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Organic Farming in India
Wiki Project by Mrs. Rekha Rajan, PGT (Economics)

Bottom of Form
- Definition
- Organic farming in India
- Benefits of organic farming
- Criticism on organic farming
Definition
Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm. Organic farming excludes or strictly limits the use of manufactured fertilizers and pesticides, plant growth regulators such as hormones, livestock antibiotics, food additives, and genetically modified organisms.Organic farming usually involves mechanical weed control (via cultivating or hoeing) rather than herbicidal weed control.
Organic farming in India Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Organic
farming was practiced in
In
traditional
Shift to Chemical Farming in
1960s
During 1950s
and 1960s, the ever increasing population of
Before
the Green Revolution, it was feared that millions of poor Indians would die of
hunger in the mid 1970s. However, the Green Revolution, within a few years,
showed its impact. The country, which greatly relied on imports for its food
supply, reduced its imports every passing year. In 1990s,
As
time went by, extensive dependence on chemical farming has shown its darker
side. The land is losing its fertility and is demanding larger quantities of
fertilizers to be used. Pests are becoming immune, requiring the farmers to use
stronger and costlier pesticides. Due to increased cost of farming, farmers are
falling into the trap of money lenders, who are exploiting them no end, and
forcing many to commit suicide.
Both
consumers and farmers are now gradually shifting back to organic farming in
According
to the International
Fund for Agriculture and Development (IFAD), about 2.5 million
hectares of land was under organic farming in
Benefits of Organic Farming
- Organic farming proves to
be more profitable than the age old traditional farming methods.
- It has been found that
organic farming reduces the production cost by about 25-30%, as it does
not involve the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, which
thus makes organic farming cost effective.
- Soil is the most important
component in farming and organic farming preserves soil by reducing soil
erosion up to a large extent.
- Organic farming also
enables the farmers to use the soil for a longer period of time to grow
crops as soil fertility is maintained for a long time.
- Organic farming has a
positive effect on the ecosystem, as it proves vital in supporting the
survival of wildlife in the lowlands. It even provides safe pasture lands
for grazing
- Organic farming is not only
beneficial for farmers, but it also has proved useful for the dairy
industry. Cattle grazing on organic farmlands have been found to be less
prone to diseases and they yield more milk. These are definitely good
signs for a consumer of these dairy products from health perspective and
for a dairy organization from the profit perspective.
- Products or foodstuffs
produced from organic farming neither contain any sort of artificial
flavors or preservatives nor do they contain any harmful chemicals.
- The original nutritional
content of food is preserved due to the absence of synthetic fertilizers
and pesticides.
- Organic products moreover
are tastier than the products yielded from traditional farming.
- Consumption of products obtained from organic farming minimizes the risks of physical ailments such as heart attacks. Scientific studies have proven that organic foods are healthier than the inorganic ones
Although some valid concerns do arise regarding the potential negative effects of organic farming, you must take care to realize where the information you read originates.
Proponents of genetically engineered food, pesticides, and added growth hormones occasionally release alarming warnings about organic farming without overtly revealing their own interests in the matter.
Potential Negative Effects of Organic Farming
While organic farming generally receives high praise from the media and environmental experts, there are also some critics who make the claim that the negative effects of organic farming outweigh the benefits. Some critics doubt that organic farming can be a global solution.
Effects on the Earth
Organic foods are marketed as being more environmentally sound that other foods are because they utilize farming methods that have less of an impact on the environment. Organic farmers also usemethods prescribed for organic farms to deal with pests and other problems.
In other words, organic farming will generally not include the use of pesticides, herbicides, and other compounds that have been shown to be potentially detrimental to the environment.
Critics of organic farming point out that conventional farming methods yield more product than organic farms, concluding that organic farming is inefficient. They point out that while organic farming may be attractive to consumers who can afford the foods, one of the negative effects of organic farming is that it may not be able to feed everyone within the world.
Naysayers of organic foods have doubts that organic farmers can produce the foods needed to match the current amount of farming outputs.
Since organic farms are not located as prevalently throughout the world as conventional farms are, some critics point out the environmental impact of shipping the organic foods to merchants. Although organic farming strives to have as small of an environmental impact as possible, the food may still be shipped using less than environmentally friendly methods. Some environmentalists make the claim that it may be better to purchase foods that are produced locally, regardless of whether they come from an organic farm, because of the lack of environmental impact of shipping.
Effects on the Body
Organic foods are generally regarded as more healthy than conventionally produced foods because they lack added growth hormones and other questionable elements. This does not exclude organic foods from criticism, though, as many critics attack the methods by which organic foods are produced and the effect they may have on the body.
For example, organic farms turn to natural fertilizers for growing crops, which often translates into using animal feces combined with other components instead of chemically constructed fertilizers. Opponents of organic farming warn that some foods - such as lettuce, parsley, and other foods - may harbor harmful bacteria that can be passed on to the consumer. While foods produced through conventional farming have similar risks, critics warn that the threat is heightened in organic foods.
Consumers may be less likely to take the same precautions with organic foods that they do with other types of food. For example, some consumers may buy organic apples and then assume that there is no need to wash the apple thoroughly prior to eating it because of its organic origins. This issue, of course, is not the fault of organic farmers, but it is a cited concern nonetheless.
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