Title:Organic vs. conventional farming: Which uses less energy?
Link:http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/organic-vs-conventional-farming-which-uses-less-energy/2012/11/12/776ad970-2769-11e2-b4f2-8320a9f00869_story.htmlPublished:By ,
10,150 megajoules of energy, while farming 2.5 acres of conventionally grown corn requires 71 percent more. The reason for this is due to nitrogen-based fertilizer that is used. The nitrogen-fertilizer used to grow organic corn comes from cow manure and nitrogen fixing crops such as legumes and these are less energy-intensive sources. Conventional farms use synthetic nitrogen that requires a lot of oil to transport and make. Only about 10 percent of energy goes towards making, and transporting pesticides and herbicides. Most of the energy that is used goes toward transportation, cooking, and disposal of waste, so if someones goal is to cut back on the amount of energy they use it may be more helpful to find more energy efficient cooking methods.
This is nitrogen- fertilizer on an organic farm
organicfarming.myonlineorganicstore.com
Opinion- I always thought that organic food was healthier and more nutritious then conventionally grown crops. This article was a surprise to me because I thought that most of the energy that was used on conventionally grown crops came from pesticides and herbicides, it turns out that it actually comes from nitrogen fertilizer. I always purchased as much organic food as I could but for other reasons, now I think I will continue to purchase organic food knowing that it takes less energy to produce it. I also think it is important for people to keep in mind that if their goal is to use less energy then they need to use different methods of cooking, disposal, and transportation to really make a difference.
Questions-
1)Do you think it is worth it to purchase organic food? why or why not?
2) Do you think that conventional farms can use less energy, without drastically changing their farming technique?
3) Do you think it is expensive to use the organic nitrogen fixing fertilizer even though it requires less energy? why or why not?
I found this cool video on Organic Farming! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lexXYzLQwDo
ReplyDeleteThis video follows a man who owns a farm and grows food organically. It shows how organic farming differs from "normal farming" and shows the pros and cons of both methods!
1. Do you think it is worth it to purchase organic food? Why or why not?
ReplyDeleteI believe that it is worthwhile to buy organic food. Using less energy could help produce more food and create more jobs and boost the United States economy, which could use some help right now. Also, because organic crops have the same nutrients as regular crops, and most likely taste similar, the transition will be smoother as supermarkets change their products over to organic food.
2. Do you think that conventional farms can use less energy, without drastically changing their farming technique?
I do not believe that conventional farming can reduce the amount of energy used to produce crops without changing current farming techniques. The food produced will not be the same, as less energy means less time focusing on the food and more time focusing on the amount of energy used. The food will not be as fresh and ripe as the food will be fully grown when it is picked if conventional farming reduces the energy used to produce crops.
3. Do you think it is expensive to use the organic nitrogen fixing fertilizer even though it requires less energy? Why or why not?
I think that the nitrogen fixing fertilizer will cost a lot of money to produce. Also, the sellers of the fertilizer will realize that farmers can make more crops, which makes them more money. If the farmers have more money, the farmers will spend more money on necessary things like the fertilizer. The sellers of the fertilizer can increase the price of the fertilizer which will make them more money. It is like a money scam, but the difference is the product actually works.
I am shock at the fact that organic Food is not any healthier than Regular food.In my house the is rarely ever organic food so I can not really say if there is a difference to me. While I believe it is a good thing that it takes less energy, I have a problem with it taking more space. This means that more can be feed with Regular food then organic.Three questions I have is Why does organic cost so much more if it takes less energy?, Why do the Organic crops need so much more space?, and Why have people always believed that organic is healthier?
ReplyDelete