What is Organic Farming? Know its significance, uses and benefits here

Lakshadweep group of islands have been declared as an organic agricultural area under the Participatory Guarantee System, PGS of India. Know what is organic agriculture, the states that are dependent on it and what is participatory guarantee system. Sikkim became India’s first '100 per cent organic' state in 2016.

What is Organic Farming?

Organic farming is the technique of crop and livestock production which involves choosing not to use pesticides, fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, antibiotics and growth hormones to grow crops. It is a holistic system that optimizes the productivity and fitness of diverse communities within the agro-ecosystem which means with the soil organisms, plants, livestock and people.

Significance of Organic Farming

1. The major goal of organic farming is to develop the enterprises which can be sustainable and harmonious with the environment.
2. With the increase in population, the compulsion would be not only to stabilize agricultural production but also to increase it further in a sustainable manner. The scientists have realized that the ‘Green Revolution’ with high input use has reached a plateau and is now sustained with diminishing return of falling dividends. 
3. A natural balance needs to be maintained at all cost for the existence of life and property.
4. Agro-chemicals which are produced from fossil fuel and are not renewable and are diminishing in availability. It may also cost heavily on our foreign exchange in future. Also Read| Lakshadweep declared first UT to become 100% organic
   

Principles of Organic Farming

Organic farming is based on the following principles. It must:

1. Protect the environment, minimize soil degradation and erosion, decrease pollution, optimize biological productivity and maintain biological diversity within the system
2. Maintain long-term soil fertility by generating optimal conditions for biological activity in the soil
3. Recycle materials and resources and rely on renewable resources in locally organized agricultural systems
4. Provide the care that promotes health and meets the behavioural needs of livestock
5. Prepare organic products, emphasizing on careful processing, and handling methods so as to maintain the organic integrity and vital qualities of the products at all stages of production

State of Organic Farming in India

1. Organic farming is at a very nascent stage in India. According to the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, around 2.78 million hectares of farmland was under organic cultivation until March 2020. This number stands just at two per cent of the 140.1 million hectare net sown land.
   Only Sikkim is 100% organic farming based state in India and Lakshadweep is the only UT which has been declared 100% organic. Madhya Pradesh has almost 0.76 million hectares of area under organic cultivation which is over 27 per cent of India’s total organic cultivation area.
2. In major states list Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra account for almost half the area under organic cultivation.
3. A few states such as Meghalaya, Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Goa and Sikkim have about 10 per cent of their net sown area under organic cultivation.

What is Participatory Guarantee System, PGS

PGS is a process that certifies organic products, that ensures their production takes place in accordance with the quality standards laid down. The certification is a documented logo or a statement issued by the authorities implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. It is for farmers or communities only that can organize and perform as a group within a village or villages. It is applicable only to farm activities such as crop production, processing and livestock rearing and off-farm processing by PGS farmers of their direct products.