What impact does organic farming have?

Organic farming, when we talk about plants and fruits, has a wide range of positive and important impacts on our environment, nature and climate. Here are a few of the most important effects:

Nature and biodiversity

Positive effects:

• Organic fields generally have more plants, insects and birds. The lack of pesticides and artificial fertilizers makes them more nature-friendly and also benefits the important bees.
• Greater biodiversity
• Bees are essential to our nature and ecosystems – they play a central role in pollination, which is the basis for both wild plants and many crops. Without bees, nature and our food production would look very different – and poorer.
• Organic farming generally has a positive effect on bees, both honeybees and wild pollinators such as bumblebees and solitary bees.
• Food pollination, 75% of the world's food crops depend on pollination – especially from bees. The crops that bees pollinate give us:
• Fruit (apples, pears, strawberries, cherries)
• Vegetables (cucumbers, squash, tomatoes)
• Nuts (almonds, hazelnuts)
• Coffee and cocoa
• Oils (rapeseed, sunflower)
• Without bees, food would become more expensive, monotonous and scarce. Dietary variation would be limited, and thus a healthy diet would be limited.
• The foods bees pollinate are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
• Without bees, we will lack important nutrients and become more dependent on starch and grains.
• Ecologists often allow weeds and flower strips, which provide habitat for wild species.

Challenges:

• If more land is taken over for agriculture (due to lower yields), it may affect natural areas and forests.

What happens if the bees disappear?

Consequence	Effect on humans
Fewer crops	Higher food prices, food shortages
Monotonous diet	Poor health, vitamin deficiency
Destroyed ecosystems	Fewer resources, climate change
Economic losses	Agriculture and beekeeping are declining, job losses
Less nature, more pollution	Poorer quality of life

Environmental impact

Positive effects:

• Less pollution: Organic farming does not use synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, which reduces pollution of streams, lakes and groundwater.
• Better soil quality: Organic methods such as composting, crop rotation, and the use of livestock manure improve soil fertility and structure.
• Lower pesticide load: Less risk of harm to insects, birds and microorganisms.

Challenges:

• Greater land use: Organic farming typically has lower yields per hectare, which may require more land for the same production.

Climate effect

Positive effects:

• • Lower energy consumption: Organic farming often uses less fossil fuel, especially since it does not use energy-intensive artificial fertilizers.
  • Carbon sequestration in the soil: Organic methods such as green manure and composting can increase the carbon content in the soil.