· ·

What the study forgot to mention: Organic food can save the world from devastating climate change

what-study-forgot-mention-organic-food-can-save-world-devastating-climate-change

In the wake of the release of the infamous “Stanford study,” which claims there is no substantial difference between organic food and conventional food, many with a deeper understanding of how organic food production works are speaking out against this ill-conceived attack on clean food. One such individual, Sarvadaman Patel, an organic farmer from India, says converting to organic was the best decision he ever made, and that organic food production can actually help save the world from the devastating effects of climate change.

President of the Organic Farming Association of India (OFAI), Patel denounces the notion that organic food is basically the same as conventional food. And he would know, having grown conventional produce for much of his life before witnessing how it slowly destroys the environment, animals, and even human beings. And contrary to popular belief, converting to organic has actually saved Patel from having to use as many valuable resources, including water, which he no longer has to apply in the same high quantities.

Organic food contains few pesticides

“The biggest advantage that organic food has over conventional food is cited by Stanford scientists themselves — lack of pesticides,” Patel is quoted as saying to the Times of India (ToI), noting that when he used to grow conventional produce, his cattle and farm hands became very sick from pesticide exposure. Patel also says pesticide-exposed produce is rushed very quickly to market in India, which means consumers there are being exposed to very high levels of chemical residue.

Organic growing methods use less water

After switching to organic production methods; however, Patel noticed that there was no longer any risk of chemical exposure because he was no longer using any chemicals. And in the process, Patel came to realize that he only needed to use about 60 percent of the water he was using before on his conventional crops to grow his organic crops. In every respect, converting to organic growing methods revolutionized Patel’s experience as a farmer, and changed the way he views food production.

“Organic (farming) could help save the world from global warming,” said Patel to ToI. “It saves 40 percent of water used in conventional farming and uses non-conventional energy sources. In summers, I don’t need to irrigate my farms for almost 30-35 days.”

Organic growing methods produce less waste, pollution

Since Patel no longer applies petroleum-derived fertilizers and growing chemicals to his crops, he is also avoiding excessive pollution runoff, which contributes significantly to the environmental alterations commonly attributed to climate change. And on top of all this, Patel still achieves roughly the same yields now as when he farmed conventionally, a fact that was also ignored by the Stanford study and many others that have tried to claim that organic production methods fail to generate adequate yields.

If it were not for unfair government subsidies, organic food would cost less

As far as costs are concerned, organic production methods still cost more. But this is primarily due to the fact that in the U.S., India, and elsewhere, governments subsidize conventional growing methods while offering little or nothing in support of organic production. Such a policy, of course, creates an unfair advantage for conventional farming, which translates into cheaper prices for conventional produce, a common complaint among those who belittle organic food as some kind of luxury for the wealthy.

If these unfair government subsidies were eliminated — or if the government actually helped subsidize organic food in the same way that it does conventional food — organic food would very likely end up being priced the same, if not cheaper, than conventional produce. And the benefit would be that more people would actually have the option to choose clean food rather than chemical-contaminated food without having to worry about costs.

NaturalNews
By Ethan. A Huff

Share:

Commenting rules and guidelines

We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:

  • Treat others with kindness and respect.
  • Stay on topic and contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way.
  • Do not use abusive or hateful language.
  • Do not spam or promote unrelated products or services.
  • Do not post any personal information or content that is illegal, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate.

We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.

9 Comments

  1. Organic foods are the best food options available to us. We should always prefer organic foods as these will keep us healthy. In a recent change it was seen that people could definitely help us in saving our environment and helpful us in changing our climate. The above information is extremely helpful and informative.

  2. I am all for Organic farming, but the Organic movement needs to get it’s facts straight so that it gains more credability.

    The notion that organic farming is pesticide free is a myth! Plants produce natural pesticides – most of which have not been studied. We ingest 10,000 more natural pesticides than synthetic. http://www.gardenmyths.com/chemicals-safe-harmful-part-3/

    Organic farming is good for the soil, the environment and may even reduce water use. All good reasons to use it. However, the resulting fruits and vegtables are the same from either farming method.

    Re: “It encourages … natural selection to occur increasing the strength and fertility of the crops”. I doubt very many farmers let nature develop seeds by natural selection. Organic farmers still need to collect seed and plant it. They select the seed.

  3. There is no debate, no questions asked about the attitude either candidate has about GMO. That tells me that this subject is quarrantined. And that tells me that Monsanto and Dow, and all their chemical or seed subsidiaries have it sewed up by their $$$ influence over any kind of regulatory oversight potentially getting in their way. The people be damned in other words.

  4. Until we can get the cost of organic food down to the point ordinary folks can afford it, the masses had better hope that convevtional farmers stay in business. I agree that organic may be better for you but raising the cost of food by doing away with subsidies is not going to help many people.

  5. Many have known for a while we have been lied too in the name if owning our food supply. Voices have been screaming out with few listening. Just a couple of individuals that want to control world supplies by mass production with Government aid. Proof is in the studies and the visible planet. The honey bees are disappearing. We need to find ways to make all the people notice this. Local farming is necessary. Most of us look for local vegetables because we believe they are healthier. A lot of us think about it. We need to talk openly about our food.

    I chose different words cause Steven Carter: above me; said it right. AND PLEASE NOTE THIS!!!: Recent studies show/demonstrate/prove that ALL animals used in testing GMO’s could no longer reproduce only a couple generations later…was impossible.

  6. There are so many reasons why organic food is the way to go that you could write a book. Besides the obvious benefits of a stronger immune system to the consumer, the absence of pesticides, herbicides, artificial fertilizers and GMO’s allow the nutritional aspects to be fully realized. The raising of organic foods is indeed so much better for the planet. It increases the fertility of the soil and actually produces more top soil from year to year rather than robbing it of its life giving properties as do the big currently practiced institutional farming methods. It encourages smaller farming techniques and allows for natural selection to occur increasing the strength and fertility of the crops. Farmers and their families aren’t exposed to toxins and neither are those that handle the crops after harvesting. Raising crops organically would encourage millions to return to farming helping to restore a balance in our economic models. Going organic is a plus plus no matter how you look at it.

Leave a Reply to adexter Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *