Plants

Plants play the most important part in the cycle of nature. Without plants, there could be no life on Earth. They are the primary producers that sustain all other life forms. This is so because plants are the only organisms that can make their own food. Animals, incapable of making their own food, depend directly or indirectly on plants for their supply of food. All animals and the foods they eat can be traced back to plants.

The oxygen we breathe comes from plants. Through photosynthesis, plants take energy from the sun, carbon dioxide from the air, and water and minerals from the soil. They then give off water and oxygen. Animals and other non-producers take part in this cycle through respiration. Respiration is the process where oxygen is used by organisms to release energy from food, and carbon dioxide is given off. The cycles of photosynthesis and respiration help maintain the earth's natural balance of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water.

Leaves are the main food-making part of most plants. They capture energy from sunlight, and turn water and carbon dioxide into sugar and starch. This sugar and starch becomes the food that provides plants with energy to grow, to produce flowers and seeds, and carry on their other life processes.

Issues

Health

Over the last several decades, industrial agriculture has had an increasingly negative effect on human health. Industrial farms take an enormous toll on the environment, lowering the quality of life and endangering the health of those who live nearby. They also produce food which may contain bacteria, pesticides, antibiotic residue and artificial hormones, all of which can be harmful to those who consume them. Small sustainable farms, on the other hand, produce healthy, high quality food and preserve the environment. In order to protect and promote their health, consumers have a clear choice: shop sustainable.

Rural Communities and Public Health

When a factory farm moves into an area, it dramatically reduces the quality of life in rural communities and jeopardizes the health and safety of the people who live nearby. These facilities generate waste, which can leach into the ground water and put residents at risk of exposure to infectious and potentially deadly bacteria such as E coli. Runoff from industrial farms can also spread antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and contribute to dangerously high levels of heavy metals such as nitrates into wells and public water supplies. Industrial farms create air pollution, which is potentially deadly and is detrimental on the surrounding community. Manure from industrial farms emits deadly gases including hydrogen sulfide, methane, ammonia, and carbon dioxide, all of which can be fatal when humans are exposed to them in high levels. Chemical fertilizers used on conventional factory farmed crops lower the nutrient content of the soil, increase the level of potentially harmful nitrates, and can contain toxic heavy metals which can be absorbed by the plants.