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Organic Farming: Potentials And Strategies Mangala Rai Secretary, (DARE) &
Director General, I.C.A.R. Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi Distinguished Vice-Chancellor, ANGRAU, Dr S. Raghuvardhan Reddy,
learned faculty members, scientists, friends, ladies and gentlemen ! It is indeed a matter of
great pleasure for me to be here with you today in this holy city of Tirupati.
I feel we are very fortunate to be here and I can say this based on my strong
belief that unless HE wills it, no one can come here. I not only offer my
humble prayers to Lord Balaji but also offer my respects to the people who live
in Tirupati. I am grateful to the University
for inviting me for the Millennium Guest Lecture and wish to share with you
some of my thoughts on Organic agriculture. 2.
The Green revolution technologies involving greater use of synthetic
agrochemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides with adoption of nutrient-
responsive, high- yielding varieties of crops have boosted the production
output per hectare in most of the cases.
However, this increase in production has slowed down and in some cases
there are indications of decline in growth of productivity and production. Priorities
in agriculture research are gradually moving from a focus on individual crop
performance to a total system productivity with due attention on product
quality and environment safety. Environmental
and health problems associated with agriculture have been increasingly well
documented, but it is only recently that the scale of the costs have attracted
the attention of planners and scientists. 3. In the words of Shri Bankim Chandra Chatterji, we have nature’s bounties in form of Vande Mataram! When translated it means I bow to thee,
Mother, 4.
In the rapid pace of development we have inflicted
serious damage to the natural resources and consequently we are now faced with
questions as Where is that Sujalam ( clean water) ?
Where is that Suphalam ( healthy crop) ? and where
is that malayaja shitalam ( refreshing air) ?
These questions have given rise to a process of serious thinking to safeguard
the environment and the quality of natural resources for sustainability. As a
result more and more emphasis is being given towards returning to nature and
adoption of organic agriculture. The concept of organic agriculture5. Organic farming is not new to Indian farming community. Several forms of organic farming are being
successfully practiced in diverse climate, particularly in rainfed, tribal,
mountains and hill areas of the
country. Much of the forest produce of
economic importance like herbs, medicinal plants, etc., by default come under
this category. Among all farming
systems, organic farming is gaining wide attention among farmers, entrepreneurs,
policy makers and agricultural scientists for varied reasons such as it minimizes the dependence on chemical
inputs (fertilizers; pesticides; herbicides and other agro-chemicals) thus
safeguards/improves quality of resources, and environment it is labour
intensive and provides an opportunity to increase rural employment and achieve
long term improvements in the quality of resource base. 6.
Organic production systems are based on specific
standards precisely formulated for food production and aim at achieving agro
ecosystems, which are socially and ecologically sustainable. Many definitions have been proposed for
organic agriculture with primary focus on ecological principles as the basis
for crop production and animal husbandry. 7.
Codex Alimentarius Commission, a joint body of
FAO/WHO defines “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”. In its simplistic form Organic agriculture may be defined as a
kind of diversified agriculture wherein crops and livestock are managed through
use of integrated technologies with preference to depend on resources available either at farm or
locally. It emphasizes more on
optimising the yield potential of crops and livestock under given set of
farming conditions rather than maximization. To promote
organic agriculture and to ensure fair practices in international trade of
organic food, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, also framed certain guidelines
for the production, processing, labelling and marketing of organically produced
foods. 8.
The popularity of organic farming is gradually
increasing and now organic agriculture is practised in
almost all countries of the world, and its share of agricultural land and farms
is growing. As per a recent report of International
Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) the total organically managed area is more than 24 million hectares
world-wide Organic farming is practised in approximately 130 countries of the
world and the area under organic management is continually growing. Although
production of organic crops is increasing across the globe, sales are
concentrated in the industrialised parts of the world. 9.
