Ossana 1

Sally Osana
Kathryn Blattman, Instructor
Biology 1010/1015, Section 1
21, December 2016
Conventional vs. Organic Farming
Conventional farming versus Organic Farming has been a recent controversial
issue in the last couple years. Lots of people are talking about it, and making decisions
for the themselves everyday at the grocery store. Some people will only buy organically
grown produce and other food, because they may think its healthier, or they just want to
put the harmful chemicals in their body. People who only eat organic do not want the
harmful effects that the chemicals create in your body. Other people will eat
conventionally grown produce and other conventional products because they believe
that organic food is not healthier, or they do not think that organic food is worth the
price.
There are many assumptions that organic farmers use no pesticides; that
organic products are more nutritious[,] taste better and that the products are more
sustainable. Many think that there is no evidence to support these accusations (Smith
24). These are the people who buy conventional products. They argue that organic
farming is not a good solution to meet the needs of rapidly growing populations. People
dispute that organic farming is not green. They claim that to meet the demand organic
farmers would require a lot more land to produce what is being farmed conventionally.
That means farmers would have to cut down more trees, and take away more land from

Ossana 2

nature in order to farm organic produce (Smith 24). Conventional farming using
pesticides increases food production by killing weeds and pests that attack the crops.
Pesticides also reduce loss when transporting and storing the produce. It can play a
significant role in eliminating human diseases transmitted by insects.
Others dispute that Organic farming is better than conventional farming because
people do not want to put harsh chemicals into their body. The chemicals found in
conventionally grown produce can lead to multiple health problems, for example:
The dairy industry has been injecting recombinant bovine growth hormone
(rBGH) into dairy cows since the 1990s. This hormone causes an
increased production of 15%- 17% more milk by dairy cows and causes
them to produce insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (ICF-1), which has been
associated with premenopausal breast, colon, and prostate cancers.
(Campbell 8-9)
In many countries including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Japan and all the
countries in the European Union have banned the production and use of many of the
compounds found in conventionally grown foods, called Organochlorine pesticides
(OCPs) which are a group of the Stockholm Convention persistent organic pollutants
(POPs) (Witczak and Abdel-Gawad 343-354). According to the Environmental
Protection Agency, birth defects, learning disabilities, behavioral changes, organ
damage, cancers (including leukemia, breast cancer, and brain tumors), and asthma
symptoms can all be caused by pesticides (Campbell 8-9).

Ossana 3

In my opinion, based on the research I have done today, I want to only eat
organic foods. I did not know how bad the harmful effects of pesticides were before, and
I do not want to put that in my body, or risk the consequences of them. On the other
hand, when I start buying my own groceries, I do not know if I will be able to afford
organic foods because they are more expensive. I will not ha not have a lot of money to
spend and I am not sure if spending all that money is worth it.

Ossana 4

Works Cited
Campbell, Andrew W. "Organic Vs Conventional." Alternative Therapies In Health &
Medicine 18.6 (2012): 8-9. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Dec. 2016.
Smith, Ron. "Social Media Offers Insights On Organic Vs. Conventional Farming."
Western Farm Press 33.21 (2011): 24. Business Source Premier. Web. 20 Dec.
2016.
Witczak, Agata, and Hassan Abdel-Gawad. "Comparison Of Organochlorine Pesticides
And Polychlorinated Biphenyls Residues In Vegetables, Grain And Soil From
Organic And Conventional Farming In Poland." Journal Of Environmental
Science And Health. Part. B, Pesticides, Food Contaminants, And Agricultural
Wastes 47.4 (2012): 343-354. MEDLINE. Web. 20 Dec. 2016.