Organic products are less likely to pollute or damage air, soil, or water. In organic farming, no synthetic chemicals or toxins are used. Advocates of conventional farming argue that organic farms use much more land than do conventional farms to produce a similar crop yield. But improved farming techniques and distribution systems are decreasing the amount of land required for crop growth on organic farms. An additional benefit of organic farming is its use of crop rotation.
Organic farmers grow just one crop each season, which helps to conserve the soil's nutrients.
The rotation process is also a form of pest control, because a pest that reproduces for one crop may not be interested in next season's crop. When all is said and done, organic produce has not been proven healthier than its conventional counterparts, but is certainly much better for the environment. The next time you're at your local grocer, reach for a bag of organic carrots and some organic mushrooms to throw in your salad for dinner - it could be the best thing you've done for the environment since recycling. Elizabeth Gilbert is a graduate student studying nutrition communication at Tufts' School of Nutrition Science and Policy.