Polyculture chemicals into the environment such as eutrophication of fresh water or the presence of excess atmospheric nitrogen are greatly reduced in polycultures. Other negative impacts of modern agriculture are similarly reduced. Excessive tillage occurs in most modern agricultural practices, but removes essential microbes and nutrients from the soil that are conserved in polycultures, especially permacultures. Agricultural machinery not only uses fossil fuels and creates waste, but is more costly to farmers. Because polyculture relies on natural systems of crop maintenance these costs can be eliminated as well. Modern agriculture is also dependent on a very limited number of plant species.
Natural foods the term if the food does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances." Furthermore, the FDA has not developed any rules or regulations on the defining features of what qualifies a product as "natural." The FDA does reference a definition of "natural" in their informal policy (Ref. 53) that defines "natural" as "nothing artificial or synthetic (including colors regardless of source) is included in, or has been added to, the product that would not normally be expected to be there." The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act prohibits labeling that is false or misleading. The USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service