ronment, researchers at Michigan State
University found that organic fields
had half the annual nitrate losses of
nonorganic fields. 24 Additionally, researchers at Washington State University studying apple production found
that, after nine years of organic management, annual nitrate leaching was
four to six times higher in nonorganic
than in organic orchards. 25
(CCD)—has been linked to pesticide exposure. On January 28, 2012, The Economist reported on a study from the USDA’s Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville,
Maryland, which found that bee larvae that were exposed to a common pesticide
called imidacloprid were much more susceptible to disease than those that were
Organic Farming Is Good for
Biodiversity
“If honeybees become extinct, human
society will follow in four years.”
–Albert Einstein
Organic farming supports diverse
populations of pollinators—a very important part of agriculture.
The Latest Buzz. In 2006, for unknown reasons, honeybee colonies
suddenly began to die across the U.S.
In recent years, this phenomenon—
called colony collapse disorder
In the United States, 64
percent of measured lake
acres and 44 percent of
stream miles are impaired;
they no longer support one or
more of their designated uses
such as swimming or
fishing, according to the EPA.
not exposed. When bees were exposed to a parasite, the bees that were given
pollen with pesticide residue had an average of 700,000 parasite spores in their
bodies, while other bees harbored fewer than 200,000. Previous reports found
that pesticides in this same category have caused bees to act confused, which may
