Selection 29

Environmental, Energetic, and Economic Comparisons of Organic and Conventional Farming Systems

David Pimentel et al.

This article discusses organic agriculture. It does not use harmful pesticides and reduces other external inputs to improve the environment and farm economics. Since a lot of money is invested in health care and environmental health loss related to soil erosion organic agriculture is very popular. A 22 year study comparing organic animal-based, organic legume-based, and conventional systems was conducted, recorded, and discussed. The organic systems had an increased groundwater recharge and reduced runoff compared to the conventional system. Even though it varies with the types of crops, regions, and technologies employed, the environmental benefits to reduced chemical inputs, less soil erosion, water conservation, improved organic matter, and improved biodiversity were discovered to be consistently greater in the organic systems than in the conventional systems. However there are challenges for organic agriculture such as nitrogen deficiency and weed competition. They also discovered certain technologies that are beneficial to use with organic agriculture. In the end organic agriculture has many benefits if done correctly.