Come let’s take a quick primer on the Basics of Organic Farming, its Benefits, and its shortcomings.
Juicy Fresh Fruits taste so awesome. Right?
All thanks to the farmers who raised them with care and devotion.
We Indians buy vegetables and fruits only after properly sorting them while we are at the sabzi mandi or in another case from big shopping malls.
And the newest entrant to the party is the online e-commerce stores making fresh produce available at your doorstep.
Okay so now we have laid the foundation of reminding you how thankful we are for eating good food raised by the hard-working farmers of India.
But wait for a second!
Have you even got an idea about the chemicals used to grow your favorite food? Now please don’t squarely blame it on our farmers. It’s because they have followed a trend that came up after World War 2 and has attained a wider following since those times.
The use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides, and chemicals came up because of the growing demand for food by a booming population. And there was no other choice for farmers to stick to a cleaner way of farming.
But come 2021 and Covid-19, that shook people from inside and suddenly brought the topic of “Healthy Living” back into focus. So, the Good News is…
Organic Foods are gaining a lot of attention from all parts of India.
Even the Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi is vociferously promoting organic farming at all occasions.
It’s the exact moment for India to witness a New Agriculture Revolution.
And it’s time that the young minds of India start adopting a healthy lifestyle by actively promoting Organic Foods in their diet.
But first things first. Let’s spot the basic doubts people have about Organic Farming-
- What is Organic Farming?
- How do I know that I am buying Real Organic Food?
- Are there any benefits of organic food over conventionally grown foods?
- What are the shortcomings of Organic Farming?
Interesting. Super Interesting questions.
That’s why Organic MP came up with this blog on the basics of Organic Farming to make you smarter about what you consume for your health.
Come let’s dig out all these answers in the simplest of words. And yes, we have to thank you for showing your love for our other blogs too. If you love this one too then please feel free to share this piece with someone who would find it really very helpful. Now let’s jump on the basics.
What is Organic Farming?
Organic Farming is a kind of farming that uses only naturally derived inputs for growing fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Inputs like cow dung, green manure, certified bio-fertilizers, and other organic inputs are only used for providing nutrition and safety to the crops.
Now when it comes to raising animals for dairy farming, poultry, and animal husbandry, then the same principles of organic farming are used, but in a new way. Animals are allowed all the natural conditions to grow up and freely move around in the farmland. Use of any kind of antibiotic or chemical feed is shunned at the Organic Farms that work upon Organic Dairy Farming, Organic Aquaculture, Organic Poultry, or other kinds of animal husbandry.
In India, Organic Farming is popularly known as “Jaivik Kheti” when translated in our mother tongue Hindi.
Time for the next best question.
How do I know that I am buying Real Organic Food?
Of course, when you are spending a little more on buying organic food, then it becomes your right to know about its verification and authenticity.
The government of India via its Ministry of Food Processing, APEDA, and Ministry of Farmers Welfare, has laid out norms for certification and labeling of Organically grown foods.
All Indian citizens must know that it becomes super easy to spot Organic Vegetables and Fruits in the market. They just need to know that are 4 labels applied over organic foods when they are up on the market shelves.
These 4 Labels are-
1. PGS-INDIA GREEN:
PGS stands for Participatory Guarantee Scheme and spotting Organic Food packs with PGS-INDIA GREEN label tells you that the product has been obtained from an organic farm that’s under the process of transforming itself into a “Fully Organic Farm”.
Here we wish to share that an organic farm is certified as “Fully Organic” only when the farm has finished the minimum conversion period of 3 Years and has shown compliance with all the procedures and rules laid down for converting to an organic farm.
And last but more important fact is, the PGS-INDIA GREEN label also means that the organic produce meets the pointers mentioned in the National Standards of Organic Production (NSOP).
So, now you must ask us that how do you know that the organic food you are purchasing is from a “Fully Organic” Farm?
Okay Buddy, let’s find it out in the next one.
2. PGS-INDIA ORGANIC:
An Organic Crop gets this label of “PSG-INDIA ORGANIC” only when these crops are grown on an Organic Farm that has finished 3 years of its conversion into a Fully Organic Farm.
And this label certifies that the organic produce meets all the standards set by NSOP.
