Exploring organic farming's effect on the environment

Welcome back to another organic blog post! Today we dive into how organic benefits the environment both locally and on a global scale. While non-organic farming often involves harmful chemicals and farming techniques, organic actually works best with a healthy ecosystem surrounding it, so strives to produce the best environment it can. Read on to find out more information on the benefits organic can have on the world around you.

Protecting the environment is of utmost importance because it is what forms the world we live in. Ensuring the environment is managed sustainably and healthily is crucial for future generations, who deserve a planet with clean air, drinkable water, and lush green spaces instead of a gray, lifeless, and depleted world. Taking care of the environment not only contributes to wider environmental health but can also impact your own well-being.

Organic farming practices not only protect environmental health, but can actually improve it.

The benefits of organic farming on the environment are long term, occurring gradually over time by aiming to produce food while also maintaining ecological balance. It achieves this by replacing synthetic fertilizers and pesticides with techniques like composting, cover crops, and crop rotation, leading to greater sustainability.

So, what is organic farming doing for the environment?

Organic soil: the foundation of environmental health

One of the most significant benefits of organic farming is its positive impact on soil. Unlike artificial fertilizers that deplete soil nutrients and contribute to environmental degradation, organic practices improve soil quality. Organic farming enhances soil stability and nutrient cycling through the use of natural fertilizers such as composting and manure, meaning the soil won't lose nutrients as crops grow in it. This ensures that the soil retains its nutrients over time, enabling it to support healthy crops for much longer than non-organic soil. Furthermore, organic farming helps prevent soil erosion as the soil is less exposed to eroding conditions like harsh winds and heavy rains.

Crop rotation is another way organic farming benefits the soil. By changing the crops grown on a field, soil fertility is improved and nutrient depletion is prevented. When the same crop is continuously grown in the same field, it depletes specific nutrients in the soil required for its growth. Rotating crops ensures that different crops with varying nutrient requirements are planted, meaning the nutrients uptaken from the soil change, which prevents the soil from becoming deficient in any particular nutrient.

Moreover, organic soil has the ability to store and hold more water, which results in better crop yields during drought years. This is especially significant considering the growing concern over global warming and climate change, which may lead to more frequent and severe drought conditions. It's reassuring to know that organic crops will be able to withstand these uncertain future conditions without the need for artificial interventions.

Run off

In organic farming, another significant environmental benefit is the reduction of pesticide runoff. Runoff occurs when chemicals and pesticides are washed out of the soil and into waterways through rainfall. By choosing organic produce, you can help prevent water supplies from being contaminated with harmful pesticides and fertilizers. Fertilizer runoff poses a particular problem as it can lead to eutrophication, which is an extreme growth of algae in nearby bodies of water such as lakes and rivers. As the algae grows and multiplies, they absorb oxygen from the water through photosynthesis, depleting oxygen levels and harming any organisms living in the water like fish and frogs. If you have ever seen a pond or a lake covered in a scummy green layer across the surface, this is caused by the excessive algae growth as a result of fertiliser run off.

In non-organic farming, groundwater pollution is a major issue, as fertilizers and pesticides have a negative effect on water systems when they seep into them. This contamination renders the water unsuitable for drinking by humans, livestock, and wildlife. Organic farming greatly reduces this issue by using natural fertilizers such as compost and through improving biodiversity, which enhances soil structure and reduces the amount of fertilizers washed away. Countries like France and Germany have actively encouraged farmers to adopt organic practices in areas where groundwater pollution is a significant concern.

Carbon footprint: a reduced impact on climate change

Organic farming stands out for its reduced carbon footprint. Unlike non-organic farming, which relies on petroleum-based fertilizers, organic farming allows crops to absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This contributes to a lower carbon footprint and aids in combating climate change. Non-organic farming's use of petroleum-based fertilizers adds carbon to the soil to help crops grow, resulting in crops absorbing less carbon from the atmosphere as they have ample in the soil. Consequently, more carbon is left in the atmosphere, which can then contribute to global warming. Thankfully, organic farms do not use these petroleum based fertilizers, resulting in a lower overall carbon footprint for the crops.

Organic farming's benefits on the environment extend beyond just carbon reduction, and include improvements to both global and local conditions. For instance, cover crops, which are planted in areas which would not be used for harvest that year, increase carbon absorption by introducing more plants to the land, help increase soil stability and boost biodiversity. Multiple studies have shown that organic soil contains a higher carbon content, and the more carbon retained in the soil, the more organic farming contributes to mitigating climate change.

Non-organic farmings contribution to global warming

Non-organic farming practices, on the other hand, contribute to global warming. Many of the chemical pesticides and fertilizers used in non-organic farming are contributors to the greenhouse effect. The production of these fertilizers requires significant energy, which is often derived from fossil fuels. The resulting emissions are released into the atmosphere, further contribute to the greenhouse effect. Additionally, pesticides used on crops such as strawberries, have been found to greatly increase nitrous oxide emissions, one of the most potent greenhouse gasses. So, those juicy red strawberries enjoyed during the summer may inadvertently be harming the environment.

Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture pose a serious threat to the global climate, and this is largely due to non-organic farming practices. A study highlighted that eliminating nitrogen fertilizers, which are not used in organic farming, could reduce global agricultural greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 20%. Additionally, organic farms use up to 45% less energy than non-organic farms while maintaining equivalent yields, which further contributes to organic farmings reduced environmental impact.

Organic farmings effect on local habitats.

Organic practices also play a role in preserving natural habitats and promoting biodiversity. By eliminating the use of harmful pesticides, organic farming encourages the presence of beneficial organisms such as pollinators and pest-predators in and around farmlands. This aids in the protection of local wildlife and plants, and can also encourage native and recolonising species into an area. A study by the journal of applied ecology fiound an average organic farm supported 34% more plant, insect and animal species, and had a 50% higher pollinator diversity, which shows the extent at which organic can benefit local biodiversity.

Pesticides are known to be harmful to soil invertebrates and organisms such as earthworms. These soil invertebrates are vital for carbon absorption as they help build up organic soil carbon, which if maintained properly can absorb vast amounts of carbon. While non-organic farming practices harm these invertebrates, organic farming actually encourages their presence in order to enrich the soil with nutrients and increase crop yields, all while enhancing biodiversity.

Organic farming's benefits on the environment are the result of numerous contributing factors. Although each factor may seem minor on its own, their combined impact in organic farming makes a significant difference. With current global concerns for the future of the environment, it is important that organic farming offers a solution to providing sufficient food without harming the environment.

If you would like to improve your own health and the health of the environment around you, then we offer the perfect place for you to start your organic journey. Simply follow the link to our website where you can find sustainably sourced and pesticide free organic produce, fresh from the farm. With the click of a button you can have this amazing produce delivered straight to your door!

Thanks for reading and we hope to see you again in the next post!