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benefit is the effect of organic farming on global warming. A Pennsylvania study recently showed that organic farming can actually trap carbon dioxide in the soil by using organic matter in natural fertilizers. The study found that each acre-foot of organic farm soil absorbs over 3600 pounds of carbon dioxide each year. This means that one 320-acre organic farm takes the carbon dioxide of 117 cars per year. Put another way, if every corn and soybean field in the United States switched to organic, we would be 73% of the way to meeting the goals set by the Kyoto treaty, without doing anything else (Sayre). The environmental benefits of organic farming cannot be overstated.

All told, organic farming appears to be growing as consumers become more and more eager to be socially conscious with how they eat, and how they spend their money. Organic farming's myriad of benefits are not easy to dismiss. Replacing our commercial farming monoculture with a vibrant, ecologically diverse and naturally grown food system will benefit not only our own health, but the health of our planet. Imagine agriculture that takes greenhouse gases from the air; that ensures our children eat safe, chemical free food; that small, family-owned enterprises are able to compete with global giants. Clean air, clean food, and a healthy tomorrow; the move toward organic farming is an important step to a brighter future.

Works Cited

Balfour, Lady Eve. "Towards A Sustainable Agriculture-The Living Soil." IFOAM Conference,transcripted at http://www.soilandhealth.org/0 1aglibrary/010116Balfourspeech .html. Stockholm, SWE. 1977.

"Benefits of Organic Farming." ES&T Online News. 21 June 2006. Environmental Science and Technology Online. 12 Dec 2006 .

Kiang, Kylene. "'Organic' label little more than a marketing tool for food, critics say ." Center for Global Food Issues. 10 Sep 2006. Center for Global Food Issues, excerpted from the Atlanta Journal Constitution. 28 Dec 2006 .
Knox, Darrell. "Eating Organic to Improve Your Health." Urbanesque Magazine. Urbanesque Magazine. 14 dec 2006 .

Mercola, Dr. Joseph. "Surprising Health Benefits of an Organic Diet." eDiets.com. 29 dec 2006. eDiets.com. 10-29 Dec 2006 .

Morrison, Lee. "Going natural: Organic food keeps growing in popularity." The Times-Reporter. 29 dec 2006. Dover-New Philadelphia Times-Reporter. 15 Dec 2006

"Organic FAQ's." Organic.org. Organic.org. 29 Dec 2006 .

"Organic Foods: Guide to Pesticides, GMOs, Food Irradiation, and Eating Well On A Budget." HelpGuide: Active Healthy Lifestyles. Helpguide.org. 13 Dec 2006 .

"Organic Movement." Wikipedia. 28 dec 2006. Wikipedia. 14 Dec 2006 .

"The Organic Myth." Business Week Online. 16 Oct 2006. Business Week. 29 Dec 2006 .

Rose, Amara. "Organic Foods: Guide to Pesticides, GMOs, Food Irradiation, and Eating Well On A Budget." HelpGuide: Active Healthy Lifestyles. HelpGuide. 10 Dec 2006 .

Roseboro, Ken. "Organic Farming Offers Higher Profits with Challenges." Organic Consumers Association. Organic Consumers Association. 15 Dec 2006 .

Sayre, Laura. "Organic farming combats global warming big time." The New Farm. 10 Oct 2003. The New Farm. 12 Dec 2006 .

Simon, Ellen. "Why Organic Food Costs More." Organic Consumers Association. 22 Aug 2005. Organic Consumers Association, reprinted from Associated Press. 29 Dec 2006 .

The Soil Association, "The Biodiversity Benefits of Organic Farming." The Soil Association. May 2000. The Soil Association. 14 Dec 2006 .

Tasker, Georgia. "Organic Foods Become Big Business." Organic Consumers Association. 2002. Organic Consumers Association. 14 Dec 2006 .

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