Food Safety: Organic Versus Conventional Farming

[S.Annadana]

By K Hillemeyer, published Jul 29, 2008
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<strong>Food Safety: Organic Versus Conventional Farming</strong><br>Brief article discussing the economic and environmental advantages and disadvantages of organic versus conventional farming methods.<br><a href="http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/914969/food_safety_organic_versus_conventional.html">View more »</a>
Most people think one ear of corn is just like any other. They go to the store each week, pick up their produce, and don't give it another thought.

But a growing number of people are becoming nervous about their vegetables. They are suspicious of eating anything that doesn't come from one of the specialty organic food stores popping up all over the country. For them, two ears of corn may look the same, but how they were grown makes them very different.

The rising popularity of alternative farming practices is challenging conventional methods more each year as concerns arise over the safety of the chemicals used in crop production. The Organic Trade Association reports that organic farming is a $20 billion industry that is predicted to increase by 18 percent annually through the year 2010.

Advances in the generic engineering of crops, such as corn that is resistant to bugs, has reduced the dependency on chemicals and made organic methods more feasible, increasing their popularity, said Fred Sehr, who farms soybeans and corn part time with his father in Canton, Ill.

Though Sehr still farms using conventional methods, he understands why the organic movement is becoming more mainstream. "Organic growers, especially of vegetables and even corn and soybeans can make two, three, or four times as much for their crops. There's definitely a market for it," he said.

The reason for the increasing market, he said, is due to fears that chemicals are dangerous for human consumption and harmful to the environment. Sehr said he has some reservations about his own use of chemicals to grow crops, but that the benefits chemicals provide are too great to ignore. "I cringe every time I turn one of those sprayers on," Sehr said. "It's real nasty stuff. But without it weeds would take over."

Conrad Cattron, who farms soybeans and corn as well as some alfalfa hay in Ellisville, Ill., said he restricts his use of chemicals to those with a low residual effect. He uses Roundup® and Harness® to protect his crops against weeds. "The low residuals are gone within two to three months and won't cause problems in the future," he said.