What is the difference between intensive and free range farming?

What is the main difference between intensive farming and organic farming?

• Answer:

  Generally speaking, the main difference is in the amount of labor involved. Organic farming typically takes more labor to produce the same kind of crop as in intensive farming, due to the lack of industrially-produced pesticides and fertilizers. While there are organic pesticides and fertilizers, there is not the wide variety and efficacy of products as for intensive farming. So hand labor must be used to counter the effects of pests, and to apply the larger volumes of organic fertilizer. The two methods are not exclusive. Vegetable farming for instance is a form of intensive farming, regardless if it's organic or conventional farming. Greenhouse farming even more so, as you will grow several crops on the same plot within the year. Some partisans of organic farming argue that philosophically, green houses are too artificial, requiring extra heating and lighting, to qualify as organic, but organic farming is a business, and if a farmer can beat the competition by having its produce on the market earlier in the season, it helps sustain the farm and organic farming, and it also reduces importations from sunnier countries, say from Spain if you farm in France, which is also a goal of organic farming (local products).