This document summarizes organic farming and its benefits compared to conventional farming. Key points include: - Organic foods reduce exposure to pesticides and antibiotic-resistant bacteria while increasing nutrient levels. Studies found organic produce contains significantly lower pesticide residues and an 81% lower risk of pesticide exposure. - Natural farming is a sustainable method developed in Korea that uses indigenous microorganisms and natural materials instead of chemicals or machines. It aims to not destroy land or resources while producing healthy soil and crops. - Farming has historically been important to Hawaii's economy and culture, though conventional industrial farming has increased use of GMOs which are controversial. Organic and natural farming offer alternatives.

1. Natural Farming

2. Benefits of Eating Organic Foods
● Reduce cancer risk
● Reduce exposure to pesticides
● Lower exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria
● reduce consumption of farming chemicals
● increase taste and texture
● reduce nutrient stripping effects of big business farming

3. What is Organic?
● Organic foods are grown without
synthetic pesticides or fertilizers,
antibiotics or growth hormones. They
are generally considered as safe to
consume as conventionally grown
foods. While some organic foods are
more nutritious than their non-organic
equivalents, others are equal. And
processed foods -- foods altered during
manufacturing -- come in organic and
non-organic forms.

4. Studies
● Newcastle University researchers found that organically-grown produce has on average 12% higher
nutrient levels than its chemically grown counterparts, particularly in the form of antioxidant molecules
that plants develop to protect themselves from pests, and which boost human health through various
mechanisms.
● not regarding whether pesticide “safety limits” are really safe, organic produce contains significantly
lower residues than chemically grown produce. The Stanford researchers found a 30% "risk difference"
between organic and conventional food. To the casual reader this sounds like organic foods carries a
relatively unimpressive 30% lower risk of exposing you to pesticides...
● Wrong, says Charles Benbrook. To arrive at the 30% number, the Stanford research team used a statistical
method that understates the true risk differential, he says. Crunching the authors’ raw numbers, Benbrook
finds "an overall 81% lower risk or incidence of one or more pesticide residues in the organic samples
compared to the conventional samples."

5. Natural Farming (NF) Introduction
● Developed by Dr. Cho Han Kyu in the 1960s while he attended
Janong Natural Farming Institute in South Korea
Reddy, R. (2011). Dr. Cho's Global Natural Farming. : South Asia Rural Reconstruction Association (SARRA).
● Brought to Hawaii by Dr. Hoon Park after doing missionary work
and observing and learning Natural Farming methods there
A Natural Farming Primer. (n.d.). . Retrieved June 19, 2014, from http://www.kalapanaorganics.com/natural-farming-with-indigenous-
microorganisms/natural-farming/

6. Philosophy of NF Methods
- Natural Farming (NF) is characterized by the use of plant-based materials
and microorganisms to cultivate vegetables.
- The main and most important component is indigenous microorganisms
(IMO). IMO are "the main protagonists that have brought vigor to the land in
the region and the inhabitants that have through time, proliferated in diversity"
(Ju-Young p.7).
Ju-Young, C. (2010). Indigenous Microorganisms (IMO). Natural Farming Agriculture Materials (p.7). : Cho Han Kyu.
- IMO is necessary for proper soil health, which is determined by the presence
of nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen, and the various microbes and small
animals such as earthworms.

7. Why is NF sustainable?
- does not destroy land and natural
resources
- uses natural materials and
ingredients
- low cost
- no destructive machines
- healthier soil and crops
- no waste (compost, mulch, etc.)

8. Components of NF
● Indigenous Microorganisms (IMO)
- organisms that have thrived in that particular region (even in unfavorable weather
conditions)
- important component of soil health (ability to decompose other organic materials,
supports chemical processes that occur, etc.) and the health of other organisms, such
as earthworms
This is a very brief summary from Natural Farming Agriculture materials by Cho
Ju-Young, which provides detailed instructions as translated from Dr. Cho Han Kyu,
on how to make the various components of NF
- Materials:
1. “Lunch box” : a square or rectangular box made of natural materials
2. Hard-cooked rice
3. Porous paper (‘Korean Paper’ or paper towel)
4. Rubber band or straw for covering
5. Container box (to protect the lunch box from animals and to mark the location)
This is placed strategically to ensure that the microorganisms will be present
Ju-Young, C. (2010). Indigenous Microorganisms (IMO). Natural Farming Agriculture Materials (p.7-8). : Cho Han Kyu.

