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• Organic Farming Essay

An introduction to Essay on Organic Farming

Organic farming describes how it uses organic elements and composts and tries to expand soil richness by taking care of soil miniature existence with build-ups from life. For example, trash fertilizer, sewage, excrement, plant deposits, food handling squanders, etc. This essay on organic farming will help you to discover the parts and importance of organic farming. 

This article also deals with the advantages and barriers to it. The organic farming essay also explains the principles behind it and how it is different from the traditional farming technique. An essay on organic farming is essential because it helps us understand the advantages of organic farming and also tells us how the effect of normal farming is harmful.

Segments of Organic Farming

Segments of Organic Farming are discussed below in detail.

Organic Manures

Organic manure provides basic nutrients that are required by plants in limited edition. It is a natural practice adopted by farmers to provide food (plant nutrients) to crop plants. There are various organic manures that are used by farmers such as farm wastes, oilcakes, vermicompost, and biological waste - animal bone. 

Biological Pest Management

The preservation of regular pests is significant for evading the utilization of compound pesticides. Organic pesticides, for example, neem, tobacco and other restorative plants need promotion. Specific microbial pesticides, for instance, Bacillus Thuringiensis offer a guarantee. It is essential to have biological pest management to improve the quality of the soil.

Non-Chemical Weed Control 

Mechanical strategy for weed control is commonly polished to lessen the weed populace. Organic control of weed needs promotion. 

Agronomical Practices

Yield revolution, blended trimming, green manuring practices will improve the physical and compound properties of soil. Consideration of leguminous yields in these practices adds to the ripeness. 

Alley Cropping

Coordination of lasting plants (generally leguminous) in the cultivating framework is called backstreet trimming. 

Principles of Organic Farming

No Chemical Fertilizer

In the event that nature is left to itself, fruitfulness is expanded, organic remains from plants and creatures gather and are deteriorated on a superficial level by microbes and growths. Utilizing straw, green compost, and ranch yard excrement, one can get significant returns without substance manure. 

No Use of Herbicide

Straw mulch and impermanent flooding give successful weed control in numerous fields. 

No Use of Pesticides

The preservation of common adversaries of irritations and the utilization of organic pesticides stay away from the utilization of synthetic pesticides. 

Upkeep of Healthy Soil

Soil well-being is kept up by developing vegetables, green manuring, green leaf manuring, crop pivot, entomb, and blended editing, including vegetables.

Importance of Organic Farming Essay

It doesn't bring about any ecological contamination since it evades the utilization of substance and plant insurance synthetic compounds. 

Less energy is utilized in organic cultivating contrasted with ordinary horticulture.

Less motorization is required. 

Less unsettling influence of soil, legitimate structure, high organic issue substance will be kept up. 

Organic food gets more cost than the product acquired by regular strategies.

Threats to Organic Farming

In changing over to organic cultivating, an underlying harvest misfortune, by and large, happens, especially whenever done rapidly. 

Land assets can move unreservedly from organic cultivating to regular cultivating; they don't move the converse way openly. 

Organic controls may have been debilitated, which may take three or four years for deposits to misfortune their impact.

Short Essay On Organic Farming

Organic farming is an essential part of today’s world. Organic cultivating implies cultivating in the organic connection between soil, water, and plants; between soil, soil organisms, and side-effects. This also implies the connection between the plant realm and the collective of animals; among agribusiness and ranger service; between soil, water and environment. Nature receives diverse techniques to gracefully supplement the dirt and keep up the soil’s fruitfulness. The gracefulness of supplements is undisrupted in nature. The plant leaves produce carbs and later change these carbohydrates into sugar, starch, cellulose, lignin, and so on. 

Organic compost includes mixing carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash rich materials. The minor components are available in extent, and the pivotal carbon-nitrogen proportion is neither too high nor excessively low. This sort of arrangement is inside the capability of ranchers. There is no need to include some nitrogenous manure as a supplement. The nitrogenous substance compost agitates the supplement equalization of soil. Nitrogenous manure is known as an energizer of development, and there is furore for it among the ranchers. Organic farming has many benefits in today’s world and it is esteemed to be much more cautious than the traditional ways of farming. This method, when used, can improve the health of people and the richness of soil on which farming is done. The reliance on these methods is beneficial as they provide more nutritious crops and better nourishment.

Through organic farming, the fertility of soil gets improved. Organic movement and the physical and mineral nature of the dirt are contributing factors. Organic farming is preferred over other modes for this very reason.

FAQs on Organic Farming Essay

1. What is the focus of Organic Farming?

Organic creation of yields is fundamentally the same as normal creation for planting, gathering. Assortments are normally the equivalent. Ripeness, weeds and different nuisances should be overseen in a more serious manner. Harvest pivot and timing of mechanical development are basic to progress. The mix of animals, to help gracefully excrement/fertilizer supplements will likewise be an advantage. Consider joining a few of the natural cultivating affiliations, for example, Canadian Organic Growers (COG) or Ecological Farmers of Ontario (EFO) to build your organization of natural cultivating contacts particularly among other natural ranchers in your general vicinity. 

2. What are the six basic methods of Organic Farming Practices?

The six basic methods of Organic Farming practices are crop diversity, soil management, weed management, controlling other organisms, livestock and genetic modification. These different methods are used in organic farming to improve yield and make farming more efficient. Organic farming methods improve the yield by following traditional practices with new scientific technology.

3. How do students learn about the basics of Organic Farming?

Organic farming can be intimidating for beginners, and one can start little by little and then advance. Basics can be learnt through many sources and sites now available even online. Students can learn about the basics of Organic Farming if they go to Organic Farming Essay for Students in English available on this page. This essay deals with what Organic Farming essentially is and what its advantages, as well as disadvantages, amount to. 

Organic Farming for Sustainable Food Production Essay (Critical Writing)

Introduction and background, scientific considerations of organic farming, discussion of main issues, consequences to people, place, and profit.

The article is titled “Will Organic Agriculture Feed the World,” and it provides its readers with an overview of the statistics that apply to the sustainability of organic farming. The article weighs in on the sustainability of organic farming with respect to the rising global population. The recent data on global population prospects can be used to analyse whether organic farming can sustain food production in the future. The impending global increase in population will not be uniform, and it will have varying effects on food-production patterns. It is also important to note that in the past, population patterns have played a major role in determining food production methods.

