In conventional agriculture , we use chemical fertilizers and pesticides to improve productivity. But it has its adverse impacts on environment , quality of
food and health of consumers. Organic agriculture, on the other hand , has environmental sustainability at its core
, in addition to concerns for healthy
soil , healthy food and healthy people.
In organic agriculture , farmers use
compost and manure and use non-synthetic pesticides ,often only when other pest control measures fail. Practices such as
crop rotations , inter-cropping , organic fertilizers and pesticides, minimum tillage , returning
crop residues to the soil ,the use of
cover crops and the greater integration
of nitrogen –fixing legumes are central to organic practices. These practices improve soil formation, control soil
erosion and encourage soil flaura and fauna to grow
.Nutrient losses are reduced , helping to maintain and enhance soil productivity.
Many doubts and questions have been raised from time to time , whether organic farm products are
really more nutritious than the products
of conventional agriculture and
also whether organic agriculture has really substantial
benefits for environment.
According to a study published in British Journal of Nutrition (BJN) in
July , 2014, organic products contain 18
to 69 percent higher concentration of
antioxidants .This BJN study had carried
an analysis of 343
peer-reviewed publications, and
was done by the researchers from the UK
with the help of an American
Charles Benbrook. The study also said that when a plant grows
organically without pesticides , its
taste ,flavour , aroma and mouth
feeling are enhanced as well. . The
study also found a contaminant
cadmium to be about 50% lower in organic crops
than in conventional foods.
Organic
agriculture contributes to
mitigating the green house gases effect
and global warming through its ability to sequester carbon in the soil.
The management practices used by organic agriculture increase the return of carbon to the soil ,
raising the productivity and and
favouring carbon storage. The more
organic carbon is retained in the soil ,the lower the emissions leading to climate change the more the mitigation potential of agriculture
against climate change .
A recent study reporting on a
meta-analysis of 766 Scientific Papers concluded that organic farming produces more biodiversity than other farming systems. Practices like
rotation of crops reduces erosion of
agro-biodiversity.Lack of pesticide use
attracts new species including
wild flora and fauna ( eg birds) and organisms beneficial to the organic system such as pollinators and pest predators. The use of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms ) is not permitted during any stage of organic food production ,
processing or handling .Organic agriculture is choosing to encourage natural
biodiversity , in stead of GMOs.
In many areas , pollution of ground water due to the use of chemical fertilizers and
pesticides , is a major problem .Organic agricultural practices greatly reduce the risk of ground water pollution.
Certified organic products are
those which have been produced , stored
, processed , handled and marketed in
accordance with precise technical
specifications or standards , and certified as “Organic” by a Certification Body. The product is then
afforded a label by the Certification body .The organic label is a production process claim as opposed to a product quality claim. National governments can use international
guidelines to develop national organic agriculture programmes
.To specify national standards in India and develop
regulations which are legally binding ,the Government of India has implemented the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP).It involves the accreditation programme
for Certification Bodies , standards for organic production , and
promotion of organic farming. National
accreditation bodies accredit
certification agencies operating in the country and adhere to the
International Organization for Standardization basic standards for accreditation
of certfiers(ISO65), in addition to their specific requirements. India
has thirty accredited Certification agencies to facilitate the
certification to growers. The NPOP standards for production and accreditation
system have been recognized by European Commission and Switzerland for unprocessed plant products as equivalent to their country standards. With these recognitions , Indian organic products duly certified by the accreditation certification bodies of India are accepted
by the importing countries.
Organic
food is more expensive than conventional
food. The reasons are as follows:
1.Organic food supply is limited as compared to demand.
2. Organic farming involves greater labour input per unit of output.
3. Economies of
scale are not achieved.
4. Post harvest
handling of organic foods has higher
costs.
5. Because of
relatively small volumes , marketing and distribution chain for organic products is
relatively inefficient. As a result , costs are higher.
6. Low financial
returns of rotational periods (necessary
to build soil fertility.)
7. Higher standards
required for animal welfare result in higher costs.
But organic farming has several benefits apart from its
contribution to environment , biodiversity, soil quality, nutrition and health.
1.Avoidance of future medical expenses due to avoidance of health risks to farmers due to inappropriate handling of
pesticides.( Malwa region in Punjab was
dubbed as the Cancer Belt of India
due to unusually high incidence of
cancer cases linked to the excessive use of pesticides by cotton
farmers.)
2. Generation of additional farm employment.
3.. Organic farming supports animal health and welfare.
Organic agriculture is still a
small part of the over-all agriculture. In the world , nearly 43.1 million ha land is being certified as organic
in 170 countries, constituting 1% of
the total agricultural land of
the countries under study.The countries with the most organic agricultural land are :
Australia:
17.2 million ha.
Argentina:
3.2 million ha.
USA
: 2.2 million ha.
As in March , 2014 , India had brought 4.72
million ha area under
certification process which includes 0.6 million ha of cultivated agricultural land and 4.12
million ha of wild harvest collection area in forests.
So far
, 11 states of India , namely Andhra
Pradesh , Karnataka , Kerala,
Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh ,Tamil Nadu ,Himachal Pradesh ,
Sikkim, Nagaland and Mizoram have drafted the organic agricultural promotion policies.Sikkim had taken up the
task of converting the entire state into organic
by 2015 and has already brought
more than 65000 ha area under
organic certification process.Sikkim has
transformed into an organic state and set an example for the rest of India.
India
exported 165,262 MT of organic
products belonging to 135
commodities valuing about 1900 crore
rupees.Domestic market is also growing at an annual growth rate of 15-25%.
Organic agriculture has many
environmental and health benefits.The movement for organic agriculture is
slowly building up , and in near future is likely to take major leaps. India will host the 19th Organic World Congress (OWC)
from November 9 to November 13 , 2017 .This event will take place in India Exposition Mart in Greater Noida.OWC is
held every three years to promote and
celebrate the turning of global
agriculture to organic farming methods
and to measure progress.
(This article was published in Tree Take magazine, Lucknow ,India in its December 15,2016 issue).
