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Organic farming and organic food is slowly impinging on the consciousness of urban Indians due to various factors. Firstly, with the increase in diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes and hypertension several people have been advised by their physicians to eat pesticide free i.e. organic food. Secondly, educated health conscious people in the cities have realized that their best bet for good health is eating as much organically grown food as possible including millets and coarse grains. Thirdly, popular TV shows like Satyamev Jayate hosted by  Bollywood actor Aamir Khan in 2012 has brought the issue of organic food to the forefront.
 
But organic food is a result of organic farming and today many farmers have forgotten what it means to farm organically, even those who come from traditional farming families.  In the mad race for profits, farming is also being viewed as just another money making enterprise which it certainly is not, especially not organic farming. The majority of farmers in India are small farmers with holdings of less than five acres.  Organic farming will force itself upon their consciousness sooner or later, due to the unsustainability of fossil fuel based agriculture. Ten sates in India have organic programmes in place,  although currently only Uttarakhand and Mizoram have declared themselves to be organic states officially. In India our ancestors have left us a rich legacy from which we can benefit tremendously without copying the west or looking to it for inspiration.
 
In a nutshell organic farming in India is quintessentially about increasing and maintaining the fertility of one’s soil using the natural resources available locally and on the farm; about following wise rainwater harvesting practices; about selecting the crops which are suited to one’s rainfall regime; about saving and using indigenous seed varieties and sharing these seeds with fellow farmers; about keeping indigenous breeds of cows as their dung and urine enrich the soil greatly; and last but not least about celebrating and enjoying the bounty that this ancient land has yielded to us year after year, century after century. Organic farming is a journey, a journey of discovery and a lesson in humility as one learns to respect nature’s might and her infinite variety.
 
Our ancients followed certain farming practices which have maintained the fertility of our soils for over 5,000 years of our history, making India one of the great ancient civilizations of the world.  Some of these practices have been recorded in various Sanskrit texts like Krishi Parasara of Parasara, Kashyapiyakrishisukti of Kashayapa, Visvavallabaha of Chakrapani Mishra and Vrikshayurveda of Surapala. Others are folk practices handed down the generations by word of mouth.  There is much to learn from these ancient practices as they are simple and cost effective.
 
On the other hand there are other methods by which the fertility of the soil can be maintained and pests and diseases warded off. One such method is based on homeopathy and has been called agro-homeopathy. Homeopathy has a large following in India ever since it was introduced from the west 200 years ago. There are currently over 10 crore  (100 million) people in India who use homeopathic medicines. Applying the principles of homeopathy to agriculture has also yielded good results as homeopathic preparations are chemical free and have no side effects. They are also cost effective as an increase in oil prices is unlikely to affect them.
 
Benefits of Organic Farming
 
By adopting organic farming practices a farmer/grower stands to benefit in the following ways.
 
  1. Crop production will improve qualitatively and quantitatively with the passage of time.
  2. The soil will become a living soil teeming with microorganisms, which means that the fertility of the soil will improve significantly.
  3. When the soil improves, the crops will be able to withstand drought conditions  much better even without  artificial irrigation. On the other hand a prolonged monsoon and sudden fluctuations in the rainfall regime will not cause water logging
  4. Pesticide residue levels in the soil and in the crops will be eliminated rapidly--within 6 months to one year of steady application of certain liquid manures.
  5. Health of farm workers will improve when they no longer use chemical sprays.
  6. Production input costs will be reduced significantly as  these methods rely on locally available materials---this means  that a grower’s margin of profit will go up. Once a farmer/grower starts making his /her own manures and saving his/her seeds for  the next season,  a big saving in terms of input costs has already been made.
  7. The keeping quality  or shelf life of fruits and vegetables will increase.
  8. If the farmer/grower wishes to apply for and receive organic certification, this will be facilitated by adoption of the organic farming methods advocated.
  9. The farm will become sustainable when it becomes free from the dependence on fossil fuel based fertilizers and pesticides.
  10. The farmers and his/her family will enjoy better health if they practice mixed farming and grow part of all of their food on the farm itself.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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