What is wrong with normal farming?
Normal chemical farming has much that is wrong with it. In any
case until about five or six decades ago organic farming was normal
farming. Until the Green revolution, that is. Modern chemical
dependent farming has huge ecological costs, is bad for the health
of the farmer and his/her family and affects the health of the
people who eat the food. And most importantly the stuff does not
work! Every year the pests grow resistant to the pesticides and the
soil fertility falls.
But how can we farm without chemicals?
You can take advantage of what nature offers and improve it
without creating damage. Recycling of organic wastes like straw and
grass and animal excreta makes great fertilizer. Growing the crops
that are native to the region usually ensures that the plants
already have high resistance to the local pests. Pests are reduced
through multiple-cropping and using bio-pesticides. Building up
populations of beneficial insects (insects who feed on bad bugs) is
a tried-and-true method of pest control. Prevention is the organic
farmer's primary strategy.
What are bio-pesticides?
Bio-pesticides are pesticides derived from natural materials as
animals, plants, bacteria, and minerals. In India, a range of neem
products such as the extracts of neem kernel, the seed and leaf
have created a great deal of interest for being cheap and
effective.
What do I get from organic farming?
First off food is nutritional and safe. Research shows that
organic products have more minerals, less water and less artificial
chemicals. So the taste is generally more natural. Organic
vegetables usually contain higher level of Vitamin C, protein and
other minerals.
I don’t eat too many vegetables or fruits. What do I care?
If you have meat and diary products in your diet you stand to
gain from organic farming anyway. Through organic farming one
ensures that cattle are fed safe food as well. So the chemicals do
not reach you through mutton or chicken curry.
Isn’t it pretentious to go organic?
Organic farming provides a safer workplace for farming
communities and a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone. The
easiest way to squash people who are trying to make organic food
fashionable and unaffordable is to make it the regular janta thing
to do. Even farmers in many places in India who do chemical farming
to satisfy fancy market demands also farm an organic patch for
themselves and their families. Go organic because it makes sense
for you.
Are there organic farmers in India?
There are a thousand odd registered farmers in India but there
are many more who are organic by default or ideology.
Is organic food more expensive?
The packaged, labelled variety is obviously so. In the developed
world this is almost universal because natural fertilizers and
labour costs are high. But in India there are still plenty of
places where you can get cheap organic food and cheap food that
uses no pesticides. In many, many places food is organic by default
because the farmer is growing an indigenous variety of crop that
requires no chemical pesticides or fertilizers.
Is there a difference between "natural" and "organic" foods?
Yes. The term "natural" is very broad, and can include organic
foods, but not all natural foods are organic. Natural foods are
generally minimally processed and free of artificial ingredients,
but not necessarily organically grown.
What does "certified organic" mean?
Organic certification is a process by which consumers in the
First World ensure that the food they are buying is truly organic,
grown and processed using earth-friendly methods. Independent,
third-party certifiers ensure that growers and processors meet the
government requirements. In India very few farmers can afford this
obsessive process.
Is organic food popular?
The organic industry has recently seen phenomenal growth. The
sales of all organic foods have grown by 20-25 percent each year in
the last decade, and reached $7 billion in 2000. Organic sales will
grow to $20 billion in 2005
Is all organic produce "pesticide-free?"
Organic crops can sometimes be exposed to the traces of
agricultural chemicals that are now detected in nearly all rain and
ground water in India, due to their overuse during the past 50
years. Pesticide residues are rarely detected on organic produce,
and are certainly well below levels on conventionally produced
food.
Do organically grown vegetables and fruits need to be washed?
It is a good idea to wash all fruits and vegetables before
eating to help ensure food safety.
Does organic food taste better?
Thousands of gourmet chefs across the world seem to think so.
Why don't you give it a shot?
What is NPM farming and IPM Farming?
IPM farming recommends that pesticides can be used as a last
resort. NPM farming is against chemical pesticides completely.
What is the stand of the Government of India on all this stuff?
IPM is the official strategy of the Government of India,
articulated also in the Rio Agenda (Agenda 21 policy statements)NPM
programmes have so far not received any governmental attention
despite good successes. NGOs have usually been pioneering the NPM
approach. On the organic front there are only some formal
government-led initiatives for crops like tea and spices.
RESOURCES
http://farmingsolutions.org/
http://www.simplelife.com
"Preparation of neem bio-pesticides at farm-level,"
http://www.tcdc.undp.org/tcdcweb/experiences/
vol4/Neem%20biopesticides.pdf
Alam, Ghayur, "A study of Biofertilizers and biopesticides in
India," http:// www.iied.org/docs/gatekeep/GK93.pdf