ORGANIC FARMING

Introduction
In the present agricultural scenario, crop yield is declining day by day despite
maximization of chemical inputs. Vicious cycle of chemical farming is now exposed in
the increasing crop unsustainability, higher input requirement, poor soil quality as well as
recurrent pest and disease infestation. Moreover, in the pretext of climate change yield
interference has become quite predictable under the unpredictable weather conditions vis-
a-vis hike in biotic potential. The excess/indiscriminate use of pesticides and fertilizers
has led to the entry of harmful compounds into food chain, death of natural enemies and
deterioration of surrounding ecology (Chitale et al., 2012). Enhanced use of pesticide has
resulted in serious health implications to man and his environment. Hence, enhancement
and maintenance of system productivity and resource quality is essential for sustainable
agriculture. Organic farming can solve many of these problems as this system helps to
maintain soil productivity and effectively control pest by enhancing natural processes and
cycles in harmony with environment. Today, it is clear to the agricultural community that
organic farming is the best option for not only protecting/sustaining soil-plant —
ecological relationship but to mitigate the adverse effect of climate change. However
dearth of proper technological advancement is the major hindrance towards achieving the
true objectives of organic farming. In this background, an Indian organic farming practice
called Inhana Rational Farming (IRF) Technology has demonstrated some promising
results that have brought bring forth the relevance of organic farming in today's
agricultural scenario.
Definition and Objectives of Organic Farming
Though the organic movement was initiated over a decade ago it has failed to gain the
expected momentum due to several ambiguities. Organic farming is mostly envisaged as
the stoppage of synthetic inputs and their replacement by organic alternatives i.e.use of
organic manures and natural methods of plant protection instead of using synthetic
fertilizers/pesticides. But this is not true (Bhattacharyya and Chakraborty, 2005).
However, organic farming is a far deeper concept that mere non-chemicalization. In real
sense it refers to a comprehensive approach towards improvement of both health of
underlying productivity of the soil and plant leading to the enrichment of the surrounding
ecology; which is a pre-requisite criterion for sustainable agriculture. According to I
FOAM, "Organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils,
ecosystems and people". It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted
to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. The major
objectivity of organic farming resides on development of a self-sustainable farming
system in harmony with nature which delivers ecologically and economically sustainable
pure food with enrichment of surrounding biodiversity and its entire components.
Organic Farming in India: Present Status and Future
India holds a unique position among 172 countries practicing organic agriculture: it has 6,
50,000 organic producers, 699 processors, 669 exporters and hectares under cultivation.
But, with merely 0.4 per cent of total agricultural land under organic cultivation, the
industry has a long journey ahead (Bordolo, 2016). India produced around 1.35 million
MT (2015-16) of certified organic products which includes all varieties of food products
namely Sugarcane, Oil Seeds, Cereals & Millets, Cotton, Pulses, Medicinal Plants, Tea,
Fruits, Spices, Vegetables, Coffee etc. The production is not limited to the edible sector
but also produces organic cotton fiber, functional food products etc.
World Scenario of Organic Farming
According to the latest FiBL survey on certified organic agriculture worldwide, there
were 50.9 million hectares of organic agricultural land in 2015, with the most organic
agricultural land in Australia (22.7 m hectares) followed by Argentina (3.1 m hectares)
and the United States (2 m hectares). There has been an increase in organic agricultural
land in all regions with the exception of Latin America. A major relative increase of
organic agricultural land was noted in many African
Organic Farming: Debating Issues among Agricultural Fraternity
Can Organic Farming Feed the World?
The role of organic agriculture in food security is a debatable subject considering the loss
of crop productivity and increasing cost of production. Theoretically organic farming is
the best way to achieve ecologically and economically sustainable crop production and
several scientific study also support the facts with encouraging results in comparison to
conventional farming. However, technological breakthrough to practically exhibit large
scale economically sustainable organic production without time loss is still at large.
Does Organic Means Free of Pesticide Residues?
