Organic & Beyond
Friends of the Earth works to advance organic for all: for our health, our families and our communities; for the farmers and farmworkers who grow our food; for the land that provides us with nourishment, the pollinators that make food production possible and the climate and ecosystems that sustain all of life.
Science shows that organic agriculture can produce enough food to feed a growing world population while protecting our health and the environment.
Organic farming protects us from toxic pesticides, is more profitable for farmers and conserves the soil, water and biodiversity that we need to feed the world for generations to come. It is also a climate solution. In times of drought and flood, organic outperforms industrial agriculture. And compared with industrial farming, it conserves water, saves energy and captures more carbon in the soil.
The United States represents 43 percent of the global market for organic food, less than one percent of total U.S. cropland is devoted to organic farming. Expanding organic agriculture is a tremendous economic opportunity for American farmers and an important conservation strategy for our nation.
The science is clear: with agroecological methods of farming, like organic, we don’t have to rely on toxic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers to produce abundant food. That’s great news for people, pollinators and all living things. We know that the need for resilient, regenerative farming is more urgent than ever. Industrial agriculture costs the world an estimated $3 trillion annually in environmental damage, and climate change threatens future food security.
This guide outlines Maryland candidates’ stances on critical food and climate issues in advance of the upcoming gubernatorial election.