ORGANIC
FARMING - AGRICULTURE (MAINS)
Q. A
switch to organic farming can not only help to achieve sustainable agricultural
production but would help farmers with a rise in income and production.
Elucidate (15 marks, 250 words)
News: Kerala Government forms Organic
Farming Mission to boost climate-smart agriculture
What's
in the news?
●
The Kerala Government has created an
Organic Farming Mission to encourage the adoption of sustainable organic and
climate-smart farming practices in the State.
Key
takeaways:
●
Mission aims at expanding organic farming
to 5,000 hectares in Kerala in the next five years through an annual target of
1,000 hectares.
Organic
Farming:
●
Organic farming is a system which largely
excludes the use of synthetic inputs (fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) and relies
upon crop rotations, crop residues, animal manures, organic waste and
biological system of nutrient mobilization.
●
Organic farming system in India is not new
and is being followed from ancient times. It promotes and enhances
agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles and soil
biological activity.
●
Currently India ranks 33rd in terms
of total land under organic cultivation and 88th in terms of the ratio of
agricultural land under organic crops to total farming area.
Need
of Organic Farming:
1.
Unsustainable conventional agriculture:
●
The ill effects of the conventional
farming system are felt in India in terms of the unsustainability of
agricultural production, environmental degradation, health and sanitation
problems, etc. Organic agriculture is needed as an alternative method to the
modern system.
2.
Agricultural productivity:
●
The national productivity of many of the
cereal crops, millets, oilseeds, pulses and horticultural crops continues to be
one of the lowest in the world in spite of the green revolution.
●
The fertilizer and pesticide consumption
has increased manifold but this trend has not been reflected in the crop
productivity to that extent. Organic farming has the potential of increased
productivity in the long term due to better soil conditions and ecosystems.
3.
Rising population:
●
With the increase in population there is a
need to increase agriculture production further in a sustainable manner.
●
The scientists have realized that the
‘Green Revolution’ with high input use has reached its peak and is now
diminishing returns. Thus, a sustainable organic alternative is needed.
4.
Employment Opportunities:
●
According to many studies, organic farming
requires more labour input than the conventional farming system. India which
has a very large amount of labour unemployment and underemployment can generate
agricultural jobs through organic farming in rural areas.
●
In India the organic food market is
approximately Rs. 5.6 billion and is an emerging opportunity for generation of
employment and income at village level.
5.
Healthy food:
●
Several indirect benefits from organic
farming are available to both the farmers and consumers.
●
While the consumers get healthy foods with
better taste and nutritive values, the farmers are indirectly benefited from
healthy soils and farm production environment.
6.
Eco-tourism:
●
Eco-tourism is increasingly becoming
popular and organic farms have turned into such favourite spots in many
countries like Italy.
●
Organic farming adds to the beauty of the
fields and provides protection to the ecosystem, flora, fauna with increased
biodiversity and the resulting benefits to all human and living beings.
Challenges
of Organic Farming:
1.
Lack of Awareness:
●
The most important constraint in the
progress of organic farming is the lack of awareness among farmers about the
organic farming and its potential benefits.
2.
Marketing Problems:
●
It is found that before the beginning of
the cultivation of organic crops, their marketability and that too at a premium
over the conventional produce has to be assured. Inability to obtain a premium
price, at least during the period required to achieve the productivity levels
of the conventional crop, lead to a setback.
3.
Shortage of Biomass:
●
Many experts and well informed farmers are
not sure whether all the nutrients with the required quantities can be made
available by the organic materials. Even if this problem is resolved, they are
of the view that the available organic matter is not simply enough to meet the
requirements.
4.
Inadequate Supporting Infrastructure:
●
In spite of the adoption of the National
Programme for Organic Production, the state governments are yet to formulate
policies and a credible mechanism to implement them.
●
There are only four agencies for
accreditation and their expertise is limited to fruits and vegetables, tea,
coffee and spices. The certifying agencies are inadequate.
5.
High Input Costs:
●
The small and marginal farmers in India
have been practicing organic farming in the form of the traditional farming
system.
●
They use local or own farm renewable
resources and carry on the agricultural practices in an ecologically friendly
environment. However, now the costs of the organic inputs are higher than those
of industrially produced chemical fertilizers and pesticides including other
inputs used in the conventional farming system.
WAY
FORWARD:
1.
Financial support:
●
Substantial financial support by
governments is absolutely necessary to promote organic farming.
●
In India, organic farmers do not receive
the benefits of government subsidies as they are targeted at conventional
cultivation.
●
Given the low risk bearing capacity, there
is a need to make organic farming an attractive proposition.
●
A programme for organic agriculture must
be fully supported by the full compensation both in cash and kind to the
farmers in the event of the loss of production.
2.
Market development:
●
Market development for the organic
products is a crucial factor to promote domestic sales.
●
Supplies do not match the demand for
organic products in the country and the absence of proper links between the two
has been pointed out for the tardy growth of organic farming in the country.
●
An important role of the government in
this direction is giving various support to the producer and consumer
associations to market the products.
3.
Awareness:
●
A vigorous campaign to highlight the
benefits of organic farming against the conventional system is essential to
increase the awareness of the farmers and consumers.
4.
Crop identification:
●
Identification of crops for cultivation on
the organic farms is important. For example, soyabean in Madhya Pradesh and
cotton in the rainfed areas has great potential.
Unsustainable
agricultural practices has proved to be harmful for land, soil and farmers in
general. A switch to organic farming can not only help to achieve sustainable
agricultural production but would help farmers with a rise in income and
production.