Adverse effects of pesticide exposure range from mild symptoms of dizziness and nausea to serious, long-term neurological, developmental and reproductive disorders. Parents may choose to serve their children organically grown foods in an effort reduce the risks posed by pesticide ingestion. Environmental Benefits Conventional agriculture is the largest polluter of America's rivers and streams, due to the chemicals, erosion and animal waste runoff it contributes to our waterways. It is a management-intensive technology designed to achieve a balance in the agricultural and livestock system similar to that found in natural systems. Organic farming presents a possible method for sustainable agriculture, one that take nutrients from and puts pollutants into the environment at a level that the ecosystem can handle.
Organic methods are nothing new.
Essentially, organic farming adheres to the techniques used by farmers before synthetic chemicals were available. Crop rotation and natural fertilizers and pesticides are used to increase yields and protect against infestation rather than synthetic chemicals. Whether reverting to such methods can be profitable for farmers and capable of providing a large enough global food supply has yet to be seen. It has yet to be tested to any large degree. These proponents view buying organic foods as a form of environmental activism.