Instructions: Write one or two paragraphs (approximately 250 words) summarizing the argument or arguments in the following passage, specifying the topic, the premises, and the conclusion or conclusions. Be sure to use indicator words to identify the topic and relationships between the premises and the conclusion or conclusions.

All food is organic. But for some reason people seem to think the "organic" label applies only to food grown without fertilizers or pesticides. The Canadian consumer has bought into the notion that "organic" foods are produced without harming the environment. Anything with chemicals is out. That idea is even in children's books. One nature story I read to my daughter ended with the author urging children to "buy organic produce" so the environment would be healthy for butterflies. That's so misguided. Farmers who refuse to use pesticides and fertilizers are not sin-free. Their production methods harm the precious topsoil.

To grow crops without pesticides, farmers have to use intensive tillage to control weeds and diseases. Tillage has a terrible effect on the land. It leaves the soil bare. It creates and promotes soil erosion. Topsoil, rich in nutrients and organic matter, is blown or washed off the fields into ditches and streams. It's lost forever.

According to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, soil erosion is one of the greatest environmental threats in the world. Tillage is not benign. It is the most destructive operation that can be done to soil.

Up until 15 years ago, I recall what would happen in dry, windy springs. . . . The entire landscape seemed to be on the move. The air was so filled with dust we called it a blackout. Driving could be dangerous. But spring dust storms are not so common anymore. And they are smaller than they used to be. It's because crops on about 40% of the farmland in Saskatchewan are now seeded directly into last year's stubble. Only one tillage operation is needed to put the seed in the ground. The stubble anchors the soil against wind and water. With minimal disturbance, the soil is healthier now than it has been since the plow was first put to the land.

Conservation farmers do use commercial fertilizers and pesticides. But the fertilizers, in combination with crop rotations that include nitrogen-fixing legumes, maintain and enhance the soil's fertility. Pesticides are applied judiciously, and at the recommended rate.

Direct seeding is a better way to conserve our soil which is, after all, a non-renewable resource. Direct seeding farmers are true stewards of the land. It's important for Canadians to recognize this and appreciate their conservation efforts.
Next time you visit the market and reach for produce labelled "organic," remember how it was produced. Is the loss of our topsoil really benefiting Mother Nature?

Polegi, Juanita. "Commentary," in Reader's Choice, 4th Canadian Edition, edited by Kim Flachmann, et al. Toronto: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2004, pp. 425-426. © Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Courtesy of Canadian Broadcasting Corporation