The importance of organic farming

THERE WAS A time when our food came from our own gardens or from local farms. Small farmers planted diverse crops that fed their local communities. Synthetic chemicals for agricultural use did not exist. Rotational planting and companion planting were used to combat pests. Organic agriculture was the way.

Around 60 years ago industrial agricultural practices forced family farmers off their land in order to grow monocultures of high-priced export crops. Synthetic chemicals were then developed to combat the explosion of pests and diseases that came with these monocultures. The claim of agribusiness, just like the claims of biotech companies such as Monsanto, was that industrial agriculture was needed to feed the world’s growing population.

According to the facts, this country’s food production has more than kept up with its population increase, and is the world’s number one exporter of food, yet today there are still over 30 million people who go hungry every day in this country. In some markets, such as raisins, farmers are paid subsidies not to produce a crop because of excess supply. There is no lack of food in this country.

The problem of hunger is poverty and landlessness, not a lack of food. On top of feeding us misconceptions about the cause of hunger in the world, industrial agriculture is polluting our air, water, soil and food with chemicals that are known carcinogens.

Over one third of the food you buy has pesticide residue, and pesticides are commonly found in rural wells. Organic farming is now looked at as alternative, and its supporters have been pinned as wealthy elitists who do not care how much poor people have to pay for their food.

NOW, WHAT CAN we do? In the long run, the ultimate solution to our country’s problem of hunger may lie in redistribution of lands and income so people can afford to buy their own food or they can grow it themselves. Obviously this would require major lifestyle changes for most people in the country, and at the moment is probably not feasible. In the short run, a change we all can make to foster a healthier community is to become less dependent on industrial agriculture. Here are some simple things ways of doing this.

•?Rip up that useless piece of grass you call the front lawn and plant a garden. Feeding yourself is the most sustainable way of living.

•?In urban areas where people may not have direct access to land, community gardens should be set up where people are able to have a plot to produce their own food. Community gardens have been very successful all over the country in poor inner city neighborhoods.

•?When you buy food, buy directly from the farmer. There are no middleman costs, so you will find that organic food at farmer’s markets is cheaper than conventional food at the supermarket. It is always fresher, and it tastes better too. I am a regular attendee of the Vineyard farmer’s market on Saturday mornings on the corner of Shaw and Blackstone. It can be a bustling little market, but where I am from a similarly sized farmer’s market served a city of just 30,000.

•?Stop at roadside farm stands. While not always organic, these people are holding on to their farms in the midst of urban sprawl and trying to feed the community.

•?Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). For a very reasonable price you can become a member of a local farm, and pick up, in a convenient location, a box of fruit and vegetables each week. There are a couple options for CSAs in the Fresno area.

These examples are just a few of the many ways that you can think globally, act locally, and really make a difference in our community.

Brian Smith is the president of Students for Environmentally Responsible Agriculture.

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