Topic > Why organic farming can sustain the production and supply of food for an expanding human population

This issue concerns organic farming and its potential to become a better and more sustainable way of producing food. Brian Halweil claims that the yield of organic farming is high enough to support future populations; however John J. Miller states that the yield is too small and will not be sufficient to support the future larger population. I agree with Miller, organic farming, at least as it stands now, will not be able to produce enough. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Miller's argument is solid. He began by giving the example of a pest infestation on an organic farm that was easily preventable through the use of pesticides. The parasite caused decay, and the decay of the corn left residues of bacteria that could cause cancer. This is a disadvantage of organic foods. Another not-so-bad thing about organic foods, but just a plus about non-organic foods, is that the food is the safest it has ever been. This is due to the use of pesticides, herbicides and antibiotics. But with organic foods you run the risk of not having any of these regulatory or management devices. I think the whole organic label is just a selling point and really one-sided. They overinflate the pros and completely hide the cons. GMOs also eliminate the need for pesticides and herbicides, which many people are tired of, and have a higher yield. The yield of organically grown food is not sufficient to support a larger future population, the loss from pests and diseases is too great, and the available harvests are too few. We learned in class that GMOs or even just modern techniques significantly reduce the loss rate and lengthen harvest times. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay So the postscript mentions worsening soil conditions. This only solidifies my position that organic is not enough. “Natural” or organic growing can only happen under certain conditions and if the soil becomes bad enough this simply won't happen. So the food needed will have to come from a different source, such as GMOs or simply aided by the use of pesticides and herbicides..