Organic Farming a better alternative to chemical farming
India Infoline, April 08, 2011
The great Indian civilization thrived on organic farming and India was one of the
most prosperous countries in the world, till the British ruled it.
A cup of good tea in the morning is the perfect way to start a day, and if it is organic
nothing like it. With people becoming health conscious by the day, demand for
organic products is raising multi-fold every year. And it's not just the organic tea,
but almost organic forms of every edible commodity are available in the market
these days.
Organic farming was practiced in India since thousands of years. The great Indian
civilization thrived on organic farming and India was one of the most prosperous
countries in the world, till the British ruled it.
In traditional India, entire agriculture was practiced using organic techniques,
where the fertilizers, pesticides, etc., were obtained from plant and animal
products. Organic farming was the backbone of the Indian economy.
Shift to Chemical farming in 1960s
During 1950s and 1960s, the ever increasing population of India and several natural
calamities lead to severe food scarcity in the country. As a result the government
was forced to import food grains from foreign countries. To increase food security,
the government had to drastically increase food production in India. The Green
Revolution became the governments most important program in the 1960s.
Several hectares of land was brought under cultivation. Hybrid seeds were
introduced. Natural and organic fertilizers were replaced by Chemical fertilizers and
locally made pesticides were replaced by chemical pesticides. However the Green
Revolution within a few years showed its impact. The Country, which greatly relied
on imports for its food supply, reduced its import every passing year. In 1990s, India
had surplus food grains and once again proudly became an exporter of food grains.
As time went by, extensive dependence on Chemical Farming has shown its darker
side. The land is losing its fertility and is demanding larger quantities of fertilizers tobe used. Pests are becoming immune, requiring the farmers to use stronger and
costlier pesticides. Due to increased cost of farming, farmers are falling into trap of
money lenders, who are exploiting them no end, and forcing many to commit
suicide.
Both consumers and farmers are now gradually shifting back to Organic Farming in
India. It is believed by many that Organic Farming is healthier.
Though the health benefits of organic food are yet to be proved, consumers are
willing to pay higher premium for the same. Many Farmers are shifting to organic
farming due to domestic and international demand of organic food. Further
stringent standards of Non organic food in European and US markets have led to
rejection of many Indian food consignments in the past. Organic Farming therefore
provides a better alternative to chemical farming.
International Panaacea Limited is one of the pioneers in protecting the Mother
Nature and Mankind through facilitating the production of extremely safe and
healthy food, fodder, feed, fuel etc. in sufficient quantity to sustain the life of all
living beings on this planet. Using Natural resources, IPL manufactures high quality
bio-products, promotes Organic Agriculture and bio-fuels with an intention to fit in
and last for good in a more eco sustainable way.
"Earlier we used to face a lot of difficulties to persuade farmer to take up organic
farming. Nobody was ready to shift from traditional crop as one needs at least 3
years to certify a field as organic," But once we starter get-going, there was no
looking behind, and moreover the response from the farmers are overwhelming ,
said Mr. Suraj Bhagchandka, President IPL.
IPL is the organization working in this arena leading the organic movement through
implementation of large scale organic farming projects sponsored by various
agencies which broadly involves awareness about the benefit of organic farming,
organizing them to form clusters, training management practices and
documentation, facilitation for certification and establishment of marketing
channels for better returns to the producers.
Apart from India, IPL has undertaken such a project in Ethiopia. In the near future,
IPL products will be available in many European countries, Asian Countries as well
as African countries. IPL has pledged to revolutionize agriculture by its innovationsin organic civilization.