semi-intelligently! Thanks:
Her email:
Quote:
Well, I think I take a very environmental approach to chemicals. I don't have the chance to look at this site now, or to get you the stuff I've written, but here's where I am coming from. I know that agriculture takes from the earth. However without modern fertilization practices, we'd need double the land to feed the world. Therefore we would have to destroy wildlife habitat, forests, and community green zones just to produce the food we need. In terms of "chemical" fertilizers -- there is really no such thing. Nitrogen is nitrogen, whether it comes from cow manure or is manufactured -- it is manufactured using natural substances, it is not a chemical substitute. Now, the manufacturing process causes pollution, but it can't compare to the amount that efficient agricutlure puts back into the environment through such things as carbon sequestration. The same argument goes for chemicals and pesticides -- without them we could not farm as efficiently as we need in order to keep people in food. And you would not BELIEVE the process that ag chem companies have to go through to proove that their products are safe. It is WAY more stringent than even the pharmaceutical industry because of bad experiences in the past. And now with the advent of genetically modified seeds, we are able to use way less pesticides and herbicides. And we have been "genetically modifying" crops for a millenia (tomatoes are naturally the size of a plum -- the big juicy ones were genetically bred a century ago) -- but the media ignores that fact in their fearmongering about "frankenfoods." Quite frankly -- I find organic farming to be very environmentally irresposible -- you can't sustain the land this way. Fertilizing "organically" is gross because of all the parasites and other nasties in animal waste. |