CONCEPT

Organic farming means farming without the usage of any chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers, etc. On the other hand, conventional farming involves the usage of all above-mentioned materials to increase the yield. Many of us would be amazed by the words pesticides, insecticides, chemicals, as, these days, organic farming is in the limelight. But with the rapidly increasing population, organic farming is not capable enough to feed all. Research suggests that under the total organic farming scenario, we have to choose to whom we are going to let starve.

SOME PRACTICES INVOLVED IN ORGANIC FARMING

•  Crop rotation.
•  Cover cropping for nitrogen fixation.
•  Vermicompost to enhance beneficial microbes.
•  Compost to build organic matter and manage weeds.
•  Biopesticides to control insects.

To substitute the use of pesticides and insecticides, panchagavya is prepared.

PANCHAGAVYA

It is a mixture used in hindu rituals by mixing major 5 ingredients. It is also used as a manure as it plays major role in growth and immunity of the plants.

•  Fresh cow dung – 5kg.
•  Cow urine – 5lit.
•  Curd – 1lit.
•  Milk – 1lit.
•  Ghee – 500gm.
•  Coconut water – 1.5lit.
•  Sugarcane juice – 1.5lit.
•  Ripened banana – 6.
•  Yeastt – 50gm.

“Coconut water or sugarcane juice helps in reducing the bad odour of the mixture.”

HUNGER INDEX

According to the Global Hunger Index 2018, India ranked at 103rd spot out of 125 nations. India ranked lowest in South Asia, 8 ranks behind Pakistan. So to feed 130 crore Indians, it is unimaginable to think of adopting organic farming.

LACK OF AVAILABILITY OF LAND

The main goal of farming is to increase the crop yield. Conventional farming aims to increase crop yield by many folds because the crop loss is minimal. In organic farming, the yield is low as they occupy only 1 percent of​ agricultural​ land. The second factor is, to produce the same yield as conventional farming, the organic method requires more land. It is somewhat impossible due to small and fragmented landholdings.

HARSH BUT TRUE

One in every six people died due to hunger under conventional farming which makes it even harder to think of ​ organic farming​ . Moreover, strict regulations make the condition worse for the organic industry to expand rapidly.

POLLUTION

Suppose, under a completely organic farming scenario, there will be about a 40% decrease in calories from primary cereals. Temporary fodder will gain the biggest uptake of ​ cropland use i.e occupying 2/3rd more than now. It will eventually lead to more food supply from animal products. But livestock farming generates more emission than plants which would increase greenhouse gases.

HIGH PRODUCTION COST AND NO SUBSIDIES

The higher production costs and inefficient marketing system pulls it even farther to be adopted substituting conventional farming. Like, in the case of conventional farming, there are no subsidies offered for organic farmers. Without access to subsidies, they take on more risks such as crop failure or weather change.

SKILLED MANPOWER AND SPOILAGE

Organic farming also requires local knowledge about soil system, ecology, meterology. But the majority of Indian farmers are illiterate. Also, the conventional foods are treated with preservatives which enhance their longevity. But the organic products cannot be treated withchemicals. As a result, they tend to ​ spoil faster and may never make it to the market for consumption.

LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND COSTLY

Organic food is more ​ expensive because yield is less relative to land. In India, there is a lack of special infrastructure that would support organic farming. In comparison to conventional farming, organic farming requires more work and more labour also. As, no chemicals are applied, so manual weeding has to be done.

CONCLUSION

Any experimentation on organic farming to increase the yield may take years of trial and error to find the best combination. These all factors fail organic farming to beat the conventional method of farming.