The food production and distributions patterns that are present in the United States are not necessarily replicated across the world. Therefore, organic farming might not be practical for the United States, but it can work in other places across the world. For example, organic farming is often touted as a replacement for ‘conventional-farming’. However, organic farming is the ‘original’ form of agriculture. Conventional farming was embraced with the view of increasing yields in order to feed the ballooning population. Nevertheless, recent research has indicated that conventional farming could be unsustainable in the long run. This paper is a critical reflection on the sustainability of organic agriculture in the future of food production.

The research for this article mainly relies on the global population prospects that apply to this century. In this regard, the population of the world is expected to reach “eight and a half billion inhabitants in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, and over eleven billion by 2100” (Meyer 2015). Another scientific aspect of this data is that the impending global-population increase is set to be concentrated in three main areas; China, India, and the African continent. It is interesting to note that “Africa is expected to account for more than half of the world’s population growth between 2015 and 2050” (Meyer 2015). The expected population trends indicate that the poorest countries in the world face the greatest risk of suffering from food insecurity.

The other scientific issue that applies to organic food production involves the reliance on ‘healthy soil, clean water, and a stable climate’ versus the use of unconventional food growing methods that do not depend on these three elements. The “current conventional methods of farming rely mostly on chemical inputs and fossil fuels” (Meyer 2015). Most of the issues surrounding the debate on the sustainability of organic agriculture revolve around which form of farming has the best results. Past studies have been inconclusive with some favouring organic farming and others leaning on conventional methods as the solution to global food insecurity.

There are those who maintain that yield ratios necessitate the use of conventional farming methods in regards to sustainable food production. According to this school of thought, in places where farming technology has not yet been fully embraced, the risk of food insecurity remains high. Furthermore, there are concerns that the current levels of technology make organic farming redundant. An article that appears on the “Wall Street Journal” concludes that the way to “feed the 10 billion people….will be by managing every acre of our farmland with the same precision that allows a company like Apple to deliver tens of millions of iPhones within weeks” (Mims 2015).

On the other hand, the proponents of organic farming argue that continued use of modern technology in agriculture contributes towards unwarranted environmental degradation. Consequently, the same technologies that are used to boost farming today will be the same ones that will lead to unsustainable agricultural production. One proponent of organic farming points out that most conventional farming practices “such as GMO seed and feed, fertilisers and pesticides are expensive to purchase and maintain….and they ultimately contribute to soil degradation, water pollution and the loss of topsoil” (Chappell, Aviles-Vazquez & Perfecto 2010). This argument is challenged by the fact that while land for agriculture remains constant, the human population that is in need of food is on a steady increase. Nevertheless, the proponents of organic farming as a tool for sustainable food production point out that this is the only viable long-term solution.

Organic farming is in tandem with issues of climate change. The people who are affected by issues of climate change are the ones who are most affected by organic farming. Organic farming mostly relies on functional climatic conditions. Therefore, opponents of organic agriculture argue that modern methods of farming are mandatory in the current climatic changes (Connor, 2008). The main concern with sustainable food production involves Africa and Asia, where most future population influxes will take place. It is important to note that agricultural technology is yet to take root in these areas. Introducing organic agriculture in Africa will be difficult because most societies in Africa and Asia practice traditional farming.

Consequently, neither ‘conventional’ nor ‘organic’ farming practices as they are known in other places like Europe and the United States apply to the African/Asian way of farming. It would be easier to introduce organic farming in these developing nations because of their existing technological gaps. For instance, most developing nations are in the process of adopting agricultural technology.

Therefore, these countries should adopt organic farming because research indicates that this form of farming is cheaper and more sustainable in the long run (Badgley & Perfecto 2009). Furthermore, research indicates that most of the African population is made up of people who are under the age of 35 (70% of the population). The need for food sustainability will be acute in this region. On the other hand, there is minimal risk of food insecurity in North America and Europe because of the lull in population growth in these two areas. Organic agriculture is most likely to be of benefit to the environment and farmers. On the other hand, companies that supply ‘conventional’ farming inputs such as seeds and chemicals might experience lower profitability in the long run. Organic farming lowers the cost of production for the farmers, thereby increasing their profit margins (Thomas 2015).

A table indicating the expected social return on investment of a small scale organic farming venture.

Organic farming is a long-term tool for sustainable food production. Organic agriculture cautions both the environment and natural resources from continuous degradation. Conventional agriculture might be appealing in the short-term, but it does not guarantee the sustainability of food production in the future (Parry & Livermore 2009). Projected population increases in most developing countries necessitate the need for a food production solution that can be sustainable for several centuries to come. Prior to this research, my thoughts on food production sustainability were limited to short-term views. However, this research has indicated that our food-production sustainability problems in Australia differ greatly with those of Africa and Asia.

Badgley, C & Perfecto, I 2009, ‘Can organic agriculture feed the world?’, Agriculture and Food Systems , vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 80-86.

Chappell, J, Aviles-Vazquez, K & Perfecto, I 2010, ‘Organic agriculture and the global food supply’, Renewable agriculture and food systems , vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 86-108.

Connor, D 2008, ‘Organic agriculture cannot feed the world’, Field Crops Research , vol. 106, no. 2, pp. 187-190.

Meyer, M 2015, ‘Will organic agriculture feed the world?’ , The Huffington Post. Web.

Mims, C 2015, ‘To feed billions, farms are about data as much as dirt’ , The Wall Street Journal . Web.

Parry, M & Livermore, M 2009, ‘Climate change, global food supply and risk of hunger’, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences , vol. 360, no. 1463, pp. 2125-2138.

Thomas, C 2015, ‘Can Organic feed the World’ , The Food Navigator Journal . Web.

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Bibliography

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Organic Farming: History, Timeline, and Impact

Learn how this agricultural movement began and where it stands today.

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Organic farming refers to a method of agriculture that uses fertilizers made from animal and plant wastes and other biological materials. Recognizing the environmental harm of traditional farming, which used chemical pesticides and fertilizers, scientists saw that farming conditions could benefit from the use of animal manures, crop rotation, cover crops, and natural pest controls. Today, organic food has grown in popularity, especially among consumers who are concerned with the potential negative effects of pesticides, GMOs, and hormones.

What Does Organic Mean?

Organic describes any food that is produced without chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or antibiotics. The USDA certifies food as organic if it has been grown in soil that has not been covered in synthetic fertilizer or pesticides for a full three years prior to the food's harvest.