In addition, the area of certified
wild harvested plants is at least a further 10.7 million hectares, according to
various certification bodies. The market for organic products is growing, not
only in Europe and North America but also in many other countries. The global market for
organic food is expected to touch US$ 29 to 31 billions by 2005. The demand for organic food is steadily
increasing both in developed and developing countries, with annual average
growth rate of 20-25%. 10.Official interest in organic agriculture is emerging in many countries,
shown by the fact that several countries have a fully implemented regulation on
organic farming or are in the process of drafting regulations. The countries
with the largest areas of organic farmland are: Australia, Argentina, Italy,
Canada and USA. Some countries have reached a substantial proportion (close to
or more than 10%) of organic land; these include Sweden, Austria, Switzerland,
Finland and Italy. 11.
There is a lot of debate between the proponents of
organic farming and a section of the community who questioned the scientific
validity and feasibility of organic farming. The most often debated issues on
organic agriculture are :
Impact of organic agriculture12.
In
intensive farming systems, organic agriculture decreases yield; the range
depends on the intensity of external input used before conversion. In the green
revolution areas (irrigated lands and well endowed water regions), conversion
to organic agriculture usually leads to almost identical yields. In traditional
rain fed agriculture (with low external inputs), organic agriculture has shown
the potentials to increase yields. A
number of studies have shown that under drought conditions, crops in organic
agriculture systems produce significantly and sustainably higher yields than
comparable conventional agricultural crops, often out-yielding conventional
crops by 7 – 90 per cent. Others have shown that organic systems have less
long-term yield variability. Organic agriculture and food security
13.Crop
management practices such as crop rotations, green manuring, crops residue
recycling, water management, efficient plant types etc., are adopted through a
combination of structural and tactical management options to ensure farm
produce of sufficient quantity and quality for livestock and human
consumption. Normally, a crop rotation
involving a leguminous crop is preferred over others. Organic farmer preferably grow locally adopted varieties having
some quality traits for the premium markets. 14.The
common understanding is that large scale conversion to organic agriculture
would result in drastic reduction in world food supplies or large increases in
conversion of undisturbed land to agriculture has not been borne out in
modelling studies. Conversion studies showed that domestic food consumption
would not suffer, exports would vary depending on crop, but the structure of
farming would definitely change with more diversification of agriculture.
Widespread conversion to organic agriculture would result in crop yield
increase over the current averages as a result of increased investment in
research and extension. Organic farmers grow a variety of crops and maintain
livestock in order to optimise use of nutrients and the space between species.
This ensures economic advantages through low crops production or yield failure
due to biotic and abiotic factors in all of these simultaneously. This can have
an important impact on local food security and resilience should an unwanted
phenomena happens. In rain-fed systems, organic agriculture has demonstrated to
out- perform conventional agricultural systems under environmental stress
conditions. Under the right circumstances, the market returns from organic
agriculture can potentially contribute to local food security by increasing
family income. Nutrient management in organic farming
15.Organic farming is often understood as a form of agriculture with use of only organic inputs for the supply of nutrients and management of pests and diseases. In fact, it is a specialized form of diversified agriculture, wherein problems of farming are managed using local resources alone. The term organic does not explicitly mean the type of inputs used; rather it refers to the concept of farm as an organism. Often, organic agriculture has been criticized on the grounds that with organic inputs alone, farm productivity and profitability might not be improved because the availability of organic sources is highly restricted. True organic resources availability is limited; but under conditions of soil constraints and climate vagaries, organic inputs use has proved more profitable compared to agrochemicals. 16.Nitrogen availability from organic resources often limits to realize full yield potential of cereals under organic production system. Under restricted water availability or rainfed conditions, the differences in crop yields between organic and conventional production narrow down to between 10-15%. FYM used in these experiments usually contains N, 0.5-0.8%, P, 0.2-0.4% and K, 0.8-1.0% with no mention of quality of organic matter/manure or alternative methods of efficient use. This nutrient rich manure helps to raise crop productivity even at lover application rates (5-10 t ha-1) compared to the use of 15-20 t/ha FYM with and without chemical fertilizer. In addition, use of liquid manures prepared through fermentation of green leafy materials, cattle urine and other locally available resources are common. The differences in quality of manures used is probably the reason for wide difference reported in crop yields under organic and conventional system of crop production. There is however a need to scientifically evaluate the nutrient supply methods in organic vs conventional systems. Their efficient use is an area of future research investigation. 17.Livestock
keeping at farms is an age old practice.
