Giving Compass' Take:

· Authors at Harvest Public Media explains that plastic is still heavily used in organic farming. One suggested solution to this problem is biodegradable plastics, but these materials aren't allowed under organic rules in their current form.

· How do outdated rules prevent progress on environmental issues? How can funders reduce barriers to environmentally-friendly practices? 

· Read about how microplastics are infiltrating our food system.

Drew and Joan Norman have been producing organic vegetables on 60 acres just north of Baltimore since 1983. On a recent spring day, signs of another new season at One Straw Farm were everywhere: seedlings in the greenhouse waiting to be transplanted, asparagus ready to be picked, tiny leaves of red- and green-leaf lettuce sprouting out of the ground — and rows and rows of plastic covering the ground on each field.

Plastic is under attack these days for the environmental problems it causes. But sustainability-minded shoppers might not be aware that many organic farmers — like their conventional farming neighbors — also rely on plastic. It's spread over the ground as a form of mulch to suppress weeds, conserve water and aid plant growth.

At One Straw, the plastic film used on just 30 productive acres in one year would stretch 36 miles in a straight line. Bigger organic operations like Lady Moon Farms, with farms in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Florida, spread it over thousands of acres. And when the season is over, it ends up in landfills.

Read the full article about the plastic problem in organic farming by Lisa Elaine Held, Grant Gerlock, Frank Morris, and Kristofor Husted at Harvest Public Media.