What happens if we keep having extreme rain, unusually
strong winds, and our farms are unable to keep up with our food needs? The
recent flood disasters in Nigeria and the recent flooding of some communities
and towns across Nigeria should give you a clue.
We rarely give our food
sources a thought. Farming is not given its due honor, as really, the source of
what is basic to us: food. We assume that food will continue to be at the
markets and grocery stores, and prices will stay the same because food is not
scarce. We assume that vegetables and fruits will always be grown, harvested,
and delivered to us. Why did I say that we rarely give our food sources a
thought? It is because our agricultural practices are intentionally or
unintentionally tailored towards the degradation of agriculture’s most
important resource: soil. Or what do you think we are doing when we contaminate
the soil through the voluminous use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides or
herbicides? For example, in conventional
farming, pests and disease are controlled with pesticides and herbicides. These
chemicals kill the bacteria and fungi, which reduces the mineral content of the
soil dramatically. To counteract this, we use a chemical fertilizer that
contains only nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium – NPK. Plants can grow with
these limited available minerals but they are less nutritious and far more
susceptible to disease. It becomes a vicious cycle of more pesticides and more
chemical fertilizers to sustain life. This method is especially absurd when you
realize that the same effect can occur naturally on its own and provide us with
a healthier outcome.
But we
can avoid this absurdity, protect the soil which is our main resource for
continuous food supply and provide safe and healthy food for all humans. How
can we achieve that? It is simply by practicing organic agriculture.
Organic or Ecological Farming ensures healthy farming
and healthy food for today and tomorrow, by protecting soil, water and climate,
promotes biodiversity, and does not contaminate the environment with chemical
inputs or genetic engineering. Organic agriculture is claimed to be the most
sustainable approach in food production. It emphasizes recycling techniques and
low external input and high output strategies. It is based on enhancing soil
fertility and diversity at all levels and makes soils less susceptible to
erosion. Organic farming is the most effective strategy to adapt agriculture to
future climatic conditions. A mix of different crops and varieties in one field
is a proven and highly reliable farming method to increase resilience to
erratic weather changes. Organic farming both relies on and protects nature by
taking advantage of natural goods and services, such as biodiversity, nutrient
cycling, soil regeneration and natural enemies of pests, and integrating these
natural goods into agro ecological systems that ensure food for all today and
tomorrow.
In conclusion, organic farming, when practiced
sustainably, nourishes the soil more than it destroys it. Let’s guarantee food
security for today and tomorrow and avoid further expensive climatic chaos we
put our world into by going organic.
