NewOga

For several thousands of years farming didn't change after it was introduced to Europe from Asia. Monoculture was prevalent under several systems of integrated farming, and both intensive and extensive within conventional farming.

As we evolve we find new ways of adapting but also avenues to cheat the natural process. The growth in populations that surged across Europe and the new United States of America in the 19th and 20th century meant food production needed to be vastly increased. This was enabled by the production and usage of a range of fertilisers and pesticides which offered several new factors. The ability to deter bugs from destroying plants with the latter and fertilisers which would enables the fast revitalisation of top soil and under soil with nutrients plants and vegetables needed in much greater amounts.

Which is where the crux of the problem and turning to organic farming really begins. A farmer is mainly interested in two aspects within farming, sustainable lands and fruitful future crops as well as making a profit on their business. The public view is one of ecological effect also but is more concerned with the end product, taste and price of the products they need to buy. Those living near farms or on the periphery may also be worried about toxicity of any fertilisers or pesticides, both airborne, water pollution and from the aforementioned entering the food chain.

Up until the 18th century fertilisers were natural. Spread and mixed with the top soil to generate nutrient filled soil to give better growth to the seeds and vegetables embedded, whether wholesale corn crops or individual vegetable patches. Yet these fertilisers, herbicides, insecticides and fungicides that used super phosphates and were ammonia based needed to be monitored and changed over time so any usage would not be detrimental to the soil's fertility.

Today the industry of farming is changing constantly to adapt to the need of the ecosystem as well as the health of humanity and the wildlife within. It's not easy to switch off the use of potentially hazardous pesticides as the food supply would break down and famine would begin worldwide. There are solutions however. In the back of everyone's mind is that soil quality can take 500 years to reach an optimum level of nutrients. This can be quickly destroyed within a few years through bad use or bad farming. Organic farming is still be studied but is overwhelmingly more compatible with nature than other forms of farming, such as conventional and even integrated.