Sustainable agriculture through organic farming in India

Abstract

Organic products are grown under a system of agriculture without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides with an environmentally and socially responsible approach. Organic agriculture is developing rapidly and today 186 countries produce organic food commercially. Currently, only 1.5 percent of the world’s agricultural land is farmed organically. The status of organic farming in India is bestowed with lot of potential to produce all varieties of organic products due to its various agro climatic regions. In several parts of the country, the inherited tradition of organic farming is an added advantage. This holds promise for the organic producers to tap the market which is growing steadily in the domestic market related to the export market. India ranks 9th in terms of World’s organic agricultural land and 1st in terms of total number of producers. The popularity of organic food is growing dramatically as consumer seeks the organic foods that are thought to be healthier and safer. As per the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoAFW), 2.78 million ha was covered under organic farming in India which is about 2 per cent of the 140.1 million ha net sown area in the country. Of this, 1.94 million ha (70%) area is under National Project on Organic Farming NPOP, 0.59 million ha (21.5%) under Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), 0.07 million ha (2.6 %) under Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North East Region (MOVCDNER) and 0.17 million ha (6.1% ) under state schemes or non-schemes. The certified organic production for all crop categories stood at 2.6 million metric tons.in 2018-19. Sugar crops (sugarcane), oilseeds, cereals and millets, fiber crops, pulses, medicinal, herbal and aromatic plants, and spices/condiments are the highest produced organic commodities in India. However, the Indian organic food industry is curtailed by multiple challenges including reduced farm production per hectare, a general apprehension among farmers to forego the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and higher storage and transportation costs due to the lack of preservatives required for long-term storage. The states should step up their action in a concerted way to promote organic and natural farming. States can play an instrumental role in helping farmers sell their organic and natural produce by developing organic value chains, procuring organic produce and helping farmers get remunerative prices.