Traditional farming has a greater impact on the environment due to increased greenhouse gas emissions, soil erosion, and water pollution. However, traditional farming generally produces higher crop yields (approximately 5-34% greater) than organic farming. This is one of the reasons why organic produce is more expensive. Conventional farming also uses synthetic insecticides to get rid of pests and diseases, whereas organic farming uses insects and birds.

The Origin and Timeline of Organic Farming

According to a 2020 International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) report, there were at least 2.8 million organic producers in the world in 2018. How did we get here?

Organic agriculture as a concept began at the beginning of the twentieth century as the need to address soil erosion and depletion, lack of crop varieties, and insufficient food quality increased. During the time, the mechanization of agriculture evolved quickly, which drastically increased crop yields and made farming much more affordable. The resulting negative environmental effects spurred the birth of the organic farming movement.

The term was first coined by Walter James in his book "Look to the Land," in which he talked about a natural and ecological approach to farming. He focused on the “farm as an organism,” and his ideas were fundamental in the creation of the worldwide organic farming movement. Also, in the 1940s, the founder of the Rodale Institute , J. I. Rodale, provided his own information on farming methods that avoided the use of chemicals.

Rodale gained inspiration from Sir Albert Howard, a British scientist who spent years in India observing agricultural systems that used green manures and wastes as fertilizer. In 1943, in his book " An Agricultural Testament ," Howard wrote about the importance of using animal waste to maintain soil fertility, which was a concept that later became central to organic farming.  

1950s - 1960s

In the 1950s, the sustainable agriculture movement began to gain traction due to environmental concerns. In 1962, Rachel Carson came out with her book " Silent Spring " which highlighted the effects of DDT and other pesticides on wildlife, the natural environment, and humans. Within this book, Carson called for humans to act in a more responsible manner and be stewards of the earth instead of destroying it. The sustainable agriculture movement and Silent Spring both had a major impact on the progression of the organic farming movement.

In the 1970s, consumers began to become more environmentally aware, and their demand for more sustainable practices fueled the growth of the organic farming industry. With the difference between organic and conventional produce now apparent, the movement aimed to promote locally grown food. This time in history was known as the era of polarization of agriculture into organic and non-organic categories.

However, no one could agree on approaches for the management of organic farming, and so no universal standards or regulations for organic agriculture existed in the 1970s. In the United States at the time, organic certification programs varied by state.

In 1972, IFOAM was founded in Versailles, France to build capacity to assist farmers in making the transition to organic agriculture, to raise awareness on sustainable agriculture, and to advocate for policy changes related to agro-ecological farming practices and sustainable development. Today, they have members from 100 countries and territories and are a leader in the industry.

The 1980s is described as a period in which organic farming received national recognition within the United States. In 1980, the USDA released the Report and Recommendations on Organic Farming with the intention of “increasing communication between the USDA and organic farmers.” In 1981, the American Society of Agronomy held a Symposium on Organic Farming to explore the question: Can organic farming contribute to more sustainable agriculture? The answer was a resounding yes from attendees of the symposium.

Organic agriculture began to be implemented into university curriculums around the world. USDA scientists also conducted research on organic farming with the Rodale Institute. In 1989, in Cuba, the combination of the U.S. trade embargo and the collapse of their Soviet market led to an organic revolution. This was because they found it very difficult to import the chemical fertilizers and heavy machinery needed for traditional agriculture, therefore they turned to organic farming.

In the 1980s around the world, farmers and consumers started to advocate for government regulation of organic farming. This sparked the creation of the certification standards that were enacted in the 1990s. In the European Union and the United States, the majority of aspects of organic food production are government-regulated.

The global retail market for organic food has expanded exponentially each year due to increasing consumer demand. This was a result of the concern over the safety of food that was produced using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

In 1990, U.S. Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) to develop a national standard for organic food production. The OFPA resulted in the creation of the National Organic Standards Board that would make recommendations for which substances could be used in organic production and handling. The board also would assist the USDA in writing regulations to explain the law to farmers, handlers, and certifiers. This was an important milestone in the organic movement as it defined the term “organic" and set site-specific regulations that promoted ecological balance and the conservation of biodiversity.

2000s - 2010s

The regulations under the OFPA took more than a decade to write and the final regulations were finally implemented in 2002. In the 2000s, the worldwide market for organic food began to grow rapidly. Organic farmland increased from 11 million hectares in 1999 to 43.7 million hectares in 2014. Additionally, the global market of organic products was estimated to be $15.2 billion in 1999 and increased to $80 billion in 2014. In 2014, there were approximately 2.3 million organic producers around the world.

From 2004 to 2010, researchers found that organic products cost more than non-organic products, with a premium of above 20% for all organic products except spinach. Additionally, during the 2000s and 2010s, more countries around the world began to implement government-regulated organic certifications. For example, in 2002 the European Union Organic Certification was enacted to enforce strict requirements for organic food production.

The global organic market was greater than 100 billion U.S. dollars in 2018 with the leading country being the U.S., followed by Germany and France. There are approximately 2.8 million organic producers worldwide, with the majority being in India. Farmland also increased to a total of 71.5 million hectares worldwide.

Global organic agriculture has also had a significant contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) . However, there have continued to be criticisms about organic food and whether it is safer and/or more nutritious than conventional foods. Additionally, some have criticized the high costs of organic food as they believe there is a lack of evidence to back that it is more beneficial to health.

Still, organic food continues to grow in popularity, and it is expected that it will become more affordable as production and distribution increase. Additionally, consumers have been seeking out new organic plant-based alternatives, such as oat and soy milk. The popularity of restaurants that only cook food with organic ingredients is also on the rise, specifically in places like Bali, Indonesia. Overall, organic food continues to rise in quality, choice, and affordability.

" Organic 101: What the USDA Organic Label Means ." U.S. Department of Agriculture .

" What Are the Environmental Benefits of Organic Agriculture? " Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations .

Seufert, Verena, et al. " Comparing the Yields of Organic and Conventional Agriculture ." Nature , vol. 485, no. 7397, 2012, pp. 229-232., doi:10.1038/nature11069

Willer, Helga, et al. " The World of Organic Agriculture: Statistics and Emerging Trends 2020 ." Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Frick, and IFOAM , 2020.

Paull, John. " Lord Northbourne, the Man Who Invented Organic Farming, a Biography ." Journal of Organic Systems , vol. 9, no. 1, 2014, pp. 31-53.

" The Future of Food and Agriculture: Trends and Challenges ." Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations , 2017.

" Organic Production/Organic Food: Information Access Tools ." U.S. Department of Agriculture .

Willer, Helga, and Julia Lernoud. " The World of Organic Agriculture: Statistics and Emerging Trends 2016 ." Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Frick, and IFOAM , 2016.

Carlson, Andrea, and Edward Jaenicke. " Changes in Retail Organic Price Premiums From 2004 to 2010 ." U.S. Department of Agriculture , 2016.

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Photo: Organic doesn't just mean food. If you care about pollution from food crops, logically you should also care about pollution from things like growing cotton. Organic cotton helps to safeguard human workers as well as the natural environment.

What is natural?

What is humane, local or organic.

Photo: Organic standards: Organic food generally carries precise information about how it was certified and by whom. This is an example of the Italian Controllo Biologico organic certification label.

Photo: A very delicious, organic savoy cabbage grown by Guy Watson's Riverford Organic cooperative in Devon, England. Tastes wonderful.... but is it any better for you than a conventional cabbage?

Photo: Although organic farmers use machines like everyone else, they do tend to think twice about the impacts of mechanization—particularly the oil that tractors use and the damage that heavy agricultural machines can do to the all-important soil structure.

Photo: Pigtastic! Unlike factory farmed pigs reared in indoor stalls, these lovely little piglets (and their mother, top left) have the run of a huge enclosure (several times the size of the area you can see here) with plenty to occupy and amuse them.

Chart: Organic food is now a $62 billion a year business in the United States alone. Drawn by explainthatstuff.com using data from the Organic Trade Association , May 2021.

Chart: Just over half (56 percent) of organic food sales in the United States are for crops; the rest (44 percent) cover livestock, poultry, and related products. Drawn by explainthatstuff.com using data from the [PDF] US Department of Agriculture , October 2017 (latest data as of May 2020).

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• Environmentalism (introduction)
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Other websites

• Pesticides : Definitive information about environmental impacts from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Useful organizations and groups

• Organic Farmers and Growers
• Organic Trade Association
• Pesticide Action Network (PAN)-UK
• Soil Association
• Organic Food, Farming and Culture by Janet Chrzan and Jacqueline Ricotta (eds). Bloomsbury, 2019.
• The Organic Food Handbook by Ken Roseboro. ReadHowYouWant.com, 2009.
• The Organic Food Shopper's Guide by Jeff Cox. John Wiley and Sons, 2008.
• Organic Gardening for the 21st Century by John Fedor and Bob Sherman. Frances Lincoln, 2001.

Food production

• The Ecological Hoofprint: The Global Burden of Industrial Livestock by Tony Weis. Earthscan, 2013.
• Rebels for the Soil: The Rise of the Global Organic Food and Farming Movement by Matthew Reed. Earthscan, 2010.
• The Global Food Economy: The Battle for the Future of Farming by Tony Weis. Zed Books, 2007.
• Food Wars: The Global Battle for Mouths, Minds and Markets by Tim Lang and Michael Heasman. Earthscan, 2004.

Reports and statistics

• [PDF] The pesticides in our food : A briefing from Friends of the Earth UK from Autumn 2004. [Archived via the Wayback Machine.]
• World organic food statistics : from the Organic Trade Association.

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Article Contents

Introduction, organic farming process, benefits of organic farming, organic agriculture and sustainable development, status of organic farming in india: production, popularity, and economic growth, future prospects of organic farming in india, conclusions, conflict of interest.

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Organic farming in India: a vision towards a healthy nation

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Suryatapa Das, Annalakshmi Chatterjee, Tapan Kumar Pal, Organic farming in India: a vision towards a healthy nation, Food Quality and Safety , Volume 4, Issue 2, May 2020, Pages 69–76, https://doi.org/10.1093/fqsafe/fyaa018

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Food quality and safety are the two important factors that have gained ever-increasing attention in general consumers. Conventionally grown foods have immense adverse health effects due to the presence of higher pesticide residue, more nitrate, heavy metals, hormones, antibiotic residue, and also genetically modified organisms. Moreover, conventionally grown foods are less nutritious and contain lesser amounts of protective antioxidants. In the quest for safer food, the demand for organically grown foods has increased during the last decades due to their probable health benefits and food safety concerns. Organic food production is defined as cultivation without the application of chemical fertilizers and synthetic pesticides or genetically modified organisms, growth hormones, and antibiotics. The popularity of organically grown foods is increasing day by day owing to their nutritional and health benefits. Organic farming also protects the environment and has a greater socio-economic impact on a nation. India is a country that is bestowed with indigenous skills and potentiality for growth in organic agriculture. Although India was far behind in the adoption of organic farming due to several reasons, presently it has achieved rapid growth in organic agriculture and now becomes one of the largest organic producers in the world. Therefore, organic farming has a great impact on the health of a nation like India by ensuring sustainable development.

Food quality and safety are two vital factors that have attained constant attention in common people. Growing environmental awareness and several food hazards (e.g. dioxins, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, and bacterial contamination) have substantially decreased the consumer’s trust towards food quality in the last decades. Intensive conventional farming can add contamination to the food chain. For these reasons, consumers are quested for safer and better foods that are produced through more ecologically and authentically by local systems. Organically grown food and food products are believed to meet these demands ( Rembialkowska, 2007 ).

In recent years, organic farming as a cultivation process is gaining increasing popularity ( Dangour et al. , 2010 ). Organically grown foods have become one of the best choices for both consumers and farmers. Organically grown foods are part of go green lifestyle. But the question is that what is meant by organic farming? ( Chopra et al. , 2013 ).

The term ‘organic’ was first coined by Northbourne, in 1940, in his book entitled ‘Look to the Land’.

Northbourne stated that ‘the farm itself should have biological completeness; it must be a living entity; it must be a unit which has within itself a balanced organic life’( Nourthbourne, 2003 ). Northbourne also defined organic farming as ‘an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity’. According to Winter and Davis (2006) , ‘it is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony’.

They mentioned that organic produce is not grown with synthetic pesticides, antibiotics, growth hormones, application of genetic modification techniques (such as genetically modified crops), sewage sludge, or chemical fertilizers.

Whereas, conventional farming is the cultivation process where synthetic pesticide and chemical fertilizers are applied to gain higher crop yield and profit. In conventional farming, synthetic pesticides and chemicals are able to eliminate insects, weeds, and pests and growth factors such as synthetic hormones and fertilizers increase growth rate ( Worthington, 2001 ).

