I guess I am taking on a controversial topic today. Last week's class on Integrated Pest Management gives me a little courage. First let me say I have no problem with eating organically grown stuff. My problem is paying the premium to buy it. Research has shown that for the most part it is no healthier to eat organic than it is to eat conventionally produced food.
Another problem I have with organic is that it is not chemical free. I think that is the consumer assumption. Chemicals are just different and it is thought that they are safer, but some of the metals used as crop protectants may not be safer.
Then there is the question of supply. Can we grow enough food to feed the world if we go organic. I know that some say we can. We just need to give up meat. First, I do not want to give up meat. Second, some places grow grass, but won't grow edible crops, so I think we will always have meat at some level.
Another consideration is that demand drives the market. Farmers will produce what the market demands. Right now there is enough demand for conventionally grown crops that farmers are unwilling or unable to add the extra labor needed to grow organically.
What about quality? I don't know for sure, but something tells me I am more likely to bite into a worm or a rotten core if I buy organic. That also drives up the cost.
My last question is, "Can we maintain nutrient balance in soils and maintain the necessary fertility to sustain organic production?" I know there are organic fertilizers, but I am still not sure about balancing nutrients.
To me there are more questions than answers before I support a ban on pesticides. I think we can do better on our pesticide use and I think we can learn from organic growers. If not, then I wasted a week in Madison. Without some solid facts, I would say that world population growth will cause us to continue our current production methods.
Very decent thoughts and questions you exposed here in this post in the term of organic and non organic food. This is really controversial topic today. I think organic food might be more safer than that of non organic grown using different types of pesticides that can make some future hidden impacts. At the same time the world's demand consuming food is increasing day by day. Considering the larger demand of the food market perhaps it's not possible to supply the required food for the fast growing people only through organic way. But really as food is the basic substance to survive on the earth, we must have to ensure it's quality and how health friendly way it can be produce. I can here mention an Authentium community that is working on food safety and blockchain food supply chain management. An Authentium future is one that is caring, fair, open, transparent and ultimately restores the market inequities and power back to where it belongs….the hard working people in the farming and primary production industry who feed the world. Its sole mission is to help them to generate more profits so they can re-generate their soils properly and ultimately deliver real globally sustainable farming practices. Anyway, I appreciate your brilliant and precious focus.
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