ORGANIC FARMING

RURAL DEVELOPMENT

BY: A Aakash Rao

WHAT IS ORGANIC FARMING?

Organic farmingis a form of agriculture that

relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green
manure, compost, and biological pest control.
It is a method of crop and livestock production
that involves much more than choosing not to use
pesticides, fertilizers, genetically modified
organisms, antibiotics and growth hormones.
It is a whole system of farming that restores,
maintains and enhances the ecological balance.

WHY ORGANIC FARMING?

Sustainability over the long term. Organic

agriculture considers the medium- and long-term effect
of agricultural interventions on the agro-ecosystem. It
aims to produce food while establishing an ecological
balance to prevent soil fertility or pest problems.

Builds Healthy Soil. Feeding the soil with organic

matter instead of ammonia and other synthetic
fertilizers has proven to increase nutrients in produce,
with higher levels of vitamins and minerals found in

WHY ORGANIC FARMING?

Organically grown crops have higher

nutritional value and thus provide healthy
food

Conventional agricultural practices have

caused soil erosion, reduced water availability,
increased salinisation, increased pollution due
to fertilizer use, reduced socio-economic
values, caused danger to food security, quality
and safety, etc. These, coupled with lack of
sustainable agricultural policies for future
generations and problems posed by modernday agriculture had given birth to organic

WHY ORGANIC FARMING?

Reduce The Toxic Load: Keep Chemicals

Out of the Air, Water, Soil and our Bodies

CONTAMINATED AIR

CONTAMINATED WATER

CONTAMINATED SOIL

It offers means to substitute costlier

agricultural inputs (HYV seeds, chemical fertilizers etc.)
with locally produced organic inputs that
are cheaper and generate good returns

GROWTH OFORGANIC FARMING IN

INDIA
In India, organic farming has grown manifold and
number of initiatives at the Government and
non-Government levels has given it a firm
direction. By 2009, India has brought more
than 9.2 million hectares of land under
certification. Growing awareness and
increasing market demand, besides other
factors, has resulted in the phenomenal growth
in total certified area during the last five years.
As on March 2009, total area under organic
certification process stood at 12.01 lakh and
the overall market potential is estimated to be

GROWTH OFORGANIC FARMING IN

INDIA
In India, States such as
MADHYA PRADESH
GUJARAT
ODISHA

CHHATISGARH

JHARKHAND UTTRAKHAND
JAMMU & KASHMIR

RAJASTHAN

were categorized as low or

negligible
fertilizer
HIMACHAL
PRADESH
consuming regions.

SUCCESSFUL ORGANIC FARMING

Yields of each organic crop vary, depending on
the success of the manager. During the
transition from conventional to organic,
production yields are lower than conventional
levels, but after a three to five year transition
period the organic yields typically increase.
Livestock products can also be produced
organically. In recent years, organic dairy
products have become popular. There is an
expanding market for organic meat products.

THANK
YOU