As synthetically produced pesticides and chemical fertilizers are utilized in conventional farming, consumption of conventionally grown foods is discouraged, and for these reasons, the popularity of organic farming is increasing gradually.

Organic farming and food processing practices are wide-ranging and necessitate the development of socially, ecologically, and economically sustainable food production system. The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) has suggested the basic four principles of organic farming, i.e. the principle of health, ecology, fairness, and care ( Figure 1 ). The main principles and practices of organic food production are to inspire and enhance biological cycles in the farming system, keep and enhance deep-rooted soil fertility, reduce all types of pollution, evade the application of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, conserve genetic diversity in food, consider the vast socio-ecological impact of food production, and produce high-quality food in sufficient quantity ( IFOAM, 1998 ).

Principles of organic farming (adapted from IFOAM, 1998 ).

According to the National Organic Programme implemented by USDA Organic Food Production Act (OFPA, 1990), agriculture needs specific prerequisites for both crop cultivation and animal husbandry. To be acceptable as organic, crops should be cultivated in lands without any synthetic pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and herbicides for 3 years before harvesting with enough buffer zone to lower contamination from the adjacent farms. Genetically engineered products, sewage sludge, and ionizing radiation are strictly prohibited. Fertility and nutrient content of soil are managed primarily by farming practices, with crop rotation, and using cover crops that are boosted with animal and plant waste manures. Pests, diseases, and weeds are mainly controlled with the adaptation of physical and biological control systems without using herbicides and synthetic pesticides. Organic livestock should be reared devoid of scheduled application of growth hormones or antibiotics and they should be provided with enough access to the outdoor. Preventive health practices such as routine vaccination, vitamins and minerals supplementation are also needed (OFPA, 1990).

Nutritional benefits and health safety

Magnusson et al. (2003) and Brandt and MØlgaord (2001) mentioned that the growing demand for organically farmed fresh products has created an interest in both consumer and producer regarding the nutritional value of organically and conventionally grown foods. According to a study conducted by AFSSA (2003) , organically grown foods, especially leafy vegetables and tubers, have higher dry matter as compared to conventionally grown foods. Woëse et al. (1997) and Bourn and Prescott (2002) also found similar results. Although organic cereals and their products contain lesser protein than conventional cereals, they have higher quality proteins with better amino acid scores. Lysine content in organic wheat has been reported to be 25%–30% more than conventional wheat ( Woëse et al. , 1997 ; Brandt et al. , 2000 ).

Organically grazed cows and sheep contain less fat and more lean meat as compared to conventional counterparts ( Hansson et al. , 2000 ). In a study conducted by Nürnberg et al. (2002) , organically fed cow’s muscle contains fourfold more linolenic acid, which is a recommended cardio-protective ω-3 fatty acid, with accompanying decrease in oleic acid and linoleic acid. Pastushenko et al. (2000) found that meat from an organically grazed cow contains high amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The milk produced from the organic farm contains higher polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E ( Lund, 1991 ). Vitamin E and carotenoids are found in a nutritionally desirable amount in organic milk ( Nürnberg et al. , 2002 ). Higher oleic acid has been found in organic virgin olive oil ( Gutierrez et al. , 1999 ). Organic plants contain significantly more magnesium, iron, and phosphorous. They also contain more calcium, sodium, and potassium as major elements and manganese, iodine, chromium, molybdenum, selenium, boron, copper, vanadium, and zinc as trace elements ( Rembialkowska, 2007 ).

According to a review of Lairon (2010) which was based on the French Agency for food safety (AFSSA) report, organic products contain more dry matter, minerals, and antioxidants such as polyphenols and salicylic acid. Organic foods (94%–100%) contain no pesticide residues in comparison to conventionally grown foods.

Fruits and vegetables contain a wide variety of phytochemicals such as polyphenols, resveratrol, and pro-vitamin C and carotenoids which are generally secondary metabolites of plants. In a study of Lairon (2010) , organic fruits and vegetables contain 27% more vitamin C than conventional fruits and vegetables. These secondary metabolites have substantial regulatory effects at cellular levels and hence found to be protective against certain diseases such as cancers, chronic inflammations, and other diseases ( Lairon, 2010 ).

According to a Food Marketing Institute (2008) , some organic foods such as corn, strawberries, and marionberries have greater than 30% of cancer-fighting antioxidants. The phenols and polyphenolic antioxidants are in higher level in organic fruits and vegetables. It has been estimated that organic plants contain double the amount of phenolic compounds than conventional ones ( Rembialkowska, 2007 ). Organic wine has been reported to contain a higher level of resveratrol ( Levite et al. , 2000 ).

Rossi et al. (2008) stated that organically grown tomatoes contain more salicylic acid than conventional counterparts. Salicylic acid is a naturally occurring phytochemical having anti-inflammatory and anti-stress effects and prevents hardening of arteries and bowel cancer ( Rembialkowska, 2007 ; Butler et al. , 2008 ).

Total sugar content is more in organic fruits because of which they taste better to consumers. Bread made from organically grown grain was found to have better flavour and also had better crumb elasticity ( BjØrn and Fruekidle, 2003 ). Organically grown fruits and vegetables have been proved to taste better and smell good ( Rembialkowska, 2000 ).

Organic vegetables normally have far less nitrate content than conventional vegetables ( Woëse et al. , 1997 ). Nitrates are used in farming as soil fertilizer but they can be easily transformed into nitrites, a matter of public health concern. Nitrites are highly reactive nitrogen species that are capable of competing with oxygen in the blood to bind with haemoglobin, thus leading to methemoglobinemia. It also binds to the secondary amine to generate nitrosamine which is a potent carcinogen ( Lairon, 2010 ).

As organically grown foods are cultivated without the use of pesticides and sewage sludge, they are less contaminated with pesticide residue and pathogenic organisms such as Listeria monocytogenes or Salmonella sp. or Escherichia coli ( Van Renterghem et al. , 1991 ; Lung et al. , 2001 ; Warnick et al. , 2001 ).

Therefore, organic foods ensure better nutritional benefits and health safety.

