Spinning the Biological Wheel

Organic farming is a quite distinct, and more original, approach towards environmental- friendly production of food and other organic commodities. Instead of synthetic (chemical) agents, it relies either entirely, or predominantly, on using natural organic (biological) material for all/most of the farming processes. In broad terms, organic farming is all about empowering the ‘biological’ over the ‘chemical’ constituents of life. This makes sense when we look at organisms (any of them) as bands of tiny chemical elements, all put together by nature to create a larger biological entity. Upon death and decay, these biological units are broken down to their chemical sub-units and become nutrients for other biological forms (mostly plants and microbes). This way the wheel of life keeps spinning with the biological entity as the higher form of existence.

Organic farming is based on the consciousness of the biological cycle as something inclusive, especially when it comes to issues of health and environment. Introducing chemical (fertilizers and pesticides) or biological agents (genetically modified organisms) from the outside may make the biological wheel spin faster to cover more grounds but, in the long run, it will put the system at a loss because it makes the wheel wear more quickly. Hence, synthetic nitrogenous fertilizers may increase the fertility of soil for one season but the amount left in the soil needs to be washed before cultivating another crop and this washing process is likely to deplete the soil in other nutrients. So additional chemicals need to be used; means more cost and more cleaning, and the production cycle is stressed. In organic farming, letting nature take care of nature keeps the balance intact.

The case of pest control is no different. With chemically synthesized pesticides, a particular harmful insect (or a group of a few related ones) may be killed off, saving the crop. But it fails in more than one way against the same pest; by triggering a rapid evolution of more resistant offspring of the insect; and also by starving the predator species that survives on these insects, thus allowing the pest population to grow all the way between two successive cultivating seasons. The result is a greater demand of more powerful and less environmental-friendly pesticides for future cultivation of crops. In organic farming, natural predator species are allowed to act as ‘bio-filters’ for removing pests while allowing an acceptable degree of crop damage – a little harm for greater good.

The biological cycle of farming is the most health-friendly way of green living. It is true that humans have acquired an advanced degree of consciousness but we need to understand, and come to terms with, the fact that ecology is not all about humans. Existence is not an ecological monologue with human voice as the ultimate teller. We are speaking of millions of years of eco-biological evolution. It is always safe to partake in the natural regulation of the biological cycle. Organic farming is a case in view.

Tweet This Post