We will need to produce twice as much food by 2050 since there will be almost 10 billion people on the planet. It is crucial to carefully manage our resources and intensify farming practises to maximise crop yields in order to meet the world’s need for food. Although conventional farming methods are bad for the environment, there might be a better option. We investigate what organic farming is and whether it is actually superior.
Our current farming practises are tremendously detrimental to the environment, from the large amounts of fertilisers and pesticides we use on crops to the way we treat cattle by confining them in small spaces to promote milk and egg output. Since agriculture is responsible for over 10 billion tonnes of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, it pollutes both the air and the water. However, they are also seriously harmful to human health. Fortunately, we are becoming more and more conscious of the risks posed by the fertilisers and other hazardous chemicals that humans use heavily in contemporary agriculture, and we are becoming more receptive to the concept of purchasing food that has been produced organically, even if it costs more.
Benefits of organic farming
India currently has an abundance of food grains. The Green Revolution of the 1960s, which significantly increased food production—of largely rice and wheat—was responsible for this self-sufficiency. Organic farming is a type of farming where the soil is nourished by using natural waste products rather than chemical fertilisers. Organic food is produced using greener practises that protect the environment rather than hurting it. These organic techniques improve soil quality while lowering energy consumption, carbon emissions, and pollution. In India, only 30% of the land gets fertilised where irrigation facilities are available for farming. For their own farms, farmers utilise organic manure as a fertiliser. Due to the low use of pesticides, India’s north-eastern area is a great resource for organic farming. The North Eastern area of India has about 18 million hectares of land that can be used for organic farming.
India has a lot of potential for organic crop cultivation and might be a significant global supplier of organic goods. A large portion of the nation is exploited with pesticides that provide low yields, according to the task committee on organic farming that the Indian government appointed. Through organic farming, these areas can be targeted to provide high productivity. India has a big potential to top the global organic exporters.
Organic farming is seen as a safer alternative.
Organic farming is thought of as a safer substitute. In this agricultural method, producers exclusively use organic materials like cow dung and avoid using chemicals. Natural farming, which includes zero-budget natural farming, is promoted by the Indian government, does not utilise any external inputs, including bio-fertilizers.
The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, and other programmes in India are promoting organic and natural farming. One definition of “organic food production” includes farming methods free of antibiotics, growth hormones, and genetically engineered organisms.
Studies have shown that organic farming has benefits for biodiversity in addition to public health. According to some estimations, organic farming around the world boosts local species abundance and richness by 50% and 34%, respectively. However, this relies on a number of variables, including the greater environment in which the farms are situated.
India is embracing organic farming. In India, the amount of land used for organic farming has increased by three times, from 5,28,171 ha in 2007 to 1.2 million ha in 2014. According to one assessment, India also has the most producers of organic food. However, this only accounts for about 2.5% of the nation’s overall cropland.
Is Organic Farming the Answer?
Although organic farming generally benefits the environment more than other farming methods, there are still certain difficulties involved. As of right present, the production of this technology is still insufficient to fully meet the world’s food need. However, it is undeniable that the organic food business has a promising future as technology develops.