Maximum Yield Australia/New Zealand March/April 2020 | Page 35

In an era inundated with controversy
in food production, including the
bullying tactics of pro-GMO corporations
like Monsanto, it’s not surprising
traditional organic farmers are skeptical
of hydroponics, and groups like the
Organic Farmers Association have
made it a goal to discredit the organic
distinction of hydroponics.
It is obvious that the hydroponic
organic debate is being waged on a
battlefield field already inundated
with frustration. Yet, it is too easy to
overlook what science and the natural
world tell us about concepts like
organics. After all, isn’t Mother Nature
herself 100 per cent organic?
HYDROPONIC CULTIVATION
Hydroponic enthusiasts purport that by
fusing technology with food production,
they can help curb the global food
crisis. Most notably, hydroponics is an
essential element in urban agriculture,
where forward-looking horticulturists
are transforming cityscapes from food
deserts to vibrant agricultural centres.
The scientific argument behind
hydroponic cultivation is intimately tied
to environmentalism and conservation.
Advocates of hydroponic cultivation
assert that their methods are, in fact,
more ecologically friendly than soil-
based growing. This is because, with
careful controls on inputs and outputs in
their systems, hydroponic growers can
produce crops with little to no wasted
water. Also, advanced operations like
vertical farms utilise far less square
footage to produce crops than seen with
traditional soil farms.
SOIL GROWING
For many organic enthusiasts, the use
of soil in cultivation is the only way
to produce organically grown goods
mainly because soil growers generally
mimic how plants are grown in the
natural world. In organic soil cultivation
(as in nature), essential plant processes
occur in a dynamic community of living
organisms within the soil and biosphere.
As such, plants grow among a symphony
of life in the fields and forests, where
complex systems of microorganisms and
animals interact to stimulate growth.
From a scientific standpoint, soil
growers assert that hydroponic growing
lacks the complexity of life present in
the natural world, rendering the prac-
tice inorganic. According to Linley
Dixon, chief scientist for the Cornucopia
Institute, “the soul … of organics isn’t
just about the singular crop: it’s about
the ecosystem, the environment, and
the planet. Proper soil-based organics
ensures healthy soil for generations,
allows for thriving communities of
beneficial insects, and, in turn, an entire
ecosystem around them.”
“ Hydroponic enthusiasts
purport that by fusing
technology with food
production, they can help
curb the global food crisis.”
ORGANIC
CERTIFICATION
The debate occurring
between soil and
hydro growers stems
largely from the USDA’s
organic certification
process. According to the USDA website,
“Overall, organic operations must
demonstrate that they are protecting
natural resources, conserving
biodiversity, and only using approved
substances.” Within this regulatory
schematic, they state that “synthetic
fertilisers, sewage sludge, irradiation,
and genetic engineering may not be
used” in organic operations.
From the information provided by the
USDA in their accreditation process,
both hydroponic and soil growers can
lay claim to the organic certification.
Yet, within this debate, the confusion
doesn’t really lie with what sorts of
fertilisers or sprays are being used
to produce organic crops. Rather, the
divergence is ideological, as both
parties feel they are honouring the
ecological stipulations set forth by
the USDA. To illustrate, hydroponic
growers feel their water conversation
efforts set forth in “protecting natural
resources” while soil growers feel their
practices defend the “biodiversity”
present in the natural world.
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