Studies conducted by various certification agencies indicate either no or very low levels
(below detectable limits) of pesticides and other contaminants in organic food product.
Residue found in organic product primarily results due to drift from conventional farms.
According to an USDA survey, about 21 % of the organic samples had detectable residues
(Savage, 2016). However, organic food products are definitely more safer in terms of
toxic residue, though there are few incidents of malpractice and violation, which need to
be checked.
Do organic products taste better?
According to Yadav (2010),flavouring ingredients, oils and other taste giving components
have been found to be higher in organic products. As per report, high yields achieved
today in some fruit and vegetable crops with higher chemical fertilizers and other inputs
under conventional farming have likely come at the expense of crop nutritional and
organoleptic quality (Theuer, 2006).
Does Organic Products Increase the Risk of Food Poisoning?
There is scientific debate on these issues. Organic cultivation relies on higher use of
manures. Hence, it is assumed that they pose higher risk of contamination (Yadav, 2010).
However, majority of the studies conclude that there is no risk of any food poisoning or
bacterial infection through organic products. They are as safe as any other products
produced by any other system.
Does Organic Products have More Nutrition?
There is a scientific debate regarding the nutrition quality of organic food in comparison
to conventionally grown food. Exhaustive review made by Heaton (2001) indicated that
in 43% cases, organic food was having higher nutrients, in 45% cases equal and in 11%
cases lower nutrients compared to conventionally grown foods. In India, Bera et al.
(2013) and Seal et al (2017) found comparatively higher polyphenol and vitamin C
content in the organically grown tea and potato respectively. Although, there may be
dispute, but trends indicate their superiority over conventional products.
Is it possible to meet the nutrient requirements of crops entirely from organic
sources?
The basic requirement in organic farming is to increase input use efficiency at each step
of the farm operations. This is achieved partly through reducing losses and adoption of
new technologies for enrichment of nutrient content in manure as well as enhancing
nutrient uptake and utilization efficiency of plant with scientific plant management
practice. According to a conservative estimate, if we can convert major part of the bio-
waste generated in India to organic manure; the manure produced would be about 440
million tonnes per year (Ramaswami, 1999). Tapping these resources and converting it to
organic manure with technological advances, and step wise planning for resource
regeneration will help to step forward towards self-dependency in organicnutrient
management.
Constraints faced by the Indian organic growers
Despite efforts from government and other agencies, subsidies and other schemes, area
under organic farming is still less than 1% of total cultivated area in India. The farmers
adopting organic farming face difficulty to survive and market their end products.
Absence of supportive policy
The most important constraint felt in the progress of organic farming is the inability of
the government to take a firm decision to promote organic agriculture.
Loss of crop yield
Farmers adopting conventional organic farming face huge losses i.e. upto 71%, in the
initial years (Savage, 2016). Also the time required to achieve crop sustainability under
present organic cultivation system is still unknown and thereby resulting in high
cultivation cost and economic unviability. According to an USDA Survey, the organic
yields were lower in 84% areas. The organic yield gap is predominant for row crops, fruit
crops and vegetables.
Non achievement of expected quality
Most of the organic produce fail to achieve the desired intrinsic and extrinsic qualities as
expected under organic cultivation, and thereby lose the consumer base.
Failure of organic pest management
Following the conventional cidal approach of pest management utilizing weaker organic
pesticides cannot resolve the pest/disease issues in organic agriculture. And this forms the
major reason for crop failure under organic.
. Shortage of biomass and livestock
Conventional farming practices, increased mechanization and decreasing per capita land
holding has led to scarcity of bio- resource for compost production that forms a major
bottleneck towards large scale organic conversion.
Lack of quality seeds supporting organic agriculture
Hybrid seeds are designed to respond to fertilizers and chemicals. Presently Genetic and
fertilizer sensitive seed and planting materials rules the market with negligence on
indigenous varieties, which are more suited for organic farming. There is a large vacuum
in the availability of quality organic seeds and forms a major constraint for the farmers
willing to adopt organic farming.

