The 'Organic' Growth | Gist of Rajya Sabha TV / RSTV (now Sansad TV) - UPSC PDF Download

Introduction:

Organic Farming is poised to become 75000 cr rupee market by 2025. The Indian Organic market is expected to grow at an annual rate of more than 20%. However India’s share in the global organic market is just 1%.

Organic Farming:

• Organic farming is a system which avoids the use of synthetic inputs (such as fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, feed additives etc)
• Rely upon crop rotations, crop residues, animal manures, off-farm organic waste, and biological system of nutrient mobilization and plant protection
• FAO suggested that Organic agriculture enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity
• With merely 0.4 per cent of total agricultural land under organic cultivation, the industry has a long journey ahead.

Need of organic farming:

• With the increase in population there is a need to stabilize agricultural production and increase it further in sustainable manner
• ‘Green Revolution’ with high input use has reached a plateau and is now sustained with diminishing return of falling dividends
• A natural balance needs to be maintained at all cost for existence of life and property
• Agrochemicals which are produced from fossil fuel and are not renewable and are diminishing in availability which may also cost heavily on our foreign exchange in future.
• With the cost of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, going up without any corresponding increase in productivity, farmers either quit the profession or are forced to end their lives unable to cope with mounting debts.
• Organic farming can significantly cut down the cost of production
• Organic agriculture in India will continue to grow and play a larger part in safely feeding 1.5 billion Indian mouths in 2030
• New studies indicate that using the best management practices in organic systems over a long period of time can produce equal yields, or even outdo those of conventional systems.

Advantages of Organic Farming:

• Sustainable and environmentally friendly production method, which has particular advantages for small-scale farmers
• Organic agriculture contributes to poverty alleviation and food security
• Increasing yields in low-input areas
• Conserving bio-diversity and nature resources on the farm and in the surrounding area
• Increasing income and/or reducing costs
• Producing safe and varied food
• Provide several ecosystem services and being sustainable in the long term
• Farmers in India’s poorest region are recording record rice yields by growing organically

Government Initiatives to Promote Organic Farming:

• Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North East Region (MOVCD). The scheme aims to develop certified organic production in a value chain mode to link growers with consumers and to support the development of the entire value chain.
• Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY): Under PKVY, Organic farming is promoted through adoption of organic villages by cluster approach and Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) certification.
• Certification Schemes:
  • Participatory Guarantee System (PGS).
  • National Program for Organic Production (NPOP
  • Soil Health Card Scheme
• Agri-export Policy 2018
• One District – One Product (ODOP)
• PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME)
• Zero Budget Natural Farming

Challenges:

• Due to relatively small volumes, the costs of organic food products are relatively high. According to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, productivity on an average dips by 6.7 per cent in the first year, and the government needs to have a plan in place to support farmers during the transition.
• The cost of cultivation increases as it takes more time and energy to produce than its chemical-intensive counterpart.
• High demand and low supply has further created an inflationary pressure on organic food products.
• Pest attack on organic crops is another reason cited by the farmers for low productivity and demanded education and training to deal with it.
• Specialised farmer training costs, higher processing and inventory holding costs, and increased packaging, logistics and distribution costs add to the price of end products.
• The absence of organic food products across all segments in the market is a concern
• There is low awareness at the producer level on the difference between conventional farming and organic farming.
• At the consumer level, there is confusion between natural and organic products and limited understanding of the health benefits of organic food products
• Consumers are faced with a plethora of decisions around brands —imported or domestic, product quality, authenticity of claims and certifications.
• Even as farmers are struggling to find a better market, the existing certification systems for organic food are making things difficult for them. The certification systems are not only cumbersome and time-consuming, but also expensive.

Way forward:

• Supply-demand mismatch can be eased fundamentally  by making organic production  mainstream with  location-specific hybrid production  strategies
• Investments in achieving operations excellence by companies will facilitate lowering the cost of organic food products
• In order to sustain consumer trust, maintaining an accurate audit stream, and preventing cross-contamination  with conventional  goods would  be crucial.
• Consumers should consume responsibly and stakeholders should prevent wastage along the supply chain.
• The Government must rope in agricultural scientists and international research institutions to develop organic herbicides.
• It is critical for companies involved in the  organic food  business to increase awareness among consumers  in non-metro  cities
• People across all income groups should have access to organic food.
• Establishing community-supported agricultural farms or with “grow your own food” programmes

Conclusion:

• Natural farming is not a new concept in India, with farmers having tilled their land without the use of chemicals – largely relying on organic residues, cow dung, composts, etc. since time immemorial.
• This is also in sync with the Sustainable Development Goal 2 targeting ‘end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture’.
• Hence with greater awareness and capacity building of the producers in compliance with international standards, Indian organic farmers will soon be reinforcing their rightful place in global Agri trade.