What is organic farming?

Organic farming is practiced in nearly all countries of the world, and a growing number of farms occupy an expanding land area.

The term organic farming goes back to the 1940s when a British writer, Lord Northbourne, describe an integrated farm as a ‘dynamic living organic whole’.

Organic farming means crop rotation – changing the crops grown in a field each season, to build healthy fertile soil that has few pest problems.

Organic farming comprises all agriculture production methods that cultivate the soil or livestock without using substances that endanger life. They do this by employing measures of cultivation according to nature.

This agriculture promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity.

It promotes environmentally, socially and economically sound production of food, fiber, timber etc.

Markets for organic products are growing rapidly within and beyond North America, Japan and Europe.

The organic products are not only being processed and consumed locally. Trade with organic products all over the world is a growing reality and organic products from developing countries.

Many proponents of organic production methods claim this is the only viable strategy for cleaning up the environment and creating a sustainable food system based on contemporary energy and other resources.
What is organic farming?

Organic Farming

Organic Farming
Some people in first-world countries now believe that modern practices have become so destructive of the environment and of the health and welfare of the populace.

It is argued that agrochemicals have polluted the environment and damaged the local ecology: this is highly debatable because far less land is needed for staple food production under modern intensive systems than organic systems, which are labor intensive and give low yields.

It is also argued that the crops produced by modern farming methods are “inferior” to those harvested by our forefathers.

It is claimed that they taste inferior, have different textures, and poorer nutritional value.

Pliny, wiring in Ancient Rome, said much the same: country bread was nicer and much more wholesome than the white bread eaten by city people.

Crops from farms using agrochemicals can also contain residual amounts of pesticides and other chemicals.

These chemicals will be a small part of the human diet. For these reasons alternative “organic farming practice” are being encouraged or at least experimented with in regions where food is in surplus.

Organic farming is becoming well established in the United States. In 1996 more than 7000 organic farms were recognized by the government.

Farmers following “organic” farming practices replace chemical fertilizers, pesticides and other agrochemicals with organic material such as composted vegetarian and manure from farm animals.

Crop rotation with the use of nitrogen-fixing plants such as clover increase the nitrogen levels in soil.

Weeds arte discouraged by hoeing, mulching (covering with manure, straw, or sacking, burning) or removing by hand, which is expensive.

Pests are controlled by a variety of methods.

Organic farmers may also design shelters that physically protect their crops from weeds and pests.

Organic farming is more labor intensive and therefore the products are more expensive; however, the defenders of organic practices argue that as less non-sustainable fossil fuel is needed and other “hidden” advantages such as better soil structure, less soil erosion and more diverse ecology are achieved, the price is worth paying.

However for the foreseeable future only a rich population can afford to pay for a luxury of organic staple foods should they wish to.
Organic Farming