In today’s modern farming world, the people consider more about their health. Because with the green revolution the people began to use chemicals and fertilizers heavily. This leas to health deterioration greatly. So, the farmers and the consumers are now paying their attention to the concept of Organic Farming. The consumers are willing to pay more for these organic products too.
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What is Organic Farming?
Simply, the production of crops and livestock by using natural ways is known as an organic farming. There is no usage of synthetic substances to produce crops and livestock. Genetically modified organisms are also not permitted. In this process, use only biological materials. So, organic farming reduces the environmental pollution.
In the past, people use traditional methods for agriculture. But, after the green revolution, people tend to use synthetic substances to increase the production. But many problems occurred due to conventional farming. Environmental pollution, diseases like cancers, water and soil degradation are some of them.
Organic farming is an alternative to conventional farming. Crop rotation, organic waste, green manure, rock and mineral additives and biological pest controlling methods like principles are use in organic farming. All pesticides and fertilizers use in this farming is made by natural ingredients.
Differences between organic farming and conventional farming
In conventional farming, cultivation land is treated by using harsh chemicals before growing. Because of that friendly fungi also destroy. Also, they are fertilizers which make using petroleum. But, in organic farming, farmers prepare cultivation lands by using fertilizers like cow dung, bone meal, shellfish fertilizer and etc.
Conventional farmers soak seeds in fungicide solution to remove insects and pests before seeding. Also, they mix chemicals to the irrigation water to control insects in seeds. But organic farmers not soak seeds in fungicides or mix chemicals to irrigation water. Also, these farmers not use pipe water which are treated by chlorine. They use natural rain water or stored rain water.
Conventional farmers apply weedicides to control weeds. Organic farmers use hand weeding and never use weedicides for weed controlling. They use cows like animals also to control weeds by grazing.
After consuming foods which produces using conventional farming methods cause to various dangerous diseases due to the high usage of chemicals. But there is no such risk in organic foods. So, now a day’s people tend to use organic products for better health condition
Reasons for organic farming
There are several reasons for changing conventional farming in to organic farming.
Nutritional benefits: –
Organic food is full of lot of nutrients like vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other micro nutrients than conventional foods. The reason of this is, they use sustainable farming practices for provide foods.
Better taste and natural: –
Organically produce foods are natural and the taste is better than the conventionally produce foods. Because organic farming focus on quality than the quantity.
Conservation of agricultural diversity: –
When increasing usage of chemicals to cultivation, the crops build up resistance to those. Then crop varieties may wiped out from the environment. Agricultural diversity of crops is reduced about 75 percent during the last century. It may be a huge disaster in the future.
Prevent drugs, hormones and antibiotics in animal products: –
Commercial farms use huge amount of antibiotics, drugs and hormones. They inject them to livestock. So that toxic chemicals are deposited on their bone and body parts. These chemicals cause various diseases such as cancers, genetic problems etc. But in organic farming this condition cannot be seen.
Key features of organic farming
Organic farming has various features. It protects soil quality by using organic materials. And it increases biological activities in soil profile. The microorganisms in the soil supply nutrients to crops indirectly. Legumes like crops fix nitrogen in the soil. Crop rotation, natural predators are using to control pests in the cultivation. Large environment can care from organic farming. Natural habitats and wild lives are also conserved from organic farming.
Principles of organic farming
There are four principles in organic farming.
Principle of health: –
Organic agriculture helps to enhance the health and wellbeing of not only soil but also animals, humans, plants and the earth. Nutritious, chemical free foods are supplying from organic agriculture.
Principle of fairness: –
Organic agriculture enhance the quality of lives and it help to reduce poverty of humans. Natural resources are using in a sustainable manner and protect for future generation.
Principle of ecological balance: –
Organic farming concepts should support for the ecological balances and cycles in natural environment.
Principle of care: –
Organic agricultural practices should do carefully and responsibly. They should give benefits not only to present and future generation but also to the environment. Non use of chemicals in organic farming contribute to increase soil fertility by increasing the microbial activities. Also, multiple cropping practices use in this enhance the biodiversity and increase the productivity. So organic farming is a healthy farming system.
Benefits of organic farming
Better nutrition: –
When comparing the conventional food and organic food, organic foods are rich with nutrients like minerals and vitamins. The soil of an organic farm is rich with nutrients and due to that reason, the foods also nutritious than others.
Free of poison: –
In organic farming, farmers don’t use chemicals as pesticides and weedicides. Synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and weedicides have toxic compounds and when it enters to our body through foods it can cause diseases like cancers.
Helps to stay healthy: –
Organic farmers don’t use chemicals in any stage of growing process like conventional farmers. So, the foods don’t contain any harmful things. So, people can consume fresh, healthy, clean, non- toxic foods and can avoid from cancers like diseases and can live as healthy person.
Organic foods are highly authenticated: –
There is a process to market a food as an organic product. There are some quality checkups and should get an organic certificate. Then only they can sell food products as organic ones. So, consumer can purchase original organic products.
Enhanced taste: –
Food taste is a parameter of measuring quality of a food. Because of no usage of toxic chemicals in this farming food taste is better than conventional foods.
Organic farming methods are eco-friendly: –
In conventional farming use chemicals in high dosages. But in here, there is no such situation. Chemicals are not contaminated with soil and it increase the soil fertility. Then reduce the environmental pollution. It gives better things to the environmental.
Longer shelf-life: –
There is a better structural integrity and metabolic in cellular structure in organic crops than conventional crops. So, organic foods can store for long time period without any deterioration.