Livestock play major role in organic agriculture as the intermediary
between the utilization of crop residues or fodder produced at the farm and the
return of nutrients as manure. Dairying
in particular has helped number of small and marginal farmers to improve their
income. Field survey revealed that
marginal and small farmers, even in progressive states like Punjab, have helped
to raise farm profitability as well as availability of cattle dung in
sufficient amounts. Storage and
application of their resources seldom attract proper attention of the farmers
resulting in 40-60% losses in nutrients, especially N. Leaching of NO3-N polluting the
ground and surface water resources is usually observed from cattle dung
pits. Organic farmers and farming
methods take adequate care in minimizing these losses through adoption of
technologies on composting, vermi composting etc. This not only improve the nutrients availability from organic
sources but also prevent potential hazard of ground water pollution. I would suggest
to harness the power of micro-organisms in amelioratingsuch adversaries in
soil. 18.Organic farming systems rely on the management of soil organic matter to enhance the chemical, biological and physical properties of the soil. One of the basic principles of soil fertility management in organic systems is that plant nutrition depends on ‘biologically-derived nutrients’ instead of using readily soluble forms of nutrients; less available forms of nutrients such as those in bulky organic materials are used. This requires release of nutrients to the plant via the activity of soil microbes and soil animals. Improved soil biological activity is also known to play a key role in suppressing weeds, pests and diseases. What is now required is to harmonize and bind the components in a system synergy and all round complimentarity. 19.Animal
dung, crop residues, green manure, biofertilizers and bio-solids from
agro-industries and food processing wastes are some of the potential sources of
nutrients of organic farming. While
animal dung has competitive uses as fuel, it is extensively used in the form of
farmyard manure. Development of several
compost production technologies like Vermi composting, Microbe Mediated,
Phospho composting, N-enriched Phospho composting, etc. improves the quality of
composts through enrichment with nutrient-bearing minerals and other
additives. These manures have the
capacity to fulfil nutrient demand of crops adequately and promote the activity
of beneficial macro-and micro-flora in the soil. 20.Presently, only 30% of total cultivable areas in the country has irrigation facilities where agrochemicals use is higher compared to rain-fed zones. It is here that ingenuity and efforts are required to increase crop productivity and farm production despite recurrence of environmental constraints of drought and waster scarcity. The basic requirement in organic farming is to increase input use efficiency at each step of the farm operations. This is achieved partly through reducing losses and adoption of new technologies for enrichment of nutrient content in manure. Technologies to enrich the nutrient supply potential from manure, including farmyard manure three to four times are being widely used in organic farms. According to a conservative estimate, around 600 to 700 million tonnes (mt) of agricultural waste is available in the country every year, but most of it is not used properly,. We must convert waste into wealth by converting this biomass into bio-energy, nutrients to starved soil and fuel to farmers. India produces about1800 mt of animal dung per annum. Even if two thirds of the dung is used for biogas generation, it is expected to yield about 440 mt per year of manure , which is equivalent to 2.90 mt N, 2.75mt P2O5 and 1.89 mt K2). 21.
Organic farms and food production systems are quite distinct from conventional
farms in terms of nutrient management strategies. Organic systems adopt management options with the primary aim to
develop holistic farms, like a living
organism with balanced growth, in both crops and livestock holding. Thus nutrient cycle is closed as far as
possible. Only nutrients in the form of
food are exported out of the farm. Crop
residues burning is prohibited, so also the unscientific storage of animal
wastes and its application in the fields.
It is, therefore, considered more environment friendly and sustainable
than the conventional system. Farm
conversion from high-input, chemical-based system to organic system is designed
after undertaking a constraint analysis for the farm with the primary aim to
take advantage of local conditions and their interactions with farm activities,
climate, soil and environment, so as to achieve (as far as possible) closed
nutrient cycles with less dependence on off-farm inputs. This implies that the only nutrients leaving
the farm unit are those for human consumption. I would suggest to minimize the
loss of nutrients, which otherwise continues without any let off. 22.Crop
rotations and varieties are selected to suit local conditions having the
potential to sufficiently balance the nitrogen demand of crops. Requirements
for phosphorus, potash, sulphur and micronutrients are met with local,
preferably renewable resources.