Future of Organic Farming in India

India is poised for faster growth with the growing domestic market. Success of organic
movement in India depends upon the growth of its own domestic markets. With the
sizable acreage under naturally organic/default organic cultivation, India has tremendous
potential to grow crops organically and emerge as a major supplier of organic products in
the world's organic market. With this growing demand more and more technological
innovation like IRF Technology and their implementation in farmers'field will ensure
economically viable organic agriculture and help in its adoption by the common farmers
even without any subsidy scheme or guaranteed premium price. Considering the
increasing awareness about the safety and quality of foods, long term sustainability of the
system and accumulating evidences of being equally productive, the organic farming has
emerged as an alternative system of farming which can not only address the quality and
sustainability concerns, but also ensure a debt free, profitable livelihood option.
Conclusion
Ecologically and economically sustainable organic farming is the pre-requisite for
enabling wider adoptability, secured livelihoods and ensuring affordability at the
consumer's end. India has a rich history of organic farming and the increasing domestic
market of organic food can provide the necessary drive to the organic movement.
Awareness program at both the consumer and farmers' level is necessary for bringing
about large scale organic conversion. But most importantly innovative organic farming
technologies like Inhana Rational Farming (IRF) can popularize the practice even among
the resource poor farmers by ensuring ecologically and economically sustainable organic
crop production in a time bound manner. Case studies of IRF Organic Practice also testify
the corresponding GHG mitigation and adaptation potential as reflected in the high
carbon sequestration, soil resource regeneration, high energy use efficiency as well as
development of plant resilience; but the highlight remains its cost effectiveness and time
bound results.
INDIAN AGRICULTURE
Agriculture is the foundation of the civilization, culture and heritage of
India. Agriculture in India is a complex mosaic of distinct agro-ecosystems,
differentiated by climatic, soil, vegetation and other natural features. About
half of the Indians derive their livelihood from agriculture and allied activities.
It is one of the oldest systems of the world characterized by its diversity
and heterogeneity, unorganized and stressed on account of natural and
anthropogenic vagaries from ‘seed to market’. Historically, stressed natural
resources due to unfavourable weather, monsoon and natural calamities
resulted in crop failures leading to food shortage that made serious impacts
on the civilization. Post-Independence, the Indian agriculture transformed
from a food-scarce to food-exporting country primarily due to science led
innovations that caused multi fold increase in the agricultural production from
135 million tons in 1950/51 to over 1300 million tons in 2021/22 in spite of
increasing abiotic and biotic stresses and depleting along
PAST INDIAN AGRICULTURE

Indian agriculture has come a long way since independence in 1947. In the early years,
the country was largely self-sufficient in food production, but faced a number of
challenges, including low yields, poor irrigation, and lack of access to credit and inputs.

In the 1960s, the government launched a number of initiatives to boost agricultural

production, including the Green Revolution. This program focused on the development
and adoption of high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice, as well as the use of chemical
fertilizers and pesticides. The Green Revolution was a major success, and helped to
increase food production significantly.

In the decades since the Green Revolution, Indian agriculture has continued to grow,
albeit at a slower pace. The country is now one of the world's largest producers of food
grains, fruits, vegetables, and milk. However, there are still a number of challenges
facing Indian agriculture, including:

 Low productivity: Yields of many crops in India are still below potential, due to a
number of factors, including poor soil quality, inadequate irrigation, and lack of access
to technology.
 Small farm size: The average farm size in India is very small, which makes it difficult
for farmers to adopt modern agricultural practices and achieve economies of scale.

 Weather variability: India is a monsoon-dependent country, and weather variability can

have a significant impact on agricultural production.

 Rural poverty: A large number of farmers in India are poor, and they lack the resources
to invest in their farms.

PRESENT AND FUTURE INDIAN AGRICULTURE

India’s agriculture mainly depends on nature, however changing climate and

global warming are making farming unpredictable. The need to use modern technologies
to increase productivity and profitability led to the emergence of Agriculture 4.0 in India.
There have been significant changes in India in the context of agriculture over the
decades and many new technologies have been developed. Several new-age farmers are
using soil mapping software as well to determine the optimum level of fertilizers used in
the farms. These emerging technologies in farming and agriculture pave the way for more
opportunities. The aggrotech start-ups and traditional farmers are also using the latest
solutions and trends to improve production in the food value chain. It includes the
adoption of new technologies such as cloud-based solutions and other relevant advanced
agricultural management techniques to increase farmer efficiency and produce more
crops.

