Organic farming may be said as a desire to attempt to create foods that are as pristine as those, that were found in the Garden of Eden. Oh! No this is my own definition. Wikipedia says that organic farming utilises techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control as its farming practices. Things such as synthetic fertilizers, growth regulators, hormones and genetic modification techniques are simply not used in organic farming. To explain this I would like to give you an example. An organic farm in UAE has sunflowers all around its periphery and green parrots feed on these flowers and also on other pests. They are all a part of ecosystem.
The farmers rear peacocks which relish the scorpions found in the farm. They grow friendly insects and release it in the farm and greenhouses. Some yellow sheets are hanged on the green houses which has the organic glue. The smell attracts male insects and kills them. In this way their propagation is controlled. The farmers grow special herbs which keep the insects away. A variety of crops are grown in the farm. Science has revealed that polyculture is beneficial. In short organic agriculture sustains the health of the soil, ecosystem and people.
There is no clear evidence to prove that organic food is healthier than conventional food, because both these foods have the same amount of nutrients. But some studies have found organic milk has more antioxidants, omega 3 and vitamins than ordinary milk. The reason for this might be that the cows feed in green pastures. According to a California research organic tomatoes have more antioxidants than the normal ones.
The best things about organic products are that they have lower pesticide levels, are from organically raised animals and are less likely to be contaminated with drug resistant bacteria. It seems that locally produced organic foods are not very costly. Though organic produce cannot boast about any superior health benefits, it benefits the larger environmental issues such as pollution and global climatic change.
At the end of the day whatever produce you are going to eat. Wash the fruits and vegetables well under running water to remove all traces of chemicals on its surface.
Take care,
Swarnam
Photo by Marin
Take care,
Swarnam
Swarnam