Organic Farming

Organic Farming

• Organic farming works in harmony with nature rather than against it. The organic farming involves using techniques to achieve good crop yields without harming the natural environment or the people who live and work in it.

• Organic farming is a holistic system designed to optimize the productivity and fitness of diverse communities within the agro-ecosystem, including soil organisms, plants, livestock and people.

• Organic agriculture is a holistic production management system which promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity.

• Organic farming emphasises the use of management practices in preference to the use of off-farm inputs, taking into account that regional conditions require locally adapted systems. This is accomplished by using, where possible, agronomic, biological and mechanical methods, as opposed to using synthetic materials, to fulfill any specific function within the system.

• The principal goal of organic production is to develop enterprises that are sustainable and harmonious with the environment.

1. Principles of Organic Farming

• The general principle of organic production includes the following :

1. Protect the environment, minimize soil degradation and erosion, decrease pollution, optimize biological productivity and promote a sound state of health.

2. Maintain long-term soil fertility by optimizing conditions for biological activity within the soil.

3. Maintain biological diversity within the system.

4. Recycle materials and resources to the greatest extent possible within the enterprise.

5. Provide attentive care that promotes the health and meets the behavioural needs of livestock.

6. Prepare organic products, emphasizing careful processing and handling methods in order to maintain the organic integrity and vital qualities of the products at all stages of production.

7. Rely on renewable resources in locally organized agricultural system.

2. Advantages of Organic Farming

1. Saving : The production cost is reduced because no need to buy expensive chemicals and fertilizers.

2. Easy switch : Farmers can easily switch from conventional farming to organic farming.

3. Healthier farm workers.

4. Production boost : When the farmer starts using the organic method of farming then he observes a production boost. The reason of this boost is the usage of crop rotation, compost pits and manure.

5. In the long term, organic farms save energy and protect the environment.

6. Revenue generation : The demand of organic food is more than that of its supply and this factor boosts up the price of organic food. Therefore, when the farmers sell the organic foods in the market then they earn more income. High income is an important advantage of organic farming due to which many farmers turn toward this method.

7. Organic farming helps in reducing global warming.

8. Organic farming causes fewer residues in food.

9. Biodiversity promotion : More animals and plants can live in the same place in a natural way. This is called biodiversity.

10. Organic farming helps preventing ground water pollution.

3. Disadvantages of Organic Farming

1. Organic food is more expensive because farmers do not get as much out of their land as conventional farmers do. Organic products may cost up to 40 % more.

2. Time consuming : Organic farming method is time consuming and it is one of the biggest disadvantages of organic farming. The farmer has to maintain the greater interaction for getting good results. It is a labor intensive job and for a single farmer it is somewhat unsuitable.

3. Production costs are higher because farmers need more workers.

4. Marketing and distribution is not efficient because organic food is produced in smaller amounts.

5. Food illnesses may happen more often.

6. Organic farming cannot produce enough food that the world’s population needs to survive. This could lead to starvation in countries that produce enough food today.