Examples:

 Grape farmers in India who have begun spotting and geo-locating crop diseases or
pestilence, allowing them to control infestations earlier and in a more precise
manner. This also leads to lower use of harmful pesticides on the crop. Soil
mapping software is used by several new farmers to determine the optimum level
of fertiliser use in their farms. They are also using drones which allow spraying
pesticides in a more targeted manner.

 Sugarcane farmers in India have started using technology to gauge the most
appropriate time to harvest their crops, which allows them to better plan their
harvest and maximize output. Several Indian farmers have also begun to use
AI/ML-powered technologies to forecast crop yield, weather conditions and price
trends in mandis. A few farmers have also begun testing self-driving tractors and
seed-planting robots to free their farms from the vagaries of labor shortages.

Emerging trends in the agricultural sector that are quite prominent in the post-
liberalization era include increased production, increased investment, diversification of
the sector, use of modern techniques, development of horticulture and floriculture,
increasing volume of exports and development of the food processing industry.

Some of the recent trends in agricultural technology:

  Agricultural Drone Technology-

Drones are used widely for medical delivery to protection assistance and are used in
agriculture to improve the growth of crops, maintenance, and cultivation methods. For
example, these ariel carriers are used to access crop conditions and execute better
fertilization strategies for more yields. Even the accessibility of hovering robots help
farmers through a survey of large areas and data collection to generate better insights
about their farms. Using drones in agriculture has provided more frequent, cost-effective
remote monitoring of crops and livestock. It also helps analyse field conditions and
determine appropriate interventions such as fertilizers, nutrients, and pesticides.

 Diversification of Agriculture-

The agricultural sector produces generic consumption needs as well as crops like fruits,
vegetables, spices, cashews, areca nuts, coconuts, and floral products such as flowers,
orchids, etc. With the increasing demand for these products, there’s a huge potential in
terms of production and trade of these products. This shows how the agricultural sector is
being transformed into a dynamic and commercial sector by shifting the mix of
traditional agricultural products towards higher quality products, with a high potential to
accelerate production rates.

The diversification in agriculture is being supported by changes in technology or

consumer demand, trade or government policy, transportation, irrigation, and other
infrastructure developments.

 Increasing Trend in Horticulture Production-

The availability of diverse physiographic, climatic, and soil characteristics enables India
to grow various horticulture crops. It includes fruits, vegetables, spices, cashew, coconut,
cocoa, areca etc. The total horticulture production in FY22 is estimated at 342.333
million tonnes which is an increase of about 7.03 million tonnes (2.10% increase) from
2020-21.

 Development of Agriculture in Backward Areas-

In the post-green revolution era, the introduction of new agricultural strategies, research,
and technology was mostly limited to producing specific food grains, i.e., wheat and rice.
However, under the wave of liberalization, with the growing demand for agricultural
exports, many new sectors of agricultural activities have become favourable and
profitable.

In some agriculturally backward areas with no irrigation system and access to fewer
resources, dryland farming has been introduced. Other activities were also encouraged
such as horticulture, floriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, etc. To support the
development in those areas, various modern techniques have been installed in the
backward areas.

 Ariel Imaging-

Ariel imaging involves the use of geographic information system (GIS) technology to
analyse the potential of irrigation projects and their impact on land degradation, erosion,
and drainage. The visuals of this technology allow assessment of an individual plant’s
foliage. These visuals are actively used to detect pests and diseases to protect crops from
environmental threats. It mostly helps farmers to monitor the soil conditions of farms and
is useful in the summer season when there is the least availability of water.

 Hydroponics and Vertical Farming

The concept of hydroponics farming focus towards better yields, texture, and taste of the
final product with less water consumption. Plants which are grown hydroponically do not
need extensive root systems and it allows them to contribute more energy towards the
production of leaves and fruits. Because of indoor cultivation, these plants mature
quickly and possess better immunity against pests and other diseases. In the context of
sustainability, vertical farming allows farms to be located near or within areas of high
population density which reduces the need for transportation and any harmful emissions.
Vertical farming provides the ability to grow crops in urban environments and
contributes to the availability of fresh foods conveniently. This farming significantly
reduces the amount of land space required to grow crops compared to conventional
farming methods.

