It is not just about feeding the large masses with healthy and clean food, Organic Farming also works towards detoxifying the environment. When I say that organic farming helps the environment stay healthy, I am not referring to any single polluting problem. It treats water pollution, air contamination, global warming, soil erosion and contamination — all to a different degree.
Though there are many headlines that focus on how industrial poultry farming, fertilizers, and pesticides contribute largely to the deteriorating environment; there are equal number of news headlines that talk about how environment friendly, organic farming is.
Consistent adoption of Organic Farming can help curb nitrogen pollution which is caused due to the production of reactive nitrogen. NO2 has been proven to be a lot more harmful than CO2.This can be reversed by changing the way poultry farming happens today. Opting for the organic way instead of adopting industrial poultry farming practices.
Eco-Friendly Poultry Farming
Industrial poultry farming adopts some inhumane and environment-averse practices such as closed ranches, infusion of antibiotics, use of lead or chromium-based pesticides, beak-clipping, non-exposure to sunlight, and other commercial methods. These processes build a stressful environment that stifles the growth of natural and healthy chickens or eggs.
These practices further hurt the environment by bringing out high concentrations of PCBs, DDT, chlorine, and arsenic into the air, water, and soil.
In the midst of such deep threat, there is only one way out to achieve a healthier environment — it is Organic Farming.
Organic farming advocates use of natural methodologies such as free-ranching, disposing dead-birds, use of natural manure, and offering organic and natural plant produce or plant-based products for consumption.
Organic farming also recommends distinguishing how layers and broilers are reared. Both need slightly different environment, schedules and food to produce what they are raised for. This requires the owners to maintain a lower stocking density, providing the chickens more space to live.
Mark Bittman, a food writer quotes that “Livestock production is the second highest contributor to atmosphere altering gases”. This makes livestock and poultry production one of the top ten polluting industries in the world.
According to a research survey, chromium puts 16 million people at risk with DALYs at 3 million and pesticides bring 7 million people to risk with DALYs of one million. These devastating numbers are directly linked to poultry cultivators and consumers.
This research indicates the urgency and importance to adopt organic farming methods to sustain poultry sector. The sooner this switch happens, the better it will be for you, me and mother earth.
Raj Seelam
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