Organic Farming

The recent decade has seen a serious concern over the issue of environmental degradation and an urgent need for its sustainability has been raised. The introduction of a reckless chemical based agricultural policy in the recent decades has had adverse impact on the Indian agricultural practices and serious environmental concerns have been raised. Moreover, the never ending demand by the developed nations from India for non-food grain products has further led to a pressing demand which is being met largely via the use of fertilizers and pesticides. The consumption of fertilizers in India over the last three decades has grown to half a million tonnes on an average per year. However, the efficiency of the fertilizers, as pointed out by experts, is only 30%-35% with the remaining amount seeping into the ground to mix with ground water. The areas making use of high levels of fertilizers has shown a drastic contamination of ground as well as irrigation water with nitrate levels being well over the safety level of 45mg/litre. Time and again, animal deaths and human deaths as well, have been reported due to the excessive use of fertilizers.

All these factors completely come against this definition of sustainable agriculture as given out by the Food and Agriculture Organisation that  “The successful management of resources for agriculture to satisfy changing human needs while maintaining or enhancing the quality of environment and conserving natural resources”.

Arguments may be raised over this and several critiques may also come forward but what needs to be kept in mind is that sustainable agriculture is of utmost importance and this can be achieved by encouraging the use of organic farming.

Organic farming is growing crops without chemical fertilisers and pesticides. If you add another layer of meaning to it, then, it’s also multi-cropping. That is, when you grow multiple crops so that the soil doesn’t drain of one type of nutrients. Growing a variety of crops also manages pests better. It’s the only sustainable way forward.

The philosophy of organic farming goes beyond just feeding people. It’s about preserving the earth – the earth as a whole that also includes dust, that is, soil – for future generations.

Currently, the perception is that organic food is a niche and restricted to consumers in the higher economic bracket. However, it’s actually a lack of consciousness that is creating the roadblock between people and organic food.

Consuming chemically produced food is harming us, and it’s harming our nature.

The connection of humans with nature runs deep, so deep that it nurtures us how we nurture it. If we want to prevent the Earth from looming, irreversible damage, then we must live organically.

And to live organically is to live in harmony with nature.