Environmental impact

Organic farming has a protective role in environmental conservation. The effect of organic and conventional agriculture on the environment has been extensively studied. It is believed that organic farming is less harmful to the environment as it does not allow synthetic pesticides, most of which are potentially harmful to water, soil, and local terrestrial and aquatic wildlife ( Oquist et al. , 2007 ). In addition, organic farms are better than conventional farms at sustaining biodiversity, due to practices of crop rotation. Organic farming improves physico-biological properties of soil consisting of more organic matter, biomass, higher enzyme, better soil stability, enhanced water percolation, holding capacities, lesser water, and wind erosion compared to conventionally farming soil ( Fliessbach & Mäder, 2000 ; Edwards, 2007 ; Fileβbach et al. , 2007 ). Organic farming uses lesser energy and produces less waste per unit area or per unit yield ( Stolze et al. , 2000 ; Hansen et al. , 2001 ). In addition, organically managed soils are of greater quality and water retention capacity, resulting in higher yield in organic farms even during the drought years ( Pimentel et al. , 2005 ).

Socioeconomic impact

Organic cultivation requires a higher level of labour, hence produces more income-generating jobs per farm ( Halberg, 2008 ). According to Winter and Davis (2006), an organic product typically costs 10%–40% more than the similar conventionally crops and it depends on multiple factors both in the input and the output arms. On the input side, factors that enhance the price of organic foods include the high cost of obtaining the organic certification, the high cost of manpower in the field, lack of subsidies on organics in India, unlike chemical inputs. But consumers are willing to pay a high price as there is increasing health awareness. Some organic products also have short supply against high demand with a resultant increase in cost ( Mukherjee et al. , 2018 ).

Biofertilizers and pesticides can be produced locally, so yearly inputs invested by the farmers are also low ( Lobley et al. , 2005 ). As the labours working in organic farms are less likely to be exposed to agricultural chemicals, their occupational health is improved ( Thompson and Kidwell, 1998 ). Organic food has a longer shelf life than conventional foods due to lesser nitrates and greater antioxidants. Nitrates hasten food spoilage, whereas antioxidants help to enhance the shelf life of foods ( Shreck et al. , 2006 ). Organic farming is now an expanding economic sector as a result of the profit incurred by organic produce and thereby leading to a growing inclination towards organic agriculture by the farmers.

The concept of sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals—environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity. The concept of sustainability rests on the principle that we must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

The very basic approach to organic farming for the sustainable environment includes the following ( Yadav, 2017 ):

Improvement and maintenance of the natural landscape and agro-ecosystem.

Avoidance of overexploitation and pollution of natural resources.

Minimization of the consumption of non-renewable energy resources.

Exploitation synergies that exist in a natural ecosystem.

Maintenance and improve soil health by stimulating activity or soil organic manures and avoid harming them with pesticides.

Optimum economic returns, with a safe, secure, and healthy working environment.

Acknowledgement of the virtues of indigenous know-how and traditional farming system.

Long-term economic viability can only be possible by organic farming and because of its premium price in the market, organic farming is more profitable. The increase in the cost of production by the use of pesticides and fertilizers in conventional farming and its negative impact on farmer’s health affect economic balance in a community and benefits only go to the manufacturer of these pesticides. Continuous degradation of soil fertility by chemical fertilizers leads to production loss and hence increases the cost of production which makes the farming economically unsustainable. Implementation of a strategy encompassing food security, generation of rural employment, poverty alleviation, conservation of the natural resource, adoption of an export-oriented production system, sound infrastructure, active participation of government, and private-public sector will be helpful to make revamp economic sustainability in agriculture ( Soumya, 2015 ).

Social sustainability

It is defined as a process or framework that promotes the wellbeing of members of an organization while supporting the ability of future generations to maintain a healthy community. Social sustainability can be improved by enabling rural poor to get benefit from agricultural development, giving respect to indigenous knowledge and practices along with modern technologies, promoting gender equality in labour, full participation of vibrant rural communities to enhance their confidence and mental health, and thus decreasing suicidal rates among the farmers. Organic farming appears to generate 30% more employment in rural areas and labour achieves higher returns per unit of labour input ( Pandey and Singh, 2012 ).

Organic food and farming have continued to grow across the world. Since 1985, the total area of farmland under organic production has been increased steadily over the last three decades ( Willer and Lernoud, 2019 ). By 2017, there was a total of 69.8 million hectares of organically managed land recorded globally which represents a 20% growth or 11.7 million hectares of land in comparison to the year 2016. This is the largest growth ever recorded in organic farming ( Willer and Lernoud, 2019 ). The countries with the largest areas of organic agricultural land recorded in the year 2017 are given in Figure 2 . Australia has the largest organic lands with an area of 35.65 million hectares and India acquired the eighth position with a total organic agriculture area of 1.78 million hectares ( Willer and Lernoud, 2019 ).

Country-wise areas of organic agriculture land, 2017 ( Willer and Lernoud, 2019 ).

In 2017, it was also reported that day to day the number of organic produces increases considerably all over the world. Asia contributes to the largest percentage (40%) of organic production in the world and India contributes to be largest number of organic producer (835 000) ( Figures 3 and 4 ).

Organic producers by region, 2017 ( Willer and Lernoud, 2019 ).

Largest organic producers in the world, 2017 ( Willer and Lernoud, 2017 ).

The growth of organic farming in India was quite dawdling with only 41 000 hectares of organic land comprising merely 0.03% of the total cultivated area. In India during 2002, the production of organic farming was about 14 000 tonnes of which 85% of it was exported ( Chopra et al. , 2013 ). The most important barrier considered in the progress of organic agriculture in India was the lacunae in the government policies of making a firm decision to promote organic agriculture. Moreover, there were several major drawbacks in the growth of organic farming in India which include lack of awareness, lack of good marketing policies, shortage of biomass, inadequate farming infrastructure, high input cost of farming, inappropriate marketing of organic input, inefficient agricultural policies, lack of financial support, incapability of meeting export demand, lack of quality manure, and low yield ( Figure 5 ; Bhardwaj and Dhiman, 2019 ).

Constraints of organic farming in India in the past ( Bhardwaj and Dhiman, 2019 ).

Recently, the Government of India has implemented a number of programs and schemes for boosting organic farming in the country. Among these the most important include (1) The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, (2) Organic Value Chain Development in North Eastern Region Scheme, (3) Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, (4) The mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (a. National Horticulture Mission, b. Horticulture Mission for North East and Himalayan states, c. National Bamboo Mission, d. National Horticulture Board, e. Coconut Development Board, d. Central Institute for Horticulture, Nagaland), (5) National Programme for Organic Production, (6) National Project on Organic Farming, and (7) National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture ( Yadav, 2017 ).

Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) is a method of farming where the cost of growing and harvesting plants is zero as it reduces costs through eliminating external inputs and using local resources to rejuvenate soils and restore ecosystem health through diverse, multi-layered cropping systems. It requires only 10% of water and 10% electricity less than chemical and organic farming. The micro-organisms of Cow dung (300–500 crores of beneficial micro-organisms per one gram cow dung) decompose the dried biomass on the soil and convert it into ready-to-use nutrients for plants. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana since 2015–16 and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana are the schemes taken by the Government of India under the ZBNF policy ( Sobhana et al. , 2019 ). According to Kumar (2020) , in the union budget 2020–21, Rs 687.5 crore has been allocated for the organic and natural farming sector which was Rs 461.36 crore in the previous year.

Indian Competence Centre for Organic Agriculture cited that the global market for organically grown foods is USD 26 billion which will be increased to the amount of USD 102 billion by 2020 ( Chopra et al. , 2013 ).

The major states involved in organic agriculture in India are Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh ( Chandrashekar, 2010 ).

India ranked 8th with respect to the land of organic agriculture and 88th in the ratio of organic crops to agricultural land as per Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority and report of Research Institute of Organic Agriculture ( Chopra et al. , 2013 ; Willer and Lernoud, 2017 ). But a significant growth in the organic sector in India has been observed ( Willer and Lernoud, 2017 ) in the last decades.

There have been about a threefold increase from 528 171 ha in 2007–08 to 1.2 million ha of cultivable land in 2014–15. As per the study conducted by Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry in India, the organic food turnover is increasing at about 25% annually and thereby will be expected to reach USD 1.36 billion in 2020 from USD 0.36 billion in 2014 ( Willer and Lernoud, 2017 ).

The consumption and popularity of organic foods are increasing day by day throughout the world. In 2008, more than two-thirds of US consumers purchased organic food, and more than one fourth purchased them weekly. The consumption of organic crops has doubled in the USA since 1997. A consumer prefers organic foods in the concept that organic foods have more nutritional values, have lesser or no additive contaminants, and sustainably grown. The families with younger consumers, in general, prefer organic fruits and vegetables than consumers of any other age group ( Thompson et al. , 1998 ; Loureino et al. , 2001 ; Magnusson et al. , 2003 ). The popularity of organic foods is due to its nutritional and health benefits and positive impact on environmental and socioeconomic status ( Chopra et al. , 2013 ) and by a survey conducted by the UN Environment Programme, organic farming methods give small yields (on average 20% lower) as compared to conventional farming ( Gutierrez et al. , 1999 ). As the yields of organically grown foods are low, the costs of them are higher. The higher prices made a barrier for many consumers to buy organic foods ( Lairon, 2010 ). Organic farming needs far more lands to generate the same amount of organic food produce as conventional farming does, as chemical fertilizers are not used here, which conventionally produces higher yield. Organic agriculture hardly contributes to addressing the issue of global climate change. During the last decades, the consumption of organic foods has been increasing gradually, particularly in western countries ( Meiner-Ploeger, 2005 ).

Organic foods have become one of the rapidly growing food markets with revenue increasing by nearly 20% each year since 1990 ( Winter and Davis, 2006 ). The global organic food market has been reached USD 81.6 billion in 2015 from USD 17.9 billion during the year 2000 ( Figure 6 ) and most of which showed double-digit growth rates ( Willer and Lernoud, 2019 ).

Worldwide growth in organic food sales ( Willer and Lernoud, 2019 ).

India is an agriculture-based country with 67% of its population and 55% of manpower depending on farming and related activities. Agriculture fulfils the basic needs of India’s fastest-growing population accounted for 30% of total income. Organic farming has been found to be an indigenous practice of India that practised in countless rural and farming communities over the millennium. The arrival of modern techniques and increased burden of population led to a propensity towards conventional farming that involves the use of synthetic fertilizer, chemical pesticides, application of genetic modification techniques, etc.

Even in developing countries like India, the demand for organically grown produce is more as people are more aware now about the safety and quality of food, and the organic process has a massive influence on soil health, which devoid of chemical pesticides. Organic cultivation has an immense prospect of income generation too ( Bhardwaj and Dhiman, 2019 ). The soil in India is bestowed with various types of naturally available organic nutrient resources that aid in organic farming ( Adolph and Butterworth, 2002 ; Reddy, 2010 ; Deshmukh and Babar, 2015 ).

India is a country with a concrete traditional farming system, ingenious farmers, extensive drylands, and nominal use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Moreover, adequate rainfall in north-east hilly regions of the country where few negligible chemicals are employed for a long period of time, come to fruition as naturally organic lands ( Gour, 2016 ).

Indian traditional farmers possess a deep insight based on their knowledge, extensive observation, perseverance and practices for maintaining soil fertility, and pest management which are found effective in strengthening organic production and subsequent economic growth in India. The progress in organic agriculture is quite commendable. Currently, India has become the largest organic producer in the globe ( Willer and Lernoud, 2017 , 2019 ) and ranked eighth having 1.78 million ha of organic agriculture land in the world in 2017 ( Sharma and Goyal, 2000 ; Adolph and Butterworth, 2002 ; Willer and Lernoud, 2019 ).

Various newer technologies have been invented in the field of organic farming such as integration of mycorrhizal fungi and nano-biostimulants (to increase the agricultural productivity in an environmentally friendly manner), mapping cultivation areas more consciously through sensor technology and spatial geodata, 3D printers (to help the country’s smallholder), production from side streams and waste along with main commodities, promotion and improvement of sustainable agriculture through innovation in drip irrigation, precision agriculture, and agro-ecological practices. Another advancement in the development of organic farming is BeeScanning App, through which beekeepers can fight the Varroa destructor parasite mite and also forms a basis for population modelling and breeding programmes ( Nova-Institut GmbH, 2018 ).

Inhana Rational Farming Technology developed on the principle ‘Element Energy Activation’ is a comprehensive organic method for ensuring ecologically and economically sustainable crop production and it is based on ancient Indian philosophy and modern scientific knowledge.

The technology works towards (1) energization of soil system: reactivation of soil-plant-microflora dynamics by restoration of the population and efficiency of the native soil microflora and (2) energization of plant system: restoration of the two defence mechanisms of the plant kingdom that are nutrient use efficiency and superior plant immunity against pest/disease infection ( Barik and Sarkar, 2017 ).

