It seems that buying organic food – lentils, carrots, oranges or soybeans – can be a good method of decreasing your carbon footprint and green. That’s because organic farming is a highly effective atmospheric scrubber. By nurturing diverse plants, organic plants are better able to sequester carbon. In differently, they function as a carbon sink.
Just one 320-acre farm going organic equals 117 automobiles removed from the street or 1,462,500 miles not driven!
Organic farmings
But why is developing organic food better at carbon sequestration than growing food conventionally with pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides? Over their 23-year comparison of organic and conventional corn-soybean farming methods, these were the conclusions gathered:
Retention of organic matter
A general guideline in farming is that the organic matter is retained in the soil, the carbon is sequestered. Organic farming normally uses animal manure and cover crops as a way of amending the soil; traditional farming on the other hand utilizes chemicals which deplete the organic matter found in soil. Pound for pound, organic farming adds rather than takes away soil organic matter and so will help to sequester carbon.
Lower fuel consumption
Organic farming methods utilize about one third less fossil fuels compared to traditional cropping systems due to a decrease reliance on heavy machinery. This lower reliance in fossil fuels contributes to fewer greenhouse gases expended to increase the same amount of food.
A solution for the climate
These two factors result in a excellent climate solution. In fact, if the US were to take part in the Kyoto protocol, it might meet 73 percent of its proposed targets by converting all 160 million acres of corn and soybean farmland to organic farming methods! That would be like taking almost 60 million cars off the street.
So along with organic foods’ better taste and higher nutrient content, organic food can help you decrease your greenhouse gas emissions! Buying organic from the supermarket, thus, is a excellent way to shrink your carbon footprint.
If you need to further improve your environmental impact, grow your own organic food with, compost, natural fertilizers and soil amendments! This is a cost-effective way to receive your daily nutrients and a fun activity for the entire family.
