Protecting the Insect Kingdom: The Role of Organic Food

Organic food is produced with the standards of natural farming that practices the use of resources which promote ecological balance and conserve biodiversity. Organic foods are produced without using ionising radiations, pesticides, synthetic fertilisers, sewage sludge, or genetically modified organisms. This is the key to protecting the ecology, especially the insect kingdom.

Organic agriculture appears daunting, and consumers believe in a myth that organic foods are priced higher than the normal conventionally grown foods. But this is not true. The cost of our health is directly related to the price that our ecology pays due to the chemical bombing of our farms.

Why should you choose organic foods?

The most important reason for you to choose organic food is that they are safer and more nutritious than conventionally grown food. Visit the best organic food store in Hyderabad to enjoy food that has more positive nutritional value.

Conventional farming uses extremely toxic chemicals to keep insects and other pests from destroying the yield. These chemicals not only kill the pests, but it also hampers the quality of the soil, the air, drinking water and even the oceans. Other than humans, the most affected organisms by chemical farming are the insects. The herbicides and pesticides do not differentiate between good and bad bugs; it simply kills them all.

Insects are a fundamental part of the food chain, pollination and soil health. A major cause of plummeting insect populations is the intensive use of heavy pesticides in agriculture. The decline in the number of insects can cause a catastrophic collapse to nature's ecosystem.

Buying organic food should be encouraged as this can reduce the decline in the insect population. Prof. Dave Goulson, University of Sussex, UK, says that organic farming is better for insects than intensive agriculture. On the contrary, insects such as mosquitoes, which can cause harm to humans, are not declining. These insects are however adapting to the human environments and are spreading to cause diseases.

The UK’s environment secretary, Michael Gove opines that insects are fundamental to the health of the natural world and their decline on a global scale is deeply concerning. That’s why they are taking action to restore biodiversity after decades of losses.

There are around 4 million insect species on the planet. Only less than one percent of them are pests that affect agriculture adversely or cause other nuisances. Most other insects help in pollination, aerating the soil and breaking down dead animals and returning them to the earth.

What can we do to help insects? And in turn, help ourselves?

• Grow your own vegetables: Growing your own fruits and vegetables is an easy way to switch to organic produce and is also insect-friendly and cost-effective.

• Grow native plants: Many insects can survive only with plants with which they have co-evolved locally. They live and thrive on such plants.

• Use organic fertilisers: Make use of natural fertilisers like manure or kitchen compost, to help protect insects.

• Use coloured placards or insect repellent shrubs: To ward away insects in your garden use sticky yellow or red placards which attract insects. There are a few shrubs that repel insects naturally; you can include these in your home garden.

The best option to promote insect population growth is to switch to organic produce. Green Station is one such organic food store in Hyderabad which brings you the best organic produce. You can also shop for the best online organic store in Hyderabad and get your regular supply.