From an ethical perspective, what is the difference between using natural and artificial fertilizers and how do they impact human and environmental health?
Artificial fertilizers are necessary to produce mass amounts of crops
In 2012, there were around 925 million undernourished people, with the increase in world population, this number has also increased
Artificial fertilizers should be avoided, they cause environmental harm
“eutrophication of freshwater bodies, global warming and stratospheric ozone depletion, proliferation of algal blooms in coastal waters and contribution towards acid rain.”
need to produce more food to feed these people
artificial fertilizers increases world food security
The amount of nutrients in the soil affects the quality of the yield produced. Therefore, fertilizers, pesticides and other agents are needed to increase the quality of soil and crop produced
major greenhouse effect issues
Natural fertilizers are great for the environment and generate nearly the same crop performance
the anthropocentrism view promotes artificial fertilizer use
the land is ours to do what we want to it
all nonhuman objects only have value if they serve human interests, this is why we can use the fertilizers for our benefit
beliefs within this view justifies making human impacts regardless if it is harmful to the environment
can also cause human harm
consumer society, high demand to produce food
immune system problems, hormonal problems, delusion, reproductive problems, kidney dysfunctions and cancer are researched
When there is a loss of organic matter in soil, we need to replenish that with fresh organic matter through fertilizers.
why wouldn't we use organic fertilizer to replace it naturally?
organic fertilizers take time to dissolve and work, where inorganic fertilizers are highly soluble and work at a faster speed
could be a con of natural fertilizers but has no negative environmental effects
should debate the legitimacy of these claims and compare them to the positives of using artificial fertilizers
affects runoff, bodies of water, the animals that drink it
why did modern farming change from primarily organic fertilizer to artificial?
Distinctions on the value of people, environment and domesticated farm animals are taken into account when researching the ethics behind different farming practices
can recycle biomass waste such as: animal manure, sewage sludge, municipal solid waste, and food waste, into organic fertilizers
environmentally friendly option