The slogan of organic farming is ' feed the soil, not the crop '. This is the important difference between organic and conventional farming. We replace factory workers and fossil fuels by the energy of soil life which is already available- 25 tons in every hectare of fertile soil. Nothing is wasted by leaching or by the formation of insoluble compounds. Vegetables and water supplies are not poisoned by excess nitrate.
Plants are less susceptible to pests and diseases because they are naturally heathy.
Cell walls are thicker and cell sap is correctly balanced. If cells contain excess nitrate, on the other hand, they become attractive to sucking insects. Spraying them with pesticide makes them weaker still, so they become prey to disease. There is then a vicious cycle- more fertilizer, more pests, more biocide, more cost, poor soil, lower yield. It is sometimes claimed that because compost contains a lower percentage of the necessary minerals, phosphorus and potassium, which are often deficient in Kenya soils, that the minerals are second- rate.