Organic farming yields more nutritious and safe food. The popularity of organic food is growing dramatically as consumer seeks the organic foods that are thought to be healthier and safer. Thus, organic food perhaps ensures food safety from farm to plate. The organic farming process is more eco-friendly than conventional farming. Organic farming keeps soil healthy and maintains environment integrity thereby, promoting the health of consumers. Moreover, the organic produce market is now the fastest growing market all over the world including India. Organic agriculture promotes the health of consumers of a nation, the ecological health of a nation, and the economic growth of a nation by income generation holistically. India, at present, is the world’s largest organic producers ( Willer and Lernoud, 2019 ) and with this vision, we can conclude that encouraging organic farming in India can build a nutritionally, ecologically, and economically healthy nation in near future.

This review work was funded by the University Grants Commission, Government of India.

None declared.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Organic Farming

Essays on Organic Farming

Growing power: changing lives with urban farming, organic farming and community supported agriculture (csa) as the future of food, made-to-order essay as fast as you need it.

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Comparison of Organic Farming and Conventional Farming

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Impact of The Increased Usage of Synthetic Pesticides on Biodiversity and The Merits of Organic Farming

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Analysis of The Methods for Sustainable Agriculture

The issue of inhumane conditions of chicken farming, discussion of whether organic food is really organic, the benefits of organic food for health and the environment, the effect of organic foods on health, relevant topics.

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Organic vs. Conventional Farming

Organic agriculture is a production system that regenerates the health of soils, ecosystems, and people.

Organic farmers rely on natural processes, biodiversity, and cycles adapted to local conditions rather than the use of synthetic inputs like chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. GMOs are not allowed in organic.

The difference between organic and conventional

The essential difference between organic and conventional farming is that conventional farming relies on chemical intervention to fight pests and weeds and provide plant nutrition. That means synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Organic farming relies on natural principles like biodiversity and composting instead to produce healthy, abundant food.

Importantly, “Organic production is not simply the avoidance of conventional chemical inputs, nor is it the substitution of natural inputs for synthetic ones. Organic farmers apply techniques first used thousands of years ago, such as crop rotations and the use of composted animal manures and green manure crops, in ways that are economically sustainable in today’s world. In organic production, overall system health is emphasized, and the interaction of management practices is the primary concern. Organic producers implement a wide range of strategies to develop and maintain biological diversity and replenish soil fertility” (USDA, 2007).

The Effects

Conventional and organic farming methods have different consequences on the environment and people. Conventional agriculture causes increased greenhouse gas emissions , soil erosion, water pollution, and threatens human health . Organic farming has a smaller carbon footprint, conserves and builds soil health , replenishes natural ecosystems for cleaner water and air, all without toxic pesticide residues.

Discover the difference

Organic farming practices help preserve biodiversity in the natural world while growing healthy, abundant food.

Essay on Organic Farming in English for Children and Students

Introduction

Organic Farming includes growing of crops using natural methods and tools. It also includes the rearing of animals in natural ways. Organic Farming is always beneficial and promotes nature to sustain life on earth.

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Causes for Organic Farming

Organic Farming is completely natural and harmless. It maintains the quality of soil and provides the best result. The crop grown through organic farming remains full of all the nutrients. It also helps in keeping the natural taste of the food and keeps us away from the harmful chemicals used in the farming through Inorganic Method.

Tools of Organic Farming

Organic Farming is very simple and cheap. It needs natural tools and methods, most of which are available for free. Using natural fertilizers keeps the crop healthy and maintains its taste for a long time. Nurturing the crops through natural ways and manually does not let the useful nutrients flow away. The use of natural pesticides kills only insects and does not makes the crop bad.

Organic Farming is natural, thus always preferable. We can have it to maintain the quality of the grain and soil and the legacy of ancient farming. In fact. Organic Farming is more productive than Inorganic Farming.

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• Organic Farming

Organic Farming: Concept

Organic farming can be defined as an agricultural process that uses biological fertilisers and pest control acquired from animal or plant waste. Organic farming was actually initiated as an answer to the environmental sufferings caused by the use of chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilisers. In other words, organic farming is a new system of farming or agriculture that repairs, maintains, and improves the ecological balance.

Advantages of Organic Farming

Economical: In organic farming, no expensive fertilisers, pesticides, or HYV seeds are required for the plantation of crops. Therefore, there is no extra expense.

Good return on Investment: With the usage of cheaper and local inputs, a farmer can make a good return on investment.

High demand: There is a huge demand for organic products in India and across the globe, which generates more income through export.

Nutritional: As compared to chemical and fertiliser-utilised products, organic products are more nutritional, tasty, and good for health.

Environment-friendly: The farming of organic products is free of chemicals and fertilisers, so it does not harm the environment.

Disadvantages of Organic Farming

Incompetent: The major issue of organic farming is the lack of inadequate infrastructure and marketing of the product.

Less production: The products obtained through organic farming are less in the initial years as compared to that in chemical products. So, farmers find it difficult to accommodate large-scale production.

Shorter shelf life: Organic products have more flaws and a shorter shelf life than that of chemical products.

Limited production: Off-season crops are limited and have fewer options in organic farming.

Types of Organic Farming

Organic farming is divided into two types, namely:

• Integrated organic farming
• Pure organic farming

Pure organic farming means avoiding all unnatural chemicals. In this process of farming, all the fertilisers and pesticides are obtained from natural sources such as bone meal or blood meal.

Integrated organic farming includes the integration of pest management and nutrients management to achieve ecological requirements and demands.

Meaning and Importance of Organic Farming

Meaning of organic farming

System of farming that uses organic inputs like green manures, cow dung, etc., for cultivation.

Need of organic farming

• Excessive use of chemical fertilisers reduces the fertility of soil.
• Excessive use of chemicals has led to soil, water, and air pollution.
• To conserve ecosystem.
• To promote sustainable development.
• Inexpensive farming.
• Increased demand of organic products due to safety of food.

Benefits of Organic Farming

Benefits of organic farming

•   Environment-friendly.
• Promotes sustainable development.
• Healthy and tasty food.
• Inexpensive process.
• It uses organic inputs.
• Generates income.
• Generates income through exports.
• Source of employment.
• Organic farming is more labour intensive. Hence, it generates more employment.

Limitations of Organic Farming

Limitations of organic farming

•   Less output.
• Higher price.
• The lack of awareness.
• Organic products generally demand a higher price due to a higher demand.
• Shorter shelf life.
• Organic products have a shorter shelf life due to the absence of artificial preservatives.

The relevance of Organic Farming

Relevance of organic farming in India

• High nutritional value.
• Maximum profit.
• Employment opportunity.

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