A greener solution to our modern challenges

Organic farming means returning to basics. Instead of relying on chemicals to grow crops, farmers use traditional and natural methods. They nurture the soil, rotate crops, and let beneficial insects control pests. Animals can roam freely and eat organic food too. Intensive inorganic agricultural practices deplete the physical, chemical, and biological elements needed for sustainable agriculture. 

In the late 1960s, India faced food security threats due to population growth and frequent droughts. In response, the Indian government collaborated with the U.S. to modernise farming, incorporating chemical inputs for cultivation, disease management, and weed control. This led to increased production and productivity, partially satisfying food security needs and even creating surplus for export.

Over the next 30-40 years, production and productivity declined due to rising input costs, soil degradation, increased disease prevalence, uncontrollable weed growth, excessive water use, and unfavourable market prices. Conventional farming became unsustainable and unprofitable for many.

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Organic farming emerged as a viable alternative to address the harmful effects of chemical inputs. It prioritises sustainable use of natural resources and environmental stewardship, making it a more suitable option in light of contemporary challenges. Here are five benefits of supporting and practising organic farming:

Improves soil health

According to Organic International (IFOAM), organic farming retains and sustains soil health in several ways. 

• Improving soil fertility: Organic farming maintains and builds fertile soil by using organic matter inputs such as green manures, compost, and farmyard manure. Techniques like cover cropping, crop rotation, intercropping, and low soil disturbance tillage also contribute to soil fertility.
• Integrating crops and animals: This practice reduces overgrazing and promotes nutrient recycling on the farm, leading to healthier soil ecosystems.
• Boosting water infiltration and retention: High levels of organic matter and permanent soil cover, like cover crops or mulch, improve water infiltration and reduce irrigation needs.

Research published in the Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences highlights that Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) increases more rapidly under organic management. SOC is crucial for enhancing soil physical structure, water holding capacity, aggregate stability, and cation exchange capacity. Increased SOC also improves nutrient composition, water cycling, and regulates pH levels.

Helps in pest control 

 Pests pose a major challenge for farmers, especially in India, where reliance on chemical inputs has degraded soil health and created a cycle of crop failures and debts. However, studies show that organic farming can effectively address pest issues:

• A study published in Nature indicates that organic farming enhances pest control, reducing the need for synthetic pesticides.
• Research in Nature Plants shows that organic management strengthens plants' natural defences against pests, even in their presence. Practices like crop rotation, cultivation, and using resistant varieties help manage pests without relying on synthetic alternatives.
• Long-term organic farms report decreased pest levels due to practices that limit pest build-up, increase predator biodiversity, and encourage beneficial insects.

Organic farms often have lower nitrogen levels, as organic fertilisers are less soluble than synthetic ones. This makes nitrogen-limited plants less attractive to herbivores, reducing pest pressure.

Environment-friendly

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, organic agriculture reduces non-renewable energy use by decreasing agrochemicals, whose production processes are carbon intensive. 

By improving soil health, organic farming improves its ability to sequester carbon, contributing to the fight against climate change. 

According to an article published on Organic Without Boundaries – a blog by IFOAM – Organics International, there is a direct correlation between nitrous oxide (a greenhouse gas) emissions and the volume of nitrogen-based fertilisers used in farming. 

The article also mentions that organic farms tend to have lower nitrogen levels per hectare than conventional farms because they focus on establishing closed nutrient cycles and minimising losses via runoff, volatilisation (transfer of chemical as a gas through soil-air interface), and emissions. Organic farming also does not pollute groundwater with chemical inputs. 

Better economic output  

According to an article titled ‘The Economics of Organic Farming’ published by NGO ‘Nature’s Path’, organic agriculture, when compared to conventional farming, is a more efficient economic system, both for generating profit and reducing the sort of environmental impacts (often thought of as “hidden costs”) that end up costing consumers in other ways.

The article also highlights a concept called ‘natural capital’, defined as a branch of economics that recognises how people benefit from natural systems as a form of capital. In other words, it quantifies the ecosystem services and resources nature provides. When natural capital values are incorporated, organic farming provides long-term profitability for the farmers.

‘The economic implications of organic farming’, a study published by the American Journal of Alternative Agriculture, states that lesser dependency on fossil fuels, expensive inputs and annual loans makes organic farming less vulnerable to market fluctuations. It also avoids social and economic costs such as pesticide poisonings and costs of testing genetically engineered foods, says a study titled ‘Benefits of U.S. organic agriculture’ published in Researchgate. The premium prices that certified organic produce fetch in the market and exports further increase farmers’ profits.