But are these the only 2 labels on organic foods in India? Umm. We love your curiosity. Here’s one more that’ll give you ample confidence while buying organic foods.
3. INDIA ORGANIC:
So, you’ll find the “India Organic” labels on Organic Foods that are certified as per the NPOP Certification. NPOP stands for National Program for Organic Production. This program has national and international benchmarks that are used for checking the quality and claims of an organically grown crop. In simple words, this certifies that the organic produce has been obtained from the farms and processing rules that have met the benchmarks of NPOP.
And it’s here that you must know that only a Registered Organic Promotion Agency is authorized to approve an organic crop with the “India Organic” label. This certification falls under the aegis of APEDA and the Ministry of Commerce & Industry of the Indian Govt.
Well, this label also assures you that the organic produce satisfies the compliance requirements setup for food that is aimed for exports.
Wow. These 3 Labels tell you a lot about an organic crop. But here’s the last one that’s compulsory on the packaging of every organic food made available in India.
4. JAIVIK BHARAT:
This label tells you that the food is organically produced in India itself. One can easily spot the “Jaivik Bharat” logo in green color and in the Hindi language on the packaging of Organic Foods. By the way, this label is mandatory on all the Organic Foods produced and marketed in India. And it also shows that the food complies with the National Standards of Organic Production (NSOP).
Oh, God. These labels are so awesome. Gives us massive confidence in eating organic food. But what if you find a combo of these labels on a pack? So, here’s a quick primer for you.
- Jaivik Bharat + PGS-INDIA ORGANIC: These 2 mean that the organic crop has been gained from a Certified Fully Organic farmland.
- Jaivik Bharat + India Organic: That’s again the same i.e., Organic Food grown and obtained from a Fully Organic Farm.
- PGS-INDIA GREEN: Organic Produce obtained from farmland that’s under the conversion period.
By the way, in long term, it always helps to learn the basics of organic farming.
Are you still hungry to know more about Organic Farming? Hahaha. We love your curiosity that brought you all the way here. So, here’s the Frequently Asked Question on Organic Farming-
What are the Benefits of Organic Farming over traditional farming?
It’s so easy to say that organic foods are healthy. But do these statements have a backing?
Relax. Now we are going to list down the benefits of Organic Farming that are observed and noticed by our own agronomists and horticulturists of Organic MP.
So here we bring you the Most Important Pros of Organic Farming:
- Good Soil Health:
“As you sow shall you reap”.
This saying is so true when it comes to farming.
When the soil is supplied with nutrients made using organic inputs, then the crops obtained are also of highest quality. And the same soil can eventually be used for sowing seeds of other crops. In traditional farming, soil health goes down just because of the use of harmful chemicals that degrade soil quality and disturb the ecological balance in long run.
- Chemical Free Farming:
Organic Farming prohibits the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
Only certified bio-fertilizers are allowed to be used on organic farms. And most important is the quantity of these organic inputs used for the farm. The right ratio of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium is taken care of at all organic farmlands.
The soil is prepared by agronomists who use organic inputs like manure, bio-compost, bio-liquids, and only other certified organic inputs.
- Use of Green Cover:
Cover crops like neem leaves and a mixture of organic inputs is used to stop pest infestations and other harmful bacteria from destroying the crops.
This is also commonly known as “Mulching”.
- Preserves the land:
Soil Regeneration and Reproduction are maintained for a long-long time when organic farming is practiced. This ensures that food production goes on smoothly in serving an ever-growing population with healthy food. And the land is also preserved for future generations.
- Good for health & Immunity:
Organic foods are rich in antioxidants and other nutrients. This gives it the power to strengthen your body with a strong immunity system. That’s why health experts always suggest the presence of organic foods in the diet of elderly people. It’s because organic food gifts defense mechanism against diabetes and heart diseases.
Moreover, organic foods are also recommended for growing kids. These foods are free from artificial chemicals and because of this benefit, it helps in the development of cognitive abilities of children from an early age itself.
Some people wish to see organic fruits and vegetables spruce up overnight. Hahaha. Overnight success and those hazy thoughts.
Good things always take time. So is the case with organic farming.
Now even after going through all of this, your brain may come up with a new question.
“Is it all Sunshine & Rainbows