Organic farming is a management technique and agricultural practice where stress is on biodiversity, using and at the same time preserving the natural resources, as well as maintaining strong rigorous rules of livestock welfare. In other words, it is the response of farming techniques to consumer demands of everything natural and at the same time preserving the environment in the context of sustainable development.
The term organic farming can be used in the case of certain kinds of agricultural products:
- Unprocessed Products like vegetables, cereals, fruits, cotton, flowers, animals, eggs, milk.
- Processed products that humans consume like cheese, bread, instant foods
- Food for animal consumption should also be of organic origin
- Materials should also be of vegetative reproduction and seeds.
A farm needs to maintain some principles to be labeled as an organic farm :
- No use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. If any is used it should be of organic origin
- It should not allow the use of any genetically modified organisms
- All organic wastes should be recycled
- It should practice crop rotation to improve soils health
- Extensive breeding should be done using organic food and alternative medicines and preventive techniques to be used
- In organic farming, priority should be given to animal welfare
- Environmental sustainability and natural resources should be preserved.
- Maintenance and plantation of biodiversity is an essential principle for organic farming.
Organic farming helps prevent the incidence of cancer
Some studies, show that regular consumption of orgasmic foods hasled to a reduced number of reported cancer incidence, in some population, particularly amongst women. In some other studies, it has been found that consumption of organic foods haslead to a decline in reportedlymphomas.
We can say that organic farming can help us celebrate a clean environment and healthy food.
Some of the reasons why organic farming should be encouraged are as follows:
- Helps maintain and promote biodiversity–practicing crop rotation and maintaining livestock in a natural manner helps preserve natural resources and promotes biodiversity. This, in turn,helps keep the environment and promotes health among all living creatures. Organic farming improves the local ecosystem, the wildlife also gets protected from the ill effects of chemical farming.
- Farm pollution gets reduced–The seepage or runoff water from traditional farming practice, creates a lot of pollution both soil and water. This harms the various organisms that live in nature.The runoff from synthetic fertilizers and chemical pesticidesharms the surrounding areas. The organic fertilizers used while practicing organic farming, do not harm the environment, it improves the soil, removes groundwater pollution, and also reinstates the quality of water supply where the damage had already been done.
- Organic foods taste better – The food products that we get from an organic farm is sweeter and more fresh than what is produced in farms using the conventional method of farming. This is because organic fertilizers are used instead of chemical ones. Science also supports the view of using organic food to maintain better health and boost immunity.
- Reduction in environmental toxins –Lessuse of chemical fertilizers meanthe creation of less environmental pollution and less spread of chemical toxins and less harmful impact on the ecosystem. Moreover,the usage of chemical fertilizers requires the use of non-renewable energy for its production, which creates air pollution, and other kinds of toxins are emanated from the environment.
The carbon which is produced on the usage of organic fertilizers is returned to the soil which reduces the greenhouse effect and global warming. Organic farming also arrests topsoil destruction, as chemical fertilizers and ammonia rob the goodness of topsoil, while usage of organic fertilizer helps preserve the fertility of the soil. The presence of topsoil and agricultural products coming from that soil are laden with micronutrients and minerals.
- Job creation – People are becoming aware of the benefits of organic foods, which are produced using organic fertilizers, whichisa healthy and more nutritious alternative to chemical fertilizer and pesticides laden foods. This has prompted an increase in organic farms, thereby creating a demand for people to work there. This creates job opportunities and raises employment and brings economic benefits to society as a whole.
- Prevents antibiotics, hormones, and other drugs in animal and dairy products –Commercialand dairy products are highly subjected to contamination by dangerous substances and pesticides, and other poisonous things. They enter the human body through the consumption of animal and dairy products, whichsits at the top of the food chain.
These chemicals are responsible for various adverse effects like cancer, growth of tumors, genetic disorder, and other such issues.
