Organic Farming

Organic agriculture refers to systems in which crops are grown using natural methods of maintaining fertility of the soil, and methods of pest control other than the use of synthetic pesticides. Compared with conventional agriculture systems that intensively use manufactured fertilizers and pesticides, much smaller environmental costs and damages are associated with organic systems. However, yields tend to be smaller in organic agriculture than are obtained using more intensively managed systems. Overall, the balance of these considerations (that is, of environmental damage and yield) suggest that compared with more intensive agriculture, organic agricultural systems are much more sustainable of soil quality, ecological integrity, and energy and material resources.