There is growing awareness of harmful substances used farming for improving crop yield at the cost of causing to the health as well as to the soil. Increasing use of fertilizers has been the major cause of degradation of soil quality and unhealthy quality of food crops.
No denying heavy use of fertilizers has substantially increased the productivity of the soil but it has poisoned the water system of the country. Moreover, the quality of products also is not good because of heavy application of chemicals and pesticides.
Awareness amongst Indians is increasing about the health risks of consumption of food grown with the use of pesticides and fertilizers. This has led to the emergence of organic farming in India. There is urgent need for growing the scale of organic farming in the country for meeting the increasing demand.
Even dairy, poultry and fisheries require production with organic techniques and resources. It is imperative that dairy and poultry is fed nutritious products while the fisheries can go for installing onsite oxygen gas plants for meeting their requirement for feeding the trout with adequate level of oxygen in ponds.
What is Organic Farming?
It is technique of farming that gained currency after awareness about ill-effects of cultivation with fertilizers and chemicals. Organic farming is a method for growing food uses natural techniques such as composting for growing healthy food and promoting biodiversity.
The agricultural method adopts many ancient agricultural techniques including using composted use of animal and green manure. It does not use chemicals, fertilizers, growth hormones and antibiotics in growing crops and livestock.
There is no denying the fact that it is a healthy farming system that produces food products that promotes health and does not cause any damage to the environment. At the same time it is also sustainable in a world ruled by economic considerations.
Need for Organic Farming in India
With the growing popularity of organic food the organic food industry is on the expansion. Companies engaged in organic farming are becoming popular with growing number of consumers who are conscious of eating only health food. Awareness about consuming only healthy food is changing the behavior of people.
However, it is an important task for the government to ensure food security for the increasing population. At the same time, it is also essential to replenish ever shrinking resources. There is urgent need for introducing and popularizing agricultural methods that are sustainable yet able to increase production.
It is possible only with extensive organic farming that we can ensure sustainable environment while maintaining growth in food production. It is the last resort available with the humanity to ensure sustainability of environment while improving human health.
If the consumption of food grown with pesticides, fertilizers and growth hormones continues it would result in numerous health relates diseases including cancer and infertility. The cause of these diseases is retention of toxic content that remains in the body. Opting for organic farming will go a long way in ensuring the safety humans as that of the environment.
Advantages of Adopting Organic Farming systems
Considering the challenges faced by the agricultural sector the government and the private enterprises are looking for solutions for problems facing the sector. Organic farming seems to offer the panacea for sustainability of environment, improving food quality and replenishing natural resources.
Adoption of organic farming is the need of the hour for long-term survival of society. It will promote not only the interests of the consumer by providing him quality food but also of the farmer by maintaining the quality of his soil. It is the solution we have been looking for making agriculture sustainable.
It has the potential to become foundation on which we can erect a model for sustainable farming which can ensure livelihood for farmers while providing quality food for the consumers and promoting well-being of biodiversity.
Apart from being beneficial for consumers, organic farming is also good for the Indian farmer who is poor and cannot afford buying fertilizers and pesticides the quantities needed. It is an excellent option for small landholders.
Needs Intensive Care and Time
Organic farming is labor-intensive and time-consuming. There is no denying growing organic crops requires more observation and intervention form the farmer compared to the chemical/mechanical farming. It takes a great deal of labor to take out the weed from the crop which is done just by using pesticides in the industrial agriculture.
Instead of using fertilizers, organic farming uses composting of animal and green manure for reaping healthy crops. There is no doubt that a farmer using industrial and chemical tools can raise far more crops than with the organic crops. But the quality of organic farming will be far better, which is a fact.
Tastier and More Mutritious
Grains, fruits and vegetable grown with organic methods are tastier and provide more nutrition. It is possible because they are allowed to ripe as per natural cycle and not pumped up with antibiotics, growth hormones and fertilizers.
Commands Higher Prices
As cultivation with organic methods takes more labor care, it is obvious that organic food products would command higher prices. There are exclusive marts or shops where the consumers can these products.
Encourages Biodiversity
Organic farming promotes crop rotation for improving soil quality and raising livestock which is excellent for biodiversity. There is direct connection between improvement in biodiversity and betterment of all species.