Organic farming is the type of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control. Organic farming uses pesticides and fertilizers but excludes or strictly limits the use of manufactured (synthetic) fertilizers ,pesticides (which includes herbicides, Insecticides and fungicides),plant growth regulators such as hormones, livestock antibiotics, food additives, genetically modified organisms, human sewage sludge and nanomaterials.
Organic agricultural methods are internationally regulated and legally enforced by many nations ,based on large part on the standard set by the International Federation Of Organic Agriculture Movements(IFOAM),an international umbrella organization for organic farming organizations established in 1972.IFOAM defines the overarching goal of organic farming as: “Organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils ,ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a good quality of life for all involved…”
“An organic farm ,properly speaking is not one that uses certain methods and substances and avoid others; it is a farm whose structure is formed in imitation of the structure of an natural system that has the integrity ,the independence and the benign dependence of an organism”-Wendell Berry ,”The gift of Good Land”
Biological research on soil and soil organisms has proven beneficial to organic farming. Varieties of bacteria and fungi break down chemicals, plant matter and animal waste into productive soil nutrients. In turn, they produce benefits of healthier yields and more productive soil for future crops. Field with less or no manure display significantly lower yields ,due to decreased soil microbe community ,providing a healthier ,more arable soil system.

Benefits of organic agriculture

Organic farming can be profitable, and organic food appeals to consumers as both a healthy and ethical choice. Beyond money and ethics, though, organic farming practices result in numerous environmental benefits.

1) Reduced Exposure to Pesticides and Chemicals

The Organic Trade Association notes that if every farmer in the U.S. converted to organic production, we could eliminate 500 million pounds of persistent and harmful pesticides from entering the environment annually. Pesticide and chemical use results in many negative environmental issues. Pesticides allow disease resistance to build up in plants, weeds, plant-eating-insects, fungi, and bacteria. Pesticides and chemicals sprayed on plants contaminate the soil, water supply, and air. Sometimes these harmful pesticides stick around for decades (maybe longer). Synthetic chemicals also discourage smart farming practices such as cover crops and crop rotation, which in turn, may cause other harmful environmental problems like erosion.

2) Organic Farming Builds Healthy Soil

To grow healthy food, you must start with healthy soil. If you treat the soil with harmful pesticides and chemicals, you may end up with soil that cannot thrive on its own. Natural cultivation practices are far better than chemical soil management.

3) Combating Erosion

Not only does organic farming build healthy soil, but it helps combat serious soil and land issues, such as erosion. A major study comparing adjoining organic and chemically treated wheat fields showed that the organic field featured eight more inches of topsoil than the chemically treated field and also had only one-third the erosion loss. If you aren't concerned about erosion; you should be. Erosion issues are extremely serious, affecting the land, food supply, and humans. However, organic farming practices do help discourage erosion from occurring.

4) Fighting the Effects of Global Warming

The trial, running since 1981, has shown that a healthy organic agriculture system can actually reduce carbon dioxide and help slow climate change. In fact, the Rodale research shows that:

"If only 10,000 medium sized farms in the U.S. converted to organic production, they would store so much carbon in the soil that it would be equivalent to taking 1,174,400 cars off the road, or reducing car miles driven by 14.62 billion miles

5) Organic Farming Supports Water Conservation and Water Health

Organic farming helps conserve water. Organic farmers, in general, tend to spend time amending soil correctly and using mulch - both of which help conserve water. Cotton, an in-demand crop, requires a lot of irrigation and excess water when grown conventionally. However, organic cotton farming needs less irrigation and thus conserves water.

6) Discouraging Algal Blooms

Algal blooms (HABs) result in adverse effects on the health of people and marine animals and organisms. Algal blooms also negatively affect recreation, tourism and thus, local and regional economies. While there is more than one cause of algal blooms, a primary human-based cause of algae blooms is runoff from the petroleum-based fertilizers often used in conventional farming.

7)  Supporting Animal Health and Welfare

Insects, birds, fish and all sorts of other critters experience problems when humans swoop in and destroy their natural habitat.

Organic farming not only helps preserve more natural habitat areas but also encourages birds and other natural predators to live happily on farmland, which assists in natural pest control.

Additionally, animals who live on organic farms are exposed to clean, chemical-free grazing that helps keep them naturally healthy and resistant to illness.

8) Organic Farming Encourages Biodiversity

In general, the more biodiversity there is on a farm, the more stable the farm is. Organic farming encourages healthy biodiversity, which plays a critical role in how resilient, or not, a farm is to issues like bad weather, disease, and pests.

Additionally, reduced biodiversity may directly correlate with a rise in infectious diseases, which of course, isn't good for people or the planet.