The organic gardening concept also encourages introducing more native plants into the garden, which provide food sources for other wildlife, such as bees and butterflies and amphibians. Switch to organic lawn care and soon see an increase in the number of songbirds stopping by, feeding and possibly nesting. Perhaps results won’t be apparent at first, but breaking the synthetic and chemical gardening product habit brings a wealth of positive results. Organic gardening won’t make much difference. But, in honesty, what price can be put on eliminating chemicals from one’s environment that are known to be harmful to the health and welfare of humans, pets and wildlife? More competition in the marketplace results in lower costs. As it has and continues to become more mainstream, the number of excellent organic products available has increased to offer a wide range of choices in soil enrichment, weed and moss control, and insecticides. Returning an environment to a more natural state can, before long, require less care and attention. But once established, an organic maintenance routine can be fast and efficient. It may require a bit of research into the best products and techniques to use for a given set of problems, whether it be weeds, insect pests or just keeping a lawn bright green. In truth, organic methods needn’t take any more out of a busy schedule than non-organic methods. The average homeowner, with lawns and flower gardens to maintain, may feel mystified as to how or why he should implement organic practices, hindered in part by common misconceptions that have arisen: It was only when scientists in the mid-1800s began developing chemical fertilizers and pesticides that the collective mindset shifted toward accelerated growth of crops, more thorough and faster destruction of pests and weeds, and an increasing disregard for the environment.īut that trend is turning back, with numerous benefits, for agriculture and for the individual. It is, essentially, the way it has always been done. Simply put, it means using only fertilizers or pesticides that are strictly of animal or vegetable, and not synthetic or chemical, origin.Īnd, although the term organic gardening has recently become a trendy buzzword, in fact, it is a concept and practice that has been in use since cultivation of land first began thousands of years ago. Pesticides enable farmers to produce safe, quality foods at affordable prices.You hear the words in the media, you see the products in the stores and you may even know a neighbor who practices it. Grains, milk and proteins, which are vital to childhood development, are more widely available because of lower costs to produce food and animal feed. Fruits and vegetables, which provide essential nutrients, are more abundant and affordable. They also help farmers provide an abundance of nutritious, all-year-round foods, which are necessary for human health. Pesticides enable farmers to produce safe, quality foods at affordable prices. To reduce hunger, we need to increase food productivity. Pesticides can prolong the life of crops and prevent post-harvest losses.Ĭurrently, about 925 million people around the world – one in seven of us – are going hungry. And threats don’t stop once crops leave fields – bugs, molds and rodents can all cause damage in storage. Benefits of Pesticidesįood crops must compete with 30,000 species of weeds, 3,000 species of worms and 10,000 species of plant-eating insects. 2 Without crop protection, these losses could easily double. Between 26 and 40 percent of the world’s potential crop production is lost annually because of weeds, pests and diseases. Without the use of pesticides, more than half of our crops would be lost to pests and diseases. But both synthetic and natural pesticides have various levels of toxicity. The difference is organic farmers can only use pesticides from natural sources. Whether from synthetic or natural sources, pesticides are used by all farmers. All farmers use pesticides, including organic farmers.
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