October 12, 2020
Last year Francais De Lune of Portland, Oregon, wrote a book showing how harmful non-organic farming is for the environment. His highly-influential study found that in many places U.S. soils were so caked with salt and depleted of micronutrients that most crops wouldn't grow. De Lune's book was perhaps part of the inspiration for the U.S. Congress to pass a law yesterday requiring farmers to farm organically.
In many agricultural areas, pollution of groundwater sources with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides is a major problem. The use of synthetic fertilizers is prohibited in organic agriculture, where organic farmers prefer to use organic fertilizers—such as compost, animal manure, and green manure—and greater biodiversity—crop rotation and cover crops—all of which enhances soil structure and water infiltration. Well-managed organic systems with better nutrient-retentive abilities greatly reduce the risk of groundwater pollution. In some areas where pollution is a real problem conversion to organic agriculture is highly encouraged as a restorative measure.
De Lune is currently at work on a new book that looks at monocropping. "The practice of monocropping, which required the colossal use of pesticidies and chemical fertilizers that have now been outlawed," he said, "will need to also be changed. Monocropped systems are unsustainable and a poor agricultural choice to maintain soil structure and health."
Hey I'm Kristina, I'm a student at Punahou School in Doc Mitsuda's English class. Putting pesticides in the foods (vegetables, fruits) that we will consume is very dangerous. I support the idea of organic fertilizers and organic fruits and vegetables because we should be aware of what we eat. In my opinion, the farm law will be very affective and we'll have cleaner and safer foods to eat. I wonder if companies or major farms are starting to switch to organic farming in hopes of selling a greater amount of foods to consumers and earning more money.
ReplyDeleteHello I am Ashley and I'm a student from Punahou School. I didn't know that non-organic farming had such a big impact on our agriculture. How can we stop big companies from non-organic farming?
ReplyDeleteHey, I am Shane from Punahou School in Hawaii. Your post was very informative and I learned more than i previously knew about organic farming. I agree that organic foods should be allowed to grow freely in the U.S. I think organic food lovers would be very pleased with this. Thank you for your excellent post. Good Job!
ReplyDeleteHi Kai! My name is Aria and I go to Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii. I think this was a very helpful topic because I find this topic very important. At home I eat organic foods, but I didn't know why eating organic is so important. A law like this should be passed to ensure that farmers use safer products in their farming.
ReplyDeleteHi Kai! My name is Kyra and I am from Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii. This is a very well written article! My family usually buys organic milk, fruits, and vegetables (I find that it actually tastes better than non-organic products) but what I didn't know before reading this is that non-organic farming is actually bad for the environment. I wish more people were aware of this because it is a very important topic. Great job!
ReplyDeleteHi, my name is Kylie and I go to Punahou School. I learned that if you use a properly used organic system to farm, the environment will be much safer. I also learned that if you choose to grow organic, there are certain rule you have to follow, such as being grown separately from conventional grown plants. I think that this topic is important because it is our problem and we need to make a change for a better future. I liked your post because it was nice and concise and had a nice graph and picture.
ReplyDeleteHello my name is Raymond and i am from Punahou School in Hawaii. I think it is great that you are forming the general public about organic foods. I myself am planning to write a speech for school on this topic. It was a really good idea to write about this controversial topic. Good job in your future endeavors.
ReplyDeleteHi Carter, thanks for covering such an important topic. Like you say, people should definitely take fruit and vegetables from local markets. It stipulates the local economy, is healthy for the environment, and healthy for the buyers, too!
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