Climate change and farming

Many of us are getting worried about global warming. We might have made changes to our lifestyle as a result. But what about the food we eat? Is the food on our plate adding to the amount of greenhouse gases in the air?

The short answer is yes. Farming is a major source of emissions such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane, which are responsible for global warming. However the type of farming makes a huge difference and organic farming delivers real benefits where emissions are concerned. A recent UK Government study found organic farms use 50% less energy than non-organic farms to produce the same amount of food. And less energy use means fewer greenhouse gasses.

Fertilisers

Unlike organic farms, most farms rely upon artificial fertilisers. These add to global warming in several ways. The production of the fertilisers is very energy intensive and uses fossil fuels (mostly methane) as a raw material. This results in high levels of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions.

Just adding fertiliser to the land releases nitrous oxide. Fertilisers also make the soil more acidic, so farmers add lime to counter-balance this. This produces carbon dioxide.

Fertilisers suppress soil micro-organisms which actually help to prevent methane from escaping into the atmosphere. Organic farming actively encourages soil micro-organisms, which reduces emissions.

Soil

Soil stores carbon. The more carbon it stores, the less carbon dioxide there is in the atmosphere adding to global warming. Poor land management leads to carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere from the soil. Organic farmers apply organic matter to the soil. This increases the carbon in the soil and reduces carbon dioxide emissions.

Eat organic to save the planet!