 IoT in Agriculture- IoT supports agriculture through the installation of various

sensors in agricultural farms. These sensors are used to monitor light, humidity,
soil moisture, temperature, crop health, etc. Some of the major uses of IoT in
agriculture are as follows:
o Various farm sensors such as autonomous vehicles, wearables, button
cameras, robotics, control systems, etc help in the collection of data to
analyse the performance of the farm.

o Use of aerial and ground-based drones for crop health assessment,

irrigation, monitoring and field analysis.

o Use of tools to predict rainfall, temperature, soil, humidity, and other

forecasted natural calamities.

AGRICULTURAL MARKETING IN INDIA: AN OVERVIEW

The history of regulation of agricultural markets in India can be traced to the

recommendations of the Royal Commission on Agriculture in 1928, which found its way
into the Model Bill of 1938. Upon the independence of India, the Agricultural Produce
Marketing Regulation (APMR) Act was constituted, which proved to be a landmark
legislative instrument for state regulation of agriculture in India. It had provided the state
governments in India with the choice to form of the Agricultural Produce Marketing
Committees (APMCs), which was adopted by many states in the 1960s. At the time of
their formation, and many years thereafter, APMCs were hailed as an innovative and
democratic solution towards ensuring better prices of agricultural produce through
auctions and protection of the farmers from the high cost of marketing and loss of
produce (GoI, 2009). The APMC, also referred to as mandi, is the physical market
infrastructure which is found in all states in India (except Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar,
Kerala and Manipur). They serve as physical entities which regulate market practices
such as weighing, methods of sale, methods of grading and methods of payment. To date,
there are 7,246 functioning mandis in India (Pingali et al., 2019).

At the APMCs, the government is mandated to procure certain ‘notified’ agricultural

commodities from farmers through traders and middlemen (commission agents). These
traders and agents are licensed by the APMC and charge a commission to the farmers in
exchange of facilitating the procurement of their produce. Additionally, the APMC
charges a market fee from the farmers and traders, which is used for the construction and
upkeep of the physical infrastructure. The APMCs were envisioned as a platform for
marketing activities for the farmers, which would curb exploitation by traders and
mercantile capital. However, over time, due to vested interests, myopic policymaking and
bureaucratic shortcomings, the APMC system saw marked deterioration. The
implementation of the Essential Commodities Act and other regulations compromised the
freedom and competitive nature of the market system. As the states got revenue from the
APMCs, the state governments started installing their nominees on the boards of the
APMCs which led to the creation of a nexus between the political class and the trades
and middlemen of the APMCs. Furthermore, the APMR mandated the licensing of
traders at the APMCs, and for the said licence to be issued, owning a shop/go-down
space within the boundaries of the APMC was mandated. This became a major barrier to
the entry of new entrepreneurs and encouraged rent-seeking behaviour. Also, the licensed
middlemen/traders organized themselves into associations. Both these factors stifled the
entry of new entrepreneurs, which in turn compromised the price bargaining power of
farmers (GoI, 2013).
Hence, over time, the system, instead of facilitating efficient marketing practices which
benefitted the farmers, became an instrument for the political–trader/middlemen nexus to
further their monopolistic practices. This led to a lack of competition for the APMCs,
which in turn was reflected in the high marketing charges levied on farmers and well
poor upkeep of market infrastructure.
Additionally, the culture of excessive state control discouraged free trade of agricultural
commodities across and within state boundaries and private investment in the sector. This
led to long and mismanaged value chains, which led to a large number of intermediaries
in the chain and compromised the price received by farmers for their produce. This is
reflected in the low producers’ share of the consumer’s price of agricultural commodities
in India. It is estimated to be in the range of 32% to 68% in the case of perishables such
as fruits and vegetables, while in paddy, it is in the range of 56% to 89%, and for wheat,
it ranges from 77% to 88% (GoI, 2013).
The politicization of APMCs, the cartelization of traders/middlemen and the lack of
entrepreneurs in the space led to various issues over time. The said issues could be
clubbed into the following categories:
1.Challenges in obtaining license
2.High market charges
3.Poor market infrastructure
4.Long and inefficient supply chain and inadequate remuneration to farmers.