Chemical Vs. Organic Products

Although most of us know that the long term use of organic fertilizers are better than the use of long term use of chemical fertilizers, we simply do not have enough proof or justification to move towards the use of organic over chemical varieties. First, let us define what organic fertilizers are and how they are classified.

The highest certification of an organic product is one with the “certified organic” label. A vegetable product that is “certified organic” is one which is grown on land that is completely chemical free. The land is tested thoroughly and will only pass any certification panel if the land can demonstrate that it has been free of chemical products such as pesticides, poisons or chemical fertilizers for at least 5 years. This is the strictest form of anything organic and as such products with this label are almost twice to three times as expensive as normal products.

The confusing terms are “organic” or “natural”. A food product with the label “organic” simply means that it contains carbon. It is extremely misleading as even a lump of coal from a mine can be considered “organic”. Almost any food stuff that is produced can be labeled as “organic”. Another deceiving label is “natural”. “Natural” simply means that the product is derived from anything of plant, animal or mineral in origin which in the whole grand scheme of things can be almost anything, even the plastic chair that you sit on can be called “natural” as it is made from petroleum which is converted to plastics. It is vitally important that anyone looking for healthier alternatives to their diets be keenly aware of these marketing terms and what they actually mean.

Chemical Vs. Organic Fertilizers

Organic fertilizers are the basic requirement for the development of “certified organic” products. These fertilizers are made from plant, animal, or rock sources with no added chemical preservatives or reductions. The most famous organic fertilizers are fish emulsion, bone meal, cottonseed meal, kelp meal, alfalfa meal, granite dust and dehydrated manure or chicken droppings. The problem is that the certification of organic fertilizers isn’t as strict as organic products thus it can be hard to determine if a product is truly organic in nature. The best bet would be simply to check the labels and make sure that the products used to make the fertilizer come from plants, animals or rock sources with no other preservatives of chemical additives.

Although organic fertilizers may seem to be less effective compared to chemical fertilizers, the reverse is often true in the long run. Organic fertilizers are totally natural and are ecologically and environmentally safe. Their use will never harm the environment and will never release toxins into grounds waters of damage/degrade soil. In addition to the ready nutrients that the fertilizers provide, continued microbial activity will also provide slow release properties to the fertilizers upon use and this will give a much longer and gradual benefit to land instead of the instant and short burst of nutrition that chemical fertilizers are know for. Organic fertilizers also have the benefit of providing trace elements and minerals that will help rebuild the mineral content and base of soils. Trace elements are also needed by plants for optimal growth. It is because of these trace minerals that organic fertilizers when combined in certain numbers can help to rebuild and restore dead or unproductive lands.

With chemical fertilizers, you can’t use them for long without damaging the soil you use them on. Many chemical fertilizers are either mineral salts or synthetic elements derived from petroleum and coal waste products. With these chemical fertilizers their harshness is as such that even microbes that are readily available in the soils are killed by the salts in these fertilizers in affect killing the soil. Another problem with chemical fertilizers is that that the nutrients in chemical fertilizers require water as a releasing agent. Access water will mean that the nutrients will be carried by the water to local water sources thus polluting lakes and rivers which is highly detrimental to the local environment.

Most farms that rely on chemical fertilizers and other non-natural forms of pest or weed control will cause eutrophication to occur in surrounding areas. This in affect will cause surrounding areas which have nutrients and other chemicals including the farms a toxic area where very little except the strongest plants can live thus killing the bio-diversity in the surrounding and immediate areas.

Overall, research and observation has shown that although chemical fertilizers work very well in the short term their long term affects are lasting and hazardous for the environment. Organic fertilizers although slight more expensive initially are much better alternatives and will provide long term benefit to the land that it is used on. Organic fertilizers are also much kinder to the environment nourishing the soils that use them.