Harm from Conventional Farming
So, what's wrong with conventional farms?Harm to you and the environment
Many people are not aware of the personal and environmental harm caused by conventional farming methods:- Disease
- Water Contamination
- Dead Zones in the Ocean
- Degraded Soil
- Resistant Pests
- Expensive Clean-up
Note: Some conventional farms (especially family-owned ones) are taking steps to more natural methods, so each danger above may or may not apply to a particular local, conventional farm. (More...)
Conventional methods
Chemical and synthetic pesticides or fertilizers
In America alone, the agriculture industry is estimated to use over 800 million pounds of conventional pesticides each year, and globally over 160 million tons of conventional fertilizer each year. These materials cause the most harm to you and the environment.Mono-cropping
This is especially common with corporate agri-businesses, which own large plots of land and specialize in a few cash crops. They grow these few crops season after season on the same piece of land. (More on degraded soil.)Genetic-engineering and modification
Because genetic engineering in agriculture is constantly evolving, and with the recent controversy about its effects, read the section devoted to this one issue.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics are commonly used to speed growth and fatten up animals in the meat and poultry industries, but some GMO fruits and vegetables also use them.According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, 70% of the antibiotics used in the U.S. (approx. 24.6 million pounds annually) aren’t used to treat humans; they’re used in our food supply. (More...)