| “Just one 320-acre farm going organic equals | | | | organic farming adds rather than takes away soil |
| 117 cars taken off of the road or 1,462,500 miles | | | | organic matter and therefore helps to sequester |
| not driven!” That’s the conclusion of Chris | | | | carbon. |
| Hill and Greg Bowman, contributors to the Rodale | | | | - Lower fuel consumption: Organic farming |
| Institute’s NewFarm.org website which has | | | | systems use about one third less fossil fuels |
| been heavily involved in researching the impacts | | | | compared to conventional cropping systems |
| of conventional and organic farming. | | | | because of a lower dependence on heavy |
| Seems that buying organic food—be it oranges, | | | | machinery. This lower dependence in fossil fuels |
| carrots, soybeans, or lentils—can be an | | | | results in fewer greenhouse gases expended to |
| effective way of shrinking your carbon footprint | | | | grow the same amount of food. |
| and living green. That’s because organic | | | | These two factors make for a great climate |
| farming is a powerful atmospheric scrubber. By | | | | solution. In fact, if the US were to participate in |
| cultivating diverse crops, organic crops are better | | | | the Kyoto protocol, it could meet 73% of its |
| able to sequester carbon. In otherwise, they | | | | proposed targets by converting all 160 million |
| serve as a carbon sink. | | | | acres of corn and soybean farmland to organic |
| But why is growing organic food better at carbon | | | | farming methods! That would be like taking nearly |
| sequestration than growing food conventionally | | | | 60 million cars off the road. |
| with fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides? Over | | | | So in addition to organic foods’ better flavor |
| their 23-year comparison of organic and | | | | and higher nutrient content, organic food can help |
| conventional corn-soybean farming systems, | | | | you lower your greenhouse gas emissions! Buying |
| these were the conclusions gathered: | | | | organic from the grocery store, therefore, is a |
| - Retention of organic matter: A general rule of | | | | great way to shrink your carbon footprint. |
| thumb in farming is that the more organic matter | | | | If you want to further enhance your |
| is retained in the soil, the more carbon is | | | | environmental impact, grow your own organic |
| sequestered. Organic farming generally makes use | | | | food using, compost, natural fertilizers and soil |
| of animal manure and cover crops as a means of | | | | amendments! This is a cost-effective way to get |
| amending the soil; conventional farming on the | | | | your daily nutrients and a fun activity for the |
| other hand uses chemicals which deplete the | | | | whole family. |
| organic matter found in soil. Pound for pound, | | | | |