“Systems of agriculture that produce food and fiber free from industrially produced chemicals” is a simple way to summarize organic agriculture. It includes minerals and salts derived from natural sources, but the most important prerequisite is the absence of industrial chemicals like pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizer salts. This principle underpins a wide range of agricultural practices used around the world; some examples include biodynamic farming, certified organic farming, natural farming, etc.
The debate over whether something is organic or not stems from the current predicament that agriculture faces in producing food. Should we want optimal long-term resource management or the highest possible output from the land? If maximal output is needed, external input must be added to the system until the natural system is replaced with a new energy-dependent one.
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billiox8