What is the difference between conventional and organic farming?

 

Agriculture, being one of the primitive occupations of man, has evolved for centuries and has adapted to several new changes, new methods, and techniques to improve agricultural yield. Though these new methods and techniques proved beneficial to increase the farmer's yield and quality of the crops, but in the long run, some of them started showing adverse effects on the surrounding factors.

Therefore, new techniques and new methods were invented over the course to overcome the difficulties and harmful effects that certain agricultural practices inflicted on nature, the environment, and human life.

Thus, organic farming came up as an alternative to conventional farming practices. In this article, we will take a quick glance at these two specific farming methods and the difference between them.

 

What is conventional farming?

In simple terms, conventional farming is a system that includes using synthetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides during the crop cultivation process. Practicing intensive tillage, concentrated animal feeding operations, heavy irrigation, and monoculture, or using genetically modified organisms, and many such other practices according to different regional needs together form the conventional farming method.

This method developed gradually, as every new practice gave a different, better result. All the new techniques resulted in better production yield sufficient to fulfill the ever-increasing food demand with high-quality crops.

 

What is organic farming?

Organic farming is a farming method that emerged in the early 20th century due to the rapidly changing farming practices mentioned above. It is a system of agricultural production that uses those practices that won't harm the natural environment or living organisms, instead helps conserve the natural resources while giving almost as good results as conventional farming.

Using organic materials, animal and plant residues, healthy farming practices are what defines organic farming.

 

Similarities between conventional and organic farming.

Before moving forward to find out the differences, lets first see if the

Both use pesticides to control infestation and high-quality weed removers

Both use similar agricultural equipment like good quality, fuel-efficient, durable farm tractors, combine harvesters, tillers, etc.

 

What is the difference between conventional and organic farming?

As we have roughly seen what both the terms mean, let's proceed to understand their specific differences regarding their positive and negative effects.

 

Conventional farming	Organic farming
Conventional farming relies on chemical solutions like synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers to fight pests and weeds and provide plant nutrition.	On the other hand, organic farming relies on natural principles like biodiversity, composting, and cycles adapted to local conditions rather than synthetic inputs like chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides to produce healthy food for human beings.
Conventional farming has taken a new approach towards farming, emphasizing advanced farming techniques that have evolved with time. It uses modern technologies like GMOs, chemical crop protection, synthetic fertilizers, and other advanced practices that would help increase the farmer's yield.	Organic farmers apply techniques first used thousands of years ago, such as crop rotations and the use of composted animal manures and green manure crops, in ways that are economically sustainable in today's world. Although organic farming uses age-old techniques, it has wholeheartedly accepted some of the advanced technologies like an agriculture tractor or combine harvesters that have become one of the inevitable parts of a farmer's life.
It is a known fact that the conventional farming method can produce more food than organic farming. This means the total yield or crop production is more than the organic method It is possible to produce much larger quantities of food with more strategic planning with the conventional method.	Organic farming, though a healthy alternative, has a lower yield record than conventional methods. Therefore, switching to organic farming would lead to a reduction in total output.
As the most advanced technologies are used in conventional farming, less manual labor is needed to perform tasks.	Organic farming uses traditional techniques keeping in mind the environmental and nature conservation, hence needs more manual labour than conventional.
Unlimited use of fertilizers and pesticides has become a must for good output through conventional methods.	The use of harmful chemical fertilizers and pesticides is totally avoided. At the same time, the types of fertilizers and pesticides that are used are from natural unharmful sources, that too in proper limits.
Conventional food production is known to utilize genetically modified organisms (GMO) which are different from plants and animals that have been selectively bred.	GMOs are not allowed in the organic method of farming.
Loss of biological diversity is a major demerit of conventional farming.	Organic producers implement a wide range of strategies to develop and maintain biological diversity and replenish soil fertility.
Conventional farming does not consider these individual natural components, but its main emphasis lies in the overall output, even if it compromises these farm-dependent species.	Organic farming increases species richness, be it birds, insects, or plants.
Water pollution, including fertilizer runoff causing eutrophication, land degradation, erosion, soil compaction, loss of biodiversity, increased greenhouse gas emissions, and chemical leaching, are a few of the harmful effects of the conventional method.	Organic farming is ecologically sustainable than conventional farming. Organic farming has a smaller carbon footprint, conserves and builds soil health, replenishes natural ecosystems for cleaner water and air, all without toxic pesticide residues
Conventionally produced crops contain fewer antioxidants, contain pesticide residues, and have a higher concentration of heavy metals.	Organic foods have always been healthier than conventionally produced foods due to their no use of the chemical policy.

Takeaway

Conventional and organic farming methods have different consequences on the environment and people.

Though conventional agriculture causes increased greenhouse gas emissions, soil erosion, water pollution, threatens human health, and adversely affects the surrounding, it has helped improve the overall quality of the produced food. It has made it possible to increase the yield of the farmer's crop production.

On the other hand, any organic farming method's primary concern is to practice farming to sustain the natural resources. But, while doing so, this farming method affects the overall yield of the farm and may sometimes be a bit expensive.

Organic production does not simply mean avoiding conventional chemical inputs, nor is it substituting natural inputs for synthetic ones. Instead, organic production aims at sustaining the overall environment and the surrounding spaces; besides, organic farming is known to emphasize the overall health system.