9. Other Components
- Since Natural Farming does not use any conventional farming
methods, like pesticides or fertilizer, other forms of pest, weed control,
and fertilizing have been developed. Besides IMO, NF uses fish amino
acid, lactic acid bacteria, among many other mixes.
- Each mixture is made from natural ingredients to maintain the health
of the plant and the soil, along with it's living components.
- On the right is a picture of another component of natural farming,
Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ). FPJ is sprayed on plants to help protect
them from harsh weather, absorb more nitrogen, and deter pests from
fruit trees

10. The experience
- A person who takes up Natural Farming must be
educated on the methods and dedicated to the
philosophy
- NF fosters a connection to the environment that
does not coincide with industrial farming methods
- As a group, it was most important to be able to see
the work that goes into NF and the type of crop it
yields
- Pictured. Top left: Tom harvesting Kale, Top
right: earthworms (important for soil health),
Bottom left: Dinosaur Kale, Bottom right: tomatoes

11. Farming in Hawaii
- When Westerners came to Hawai’i in 1778, they were amazed by
the wide variety of food that was available through farming, such as
ginger, sugar, bananas, coconuts and a wide array of kalo.
- Over the next hundreds of years, the westerners that came to
Hawai’i would bring in thousands of different plants and animals
that would become part of Hawaii’s rich agricultural history
- Due to Hawai’i’s mild climate that is present all year long it is a
fertile place that sustains many different types of agriculture
- Today, approximately 40% of land in Hawai’i is used for farming,
with 280 farms on 5 islands listed with World Wide Opportunities
on Organic Farming (WWOOF)

12. Industrial Farming and GMO
Introduction
Industrial farming, also known as intensive farming, has been in the production since the
Industrial revolution in the 19th century. The main objectives of industrial farming is to have the
most production rate yield per land unit. The first advancements in this field was machinery in the
form of tractors and threshers and continued with more advancements in technology.
In todays’ society, the biggest difference in industrial farming compared to organic farming
is the use of genetic technology; more specifically the use of genetically modified organisms
(GMO). GMOs are plants and/or animals that are modified genetically in their DNA. The main
objective for these modifications in the organisms are to enhance the longevity of the product.
GMOs’ DNA are changed for the purpose to withstand direct application of herbicide and/or to
produce an insecticide. Non-GMO Project states that none of the GMO traits are currently used
for the benefit of the consumer and are actually causing the opposite.

13. Monsanto
Monsanto Company is the largest company in the world with its involvement with GMO.
They are the producer of Roundup, on the the most successful herbicides on the planet and they
also produce approximately 90% of the world’s GMO seeds. In the early history of Monsanto, the
products that they provided where mainly artificial chemicals such as sweeteners to the market
and soon provided pharmaceutical products such as aspirin. In 1982, Monsanto was the first to
genetically modify a plant cell. Through out their company’s history, they have been linked to
cancerous products. One example that involves a common herbicide is “Ortho Weed-B-Gon Lawn
and Weed Killer” with its link to containing a known carcinogen, 2,4 D. Mainly all of the crop
seeds that they modified are to cancel the harmful effects that their herbicides will cause to non-
GMO crops. Because of this, big corporations that practice industrial farming are use these GMOs
because they have a minimal lost in produce compared if using non-GMO crops.

14. History of Farming in Hawaii
—When Westerners came to Hawai’i in 1778, they were amazed of the wider
variety of food that was available through farming. Such as ginger, sugar,
bananas, coconuts and a wide array of kalo.
—Over the next hundreds of years, the westerners that came to Hawai’i would
bring in thousands of different plants and animals that would become part of
Hawaii’s rich agricultural history

15. History cont.
—Thanks to Hawaii’s mild, year around climate, it is a fertile place that sustains many
different types of agriculture. Approximately 40% of land on Hawaii’s farmland.
—When most people think about agriculture in Hawaii the crops that they think of first are
sugarcane, pineapple, macadamia nuts, and coffee. While these crops are important to
the islands, there are many that are important to Hawaii’s sustainability and Hawaii’s
economy.
—The average agriculture sales per year in Hawaii are around $357 million dollars.

16. Farms in Hawaii
—According to WWOOF( World. Wide. Opportunities on Organic Farming.)
—We have over 280 farms listed with WWOOF on 5 of the Hawaiian Islands.
—On each of the farms ,there is a brief description of the farm, such as acreage,
location, accommodations, food grown, food provided, meal types, hours of
labor, and many more.

17. Sugar Cane
—Sugar cane thrived in Hawaii way before Captain Cook landed in the islands in
1778. It wasn’t until 1834 when the first sugarcane mill opened up in Kauai.
—With the 980 acres owned by Ladd & Co. given by Kamehameha III, the
industry spread. One in every 12 people in the workforce, was employed by
the sugar industry.

18. Macadamia Nuts
——The macadamia nut tree was brought to Hawaii in 1882. Due to their beauty,
these trees were grown as ornamental trees.
—In 1921 the first macadamia nut plantation was built, but it wasn’t till the 1950’s
when the crops actually became profitable.
—Today, over 90% of the worlds macadamia nuts are exported from Hawaii.
Through its 700 farms and 8 processing plant