Reduced pesticide use in organic farming boosts manual labor as much as 35%

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Gleaming organic products have come to occupy anย increasingly large portionย of grocery store shelves. Many may think that compared to traditional agriculture, organic foods are healthier, containing more nutrients and fewer pesticide residues.

Contrary to popular belief, organic farms are allowed to use pesticides …. Organic food often still uses organically-certified pesticides, which may impact both the health of the food and the health of the people growing it.

…. Synthetic pesticides and genetically modified crops are effectiveโ€”by choosing not to use them, organic agriculture requires more manually-intensive laborโ€”sometimes as much as 35 percent more. Herbicides used in organic farming are oftenย less effectiveย atย eradicating weeds, requiring more physical weeding. Because organic farms donโ€™t use as much fertilizer,ย cover cropsย are needed to enhance soil nitrogen levelsโ€”which in turn increases the amount of labor time invested in each field.

Read full, original article: Organic food is booming, but itโ€™s grinding field laborers into the dirt

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