Bobonsky Global Ventures

04/02/2023

25/03/2020

5 HIDDEN HIDDEN DANGERS OF CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS

Over the years, fertilizers, with their richness in nourishment, have evolved from small planting miracles to bountiful harvests.

This is especially true for chemical fertilizers, since they increase the size of these rich harvests each year since the 1930s. Not only are chemical fertilizers growth advocates, but they’re also cost-effective for farmers and growers. However, should we still be concerned about the side effects of this planting miracle?

First off, chemical fertilizers are made from chemicals that are processed by using chemical treatments, unlike organic fertilizers which are made of natural ingredients (plant and animal remains, or organic waste). Fertilizers need to be composed of macro nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus in order to enhance plant growth. However, chemical fertilizers tend to have a lot of nitrogen, which can prove damaging to both the environment and life, if left unchecked. To make matters worse, we only understand the gist of the problem, and not the whole story of it; and it will take years, unfortunately, for the world to address such a problem.

To better understand the dangerous, we put together a list of how chemical fertilizers can affect the environment, and what that can mean for human health.

• Less Nutrients
Crops, such as vegetables, are supposed to be packed with nutrients, and even promote human health. But when food crops use chemical fertilizers, they will be robbed of the amount of nutrients that humans need for a healthy lifestyle.
While elements such as nitrogen and fast-acting plant-growth chemicals are promoted in these fertilizers, essential nutrients such as calcium, zinc, and iron will be lacking in the food that people eat. Thus, these crops will have less nutritional value, when these fertilizers are applied to them.

• Chemical Burn
As mentioned earlier, chemical fertilizers tend to be high in nitrogen count. Nitrogen is responsible for speeding up the growing process; however, if you apply too much of this fertilizer, then you may be doing more harm than good to your plants.

Too much exposure to these chemicals can cause plant leaves to turn yellow or brown, thus damaging the plant, killing it, and counting it as a loss. Chemical leaf scorch is a common condition that plagues crops, whenever chemical fertilizers aren’t distributed properly. Moderate usage should be key here, but sadly, it can still be tempting to use more of it to produce more crops.

• Acidic Soil
Chemical fertilizers can prove damaging to soil, once it seeps down to the ground. And as soil becomes more acidic to the chemicals (including excess amount of nitrogen), organic matter decreases, and the topsoil becomes so toxic that crops cannot grow and survive in it.

One solution may be to use clay soil, instead of sandy soil, to help slow down the effects of excess chemical fertilization; however, that still doesn’t seem enough, when considering what can happen just below the surface, if these chemicals seep deeper into the ground.

• Water Contamination
Just below the surface is groundwater; and it can be easy for chemical fertilizers to seep into the earth and get into this water. Once the chemicals find its way into this water, they can make their way into larger bodies of water, which accounts for plant and animal life. Not to mention, excess amounts of nitrogen can kill off fish that live in these affected waters.

• Instigates Global Warming
However, the biggest problem remains: global warming. The production of carbon dioxide accounts for much of global warming; however, nitrogen also accounts for it, though not as much as carbon dioxide. With cars, engines, and power plants already contributing to the problem by releasing nitrous oxide into the atmosphere, the use of chemical fertilizers isn’t helping matters by indirectly adding more nitrogen to the environment.

Conclusion
Using chemical fertilizers can be hazardous, whether farms and growers use them in moderation or excessively. However, it’s always tempting to use more to increase plant growth, despite its long-term, damaging consequences to both the environment and human health.

Consider using safer alternatives such as natural fertilizers and/or sustainable methods that won’t damage the crops, or infect soils to where they cause plants to die. Crops need to have nutrients to grow and survive, and so do human beings; let’s try to keep it that way.

18/10/2019

*TEN (10) REASONS TO GO ORGANIC*

1. *Organic products meet stringent national standards and command premium prices in the international market:* The “Organic” logo assures the public that products have been grown and handled using strict methods and guidelines, hence consumers pay more knowing that organic products are traceable, safer, and are of better quality compared to their conventional counterparts.

2. *Reduction of chemicals:* Many herbicides and insecticides commonly used in agriculture have been shown to be endocrine disruptors, carcinogens or have a negative effect on a child’s development. The choice of certified organic products is a way to reduce exposure to chemical residues. This is even truer with synthetic ingredients found in conventional cosmetics.

3. *Organic farms take water seriously:* Organic farmers must manage their land and people around bodies of water very carefully and are subject to annual inspections. The absence of synthetic fertilizers and persistent toxic chemicals makes organic agriculture more conducive to protecting our precious water supplies.

4. *Organic farmers work in harmony with nature (eco-friendly practices):* Organic farming contributes to the formation of healthy ecosystems and biodiversity, both on and around organic farms and more importantly for promoting sustainability and ecological balance.

5. *Biological methods reduce pollution and energy loss:* More energy is needed to produce synthetic fertilizers from fossil fuels than to grow and harvest crops or transport food. Studies show that organic farming practices can use as little as half of the energy required for other farming methods and help sequester carbon back into the soil.

6. *Protecting the health of people (farmers also):* Farmers exposed to pesticides are much more likely to suffer from cancer than non-farmers or organic farmers. Children are more exposed than adults when they ingest pesticide residues in food. The choice of organic products reduces the exposure for children and farmers.

7. *Organic Farmers Contribute to the health of the soil:* Soil is the very foundation of the food chain. Organic agriculture focuses on sustainable practices that promote healthy soil microbiology and prevent erosion leaving fertile soil that will feed future generations.

8. *Organic farming creates more jobs and employment:* The Census for Agriculture has shown that organic farming, on average, require more labour than the conventional farms and on average employ more people.

9. *Organic producers strive to preserve genetic diversity:* The loss of a wide variety of species (biodiversity) is one of the most important concerns of our time. Fortunately, for decades, many organic farmers have been collecting and preserving seeds and cultivating old varieties and breeding rare livestock breeds.

10. *Organic is the only standard for non-genetically modified products usually enforced by Governments of nations:* Organic standards prohibit the use of GMOs in seeds, feed and feed ingredients as well as processed organic products. If you are concerned about GMOs, think before you eat: think Organic!

17/09/2019

Advocate of organic crops and livestock farming