I am a senior at the University of Maryland, College Park and I am
studying Natural Resources Management, not Agriculture. However, I am
currently taking a class on Sustainable Agriculture. This is a topic I
am just learning about and it is of significant interest to me. As a
requirement for the course we have to do a term project and my project
entails researching the process of Organic Certification. It seems to
me that this is a very long, tiring and especially expensive process. I
also noticed that there really is no federal certification but rather it
is done from state to state. This is of concern to me because one
state's definition of organic could be different from that of another
state's. Another issue that concerns me is whether or not "Organic"
farming is "sustainable" or not--although, who knows what sustainable
really means? I am not just considering environmental sustainability but
economic sustainability as well. For example, it seems to me that if
"biological" pesticides are marketed as safe when they really are not so
safe, then farmers who switch to those "safe" pesticides are really not
doing much of a service to the environment. Furthermore, I am under the
impression that these non-synthetic pesticides are outrageously
expensive.
When reading the NOSB's recommendations for organic crop
production standards, I noticed the lengthy Organic Farm Plan that
farmers must fill out before they can become certified. I am curious to
know how farmers feel about this.
I hope that the small farmers, as difficult as it may be, can
stay small and not get sucked in to the false glory of being a factory
grower or lose your land because of the increased costs (TAXES).Those of
you that love the land and are a steward to the environment as well as
to the local communities surrounding you, keep it up because we want you
around. In fact, we need you. Living in Maryland, local produce is
unfortunately only available during the summer and early fall. However,
as some of you may know, more and more corporate farms are entering the
picture. Especially chicken farms. Not only are they polluting our
rivers but they are polluting the Chesapeake Bay. How can these farms
benefit from organic. It seems to me that the only way to preserve our
land and become sustainable is to create more small farms--that sell and
market their product locally--from these large scale industrial farms.
Can anyone clear up my confusions and perhaps give me some insights for
my project.
What is the most important aspect of organic certification that
needs to be addressed? Do you feel that "organic" as we understand it
or according to NOSB is "sustainable?" Do you feel that using
"biological" pesticides is a safe alternative to using those that are
synthetic? Do you feel that it is fair that you as an organic or
potential organic farmer has to live next to a farm that uses (or
probably overuses) synthetic pesticides and fertilzers? They do drift
and get into your "pure" soils. What if lethal doses of your neighbor's
pesticide or fertilizer application disrupt your organic ecosystem? How
is this regulated? How do you feel about the NOSB farm plan?
Thank you for your time and understanding,
Susan Haebler
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