Organic; agriculture is therefore, often termed as knowledge-based
rather than input-based agriculture.
Further more, organic farms aim to optimise the crop productivity under
a given set of farm conditions. There are ample evidences to show that
agrochemical-based, high input agriculture is not sustainable for long periods
due to gradual decline in factor productivity, with adverse impact on soil
health and quality. Harnessing the varietal potential by appropriate
biotechnology input is neglected area and needs adequate attention.
23.
The impact of organic agriculture on natural resources
favours interactions within the agro-ecosystem those are vital for both
agricultural production and nature conservation. Ecological services derived
include soil forming and conditioning, soil stabilization through buffering and
structural improvement, waste recycling, carbon sequestration, nutrient
cycling, predation, pollination and habitats. The environmental costs of
conventional agriculture are substantial, and the evidence for significant
environmental amelioration via conversion to organic agriculture is
over-whelming. There are also high pre-consumer human health costs to
conventional agriculture, particularly, in the use of pesticides. It is estimated that 25 million agricultural
workers in developing countries suffer from pesticide poisoning each year. Safety and
quality of organically produced food
24.
There is a growing demand for organic foods driven
primarily by the consumer’s perceptions of the quality and safety of these
foods and to the positive environmental impact of organic agriculture
practices. It has been demonstrated
that organically produced foods have lower levels of pesticides and medicinal
and hormonal residues and in many cases lower nitrate contents. Nitrates are
significant contaminants of foods, generally associated with intensive use of
nitrogen fertilizers. Studies that
compared nitrate contents of organic and conventional products found
significantly higher nitrates in conventional products. Quality after storage
has been reported to be better in organic produce relative to chemical based
produce after comparative tests. ‘Organic’ in organic agriculture is a
labelling term that denotes products that have been produced in accordance with
certain predefined parameters and certified by a duly constituted certification
agency or authority. The organic label is therefore a process claim rather than
a product claim. Organic standard will not exempt producer and processors from
compliance with general regularity requirements such as food safety regulation,
pesticide registration, general food and nutrition labelling rules, etc. Pest and
disease management in organic farming
25.
Pest control in organic farming begins by taking
right decisions at right time, such as growing crops that are naturally
resistant to diseases and pests, or choosing sowing times that prevent pest and
disease outbreaks. Careful management
in both time and space of planting not only prevents pests, but also increases
population of natural predators that have natural capability to control
insects, diseases and weeds. Other
methods generally employed for the management of pests and diseases are: clean
cultivation, improving soil health to resist soil pathogens and promote plant;
growth; rotating crops; encouraging natural biological agents for control of
diseases, insects and weeds; using physical barriers for protection from
insects, birds and animals; modifying habitat to encourage pollinators and
natural enemies of pests; and using semi-chemicals such as pheromone
attractants and trap pests. I would
emphasize to search for non-monetary inputs arising from natural resources for
control of biotic stresses. 26.
Organic farmers have long maintained that
synthetic fertilizers and pesticides increase crop susceptibility to
pests. Organic crops have been shown to
be more tolerant as well as resistant to insect attack. Organic rice is reported to have thicker
cell walls and lower levels of free amino acids than conventional rice. Plant susceptibility to insect herbivory has
been shown in numerous studies to be associated with high plant N levels on
account of high inputs of soluble N fertilizers. Organic N is available slowly as the plant grows at thus acts as
a self-control against the disease. 27.
Soil-borne
root diseases are generally less severe on organic farms than conventional
farms, while there have been no consistent differences in foliar diseases
between the two systems. The successful
control of root diseases in organic systems is likely to be related to the use
of long and diverse crop rotations, crop mixtures and regular application of
organic amendments. Increased levels of
soil microbial activity leading to increased competition and antagonism in the
rhizosphere, the presence of beneficial root-colonizing bacteria and increased
levels of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization of roots have all been
identified as contributing factors; in the control of root diseases. This is an unexplored area where native
organisms provide protection against other harmful organisms. Organic
agriculture: Its relevance to Indian farming
28.
