Organic Myths? Interesting comment. I would like to respond to this later.

Date:   9/6/2009 10:37:48 PM ( 15 y ago)

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RELATED TERMS: IMPERIAL COUNTY, LOS ANGELES, MEXICO, NORTH PARK, OCEAN BEACH, RIVERSIDE COUNTY, SAN DIEGO COUNTY, SAN PASQUAL, TIJUANA MEXICO, VALLEY CENTER

Citrus in peril
Organic farms face particular risk from bug-borne disease
By Leslie Berestein
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
2:00 a.m. September 6, 2009

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/sep/06/citrus-peril/?metro&zIndex...


microgrower Today 08:31 AM
Organic farming may bring premium prices to growers, but it does not produce a reliable food supply for consumers. Organic farming is more vulnerable and has higher risk to insects, disease, and other adverse conditions. While organic farming has lower yields, at the same time it has much higher waste due to substandard quality. Much of the production never makes it to market. Organic farmers accept that a much smaller portion of the crops will succeed.

The article perpetuates the myth that organic farmers don't use pesticides.

The fact is organic farmers do spray with pesticides. The article states: "There is no feasible way to protect the trees with nets, growers say, and the one organic compound that has a limited effect on the psyllids would have to be used too frequently to be cost-effective." Also from the article: ..."While organic crops are more vulnerable to pests than conventionally grown crops, organic growers are able to control most of them with organic pest-control compounds"

The cleverly worded "organic compound" is code for pesticide. Translation: the pesticide that is approved for organic farmers to use requires much more spraying than conventional pesticides and is therefore too expensive.

The article: "While conventional farmers might stand a chance with pesticides, organic farmers are essentially defenseless." Organic growers: Local organic growers who apply pesticides lose their organic certification and must wait years to qualify again after spraying stops."

The writer fails to make the important distinction that while conventional pesticides are not allowed, organic farmers are free to spray their organically approved pesticides with no restrictions and no record keeping required, and most importantly, no loss of their organic certification.

As the article states, "The stakes are high. Agriculture ranks among the largest sectors of San Diego County's economy, with revenues of more than $1.5 billion last year." Citrus greening disease is a major threat to San Diego agriculture. That threat is increased dramatically by organic farming which can be an incubation point for the virus to flourish and spread to the entire state of California.


 

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