The impact of organic foods - Free Essay Example

Since organic farming bans the use of chemical pesticides and artificial fertilizers, organic farming is healthier for the air and soil in ecosystems, in addition to the wildlife. When pesticide is sprayed onto crops, the wind can carry the pesticides to other areas such as sensitive ecosystems and areas populated by humans. These pesticides can then produce volatile compounds that will react with the air and produce tropospheric ozone, which is a greenhouse gas contributing to global warming. Global warming means that atmospheres can collect, retain, and drop more water, so storms, heat waves, floods, and droughts will become more common. Aliya Haq, deputy director of NRDCs Clean Power Plan initiative said that due to global warming, The number of billion-dollar weather disasters is expected to rise. And the extreme heat means that people can become victims to heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and cardiovascular and kidney diseases if they dont have access to air conditioning. Dirtier air also means higher hospital admission rates and asthmatics are at more risk of dying. People with cardiac or pulmonary disease will see their health worsen. However, pesticides are not utilized in organic farming, keeping the air cleaner and reducing natural disasters and illnesses. In addition, organic farming uses natural fertilizers rather than chemical fertilizers. Manufacturers have to create chemical fertilizers in a lab, so scientists need to use fossil fuels to produce chemical fertilizers. Hence, inorganic fertilizer manufacturing releases more harmful greenhouse gases into the air and contributes to global warming. However, natural fertilizers like manure, compost, and fish meal recycle material that otherwise would have been wasted. Chemical fertilizers can also burn the plants and increase the salt concentration in the soil to toxic levels, destabilizing the balance of the chemicals in the soil. Natural fertilizers are broken down by organisms in the soil, so they release their nutrients gradually; they dont create toxic levels of buildups of certain nutrients that can hurt the plants. Organic farm processes keep air cleaner and soil healthier by reducing the amount of greenhouse gases released into the air and maintaining balance of nutrients within the soil. Organic foods are a preferable option as opposed to non-organic foods, for they produce global environmental benefits that could also, in turn, save the lives of humans.