Only 35% of India’s total cultivable area is
covered with fertilizers where irrigation facilities are available and in the
remaining 65% of arable land, which is mainly rain-fed, negligible amount of
fertilizers are being used. Farmers in
these areas often use organic manure as a source of nutrients that are readily
available either in their own farm or in their locality. The north-eastern region of India provides
considerable scope and opportunity for organic farming due to least utilization
of chemical inputs. It is estimated
that 18 million hectare of such land is available in the North-East, which can
be exploited for organic production.
With the sizable acreage under naturally organic/default organic
cultivation, India has tremendous potential to grow crops organically and
emerge as a major supplier of organic products in the worlds organic
market. Need is for putting up a clear
strategy on organic farming and its link with the markets. 29.
The report of the Task Force on Organic Farming
appointed by the Government of India also observed that in vast areas of the
country, where limited amount of chemicals are used and have low; productivity,
could be exploited as potential areas for organic agriculture. Arresting the decline of soil organic matter
is the most potent weapon in fighting against unabated soil degradation and
imperilled sustainability of agriculture in tropical regions of India,
particularly those under the influence of arid, semiarid and sub-humid climate. Application of organic manure is the only
option to improve the soil organic carbon for sustenance of soil quality and
future agricultural productivity.
Future of sustainable development of agriculture, next to water, depends
on arresting fall in organic matter in soils. Economics
of organic farming
30.
The replacement of external inputs by farm-derived
resources normally leads to a reduction in variable input costs under organic
management. Expenditure on fertilizers
and sprays is substantially lower than in conventional systems in almost all
the cases. In a few cases, a higher
input costs due to the purchase of compost and other organic manure have been
reported. Studies have shown that the
common organic agricultural combination of lower input costs and favourable
price premiums can offset reduced yields and make organic farms equally or often more profitable than conventional
farms. The economics of organic cotton cultivation over a period of six years
indicated that there is a reduction in cost of cultivation and increased gross
and net returns compared to conventional cotton cultivation in India. 31.
The interest in organic agriculture in developing
countries is growing because it places more reliance on the natural and human
resources available, requires less financial input and provides safe food while
conserving the environment. Studies to date seem to indicate that organic
agriculture offers comparative advantage in areas with less rainfall and
relatively low natural and soil fertility levels. Labour realizes a good return and this is important where paid
labour is almost non-existent. Organic
agriculture does not need costly investments in irrigation, energy and external
inputs, but rather organic agricultural policies have the potential to improve
local food security, especially in marginal areas. 32.
Possibly, the greatest impact of organic
agriculture is on the mindset of people. It uses traditional and indigenous
farming knowledge, while introducing selected modern technologies to manage and
enhance diversity, to incorporate biological principles and resources into
farming systems, and to ecologically intensify agricultural production. Instead
of being an obstacle to progress, traditions may become an integral part of
it. By adopting organic agriculture,
farmers are challenged to take on new knowledge and perspectives, and to
innovate. This leads to an increased
engagement in farming which can trigger greater opportunities for rural
employment and economic upliftment. Thus through greater emphasis on use of local
resources and self-reliance, conversion to organic agriculture definitely
contributes to the empowerment of farmers and local communities. 33.
Organic
farming systems can deliver agronomic and environmental benefits both through
structural changes and tactical management of farming systems. The benefits of organic farming are relevant
both to developed nations (environmental protection, biodiversity enhancement,
reduced energy use and CO2 emission) and to developing countries
like India (sustainable resource use, increased crop yields without
over-reliance on costly external inputs, environment and biodiversity
protection, etc.). 34.
The government, private sector and producer
associations each have a necessary role to play in promoting and facilitating
marketing of organic produce. How the
various pieces fit together in order to increase value and marketability of
farmers’ produce is a challenge and will require additional work to make the
system function properly. Technical
advice on how these processes function in other places and the roles of the
different players would be very helpful.
Under no circumstances food self sufficiency and security should be
comprise in our genuine needs for organic farming. Having stated that I strongly urge to identify niche areas and
crops for organic farming. With that
full potential of organic farming can be harnessed and country’s commitment on
food and other economic activity can be sustained. ------
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