Organic Farming: Eco-friendly Farming
Organic Farming is the natural way of growing the edible plants and shrubs. This process is not novel or any modified one, but simply it is a back to basics course. A crude definition of Organic Farming is by Codex Alimentarius Commission, a joint body of FAO/WHO “organic agriculture as holistic food production management systems, which promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity. It emphasizes 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 fulfil any specific function within the system”.
Organic Farming is way to utilize the resources available in nature with right combination to preserve the fertility of land, sustenance of ecosystem without use of synthetic or man made chemicals or you can say optimization of crop per yield rather than maximize. Any type of Organic Farming has following main steps to be completed.
1. Soil Preparation(Includes soil examination and soil nurturing)
2. Seed sowing
3. Addition of Fertilizer
4. Irrigation
5. Harvesting and Reaping
6. Next, phase of Soil preparation naturally.
Organic Farming has grown widely since 1990’s. IFOAM-International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement has released the report that 24 million hectares of land is engaged in Organic Farming in 130 countries. Organic Farming is very beneficial in very ways. An exploration of this is done below. Organic Farming introduces the use of natural methods from preliminary stage to concluding stage. The rising of livestock and their products as human being uses milk; dung (compost preparation) etc. is recycling method of Organic Farming . The livestock fodder is generated from the farming by products so the material is recycled. The zero use of pesticides (chemical and synthetic); the good quality food material, assuring that no harmful molecule travel in human beings or other living organisms. As the chemical pesticides do not degrade but they remain inside the human body or any living organism along with the earth ecosystem forever and producing the drastic after effects.
This principle of recycle in Organic Farming feeds the livestock, fertilizes the soil by the manure, supplies energy to human through the biogas. Organic Farming is picking up trends in US and Europe because the organic market is growing. The estimated figure in the USA alone, in 2007, is $35 billions. FAO has already declared that global food security can be achieved through Organic Farming . There are various certifying agencies in US for organic farming. The data tables of 2005, in the U.S. had some certified organic 4.0 million acres of farmland-2.3 million acres of cropland and 1.7 million acres of rangeland and pasture-to organic production systems.[1] However, the gradual shift has deployed the certified organic farming and pasturelands by 0.5% of the total land area. The trends of organic farming have shown positive direction as the many reports have had revealed the havocs. The “Silent Spring” By Carson Rachael[2] in 1960 created waves among environment caring authorities and that led to development of Organic farming and environment caring programs. Various organizations have started working on the guidelines under effect of Local Government to implement the Organic Farming .
[1]http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/Organic/
[2]http://www.chooseorganics.com/organicarticles/rachael_carson.htm
[3]http://www.icar.org.in/dgspmr/03062005.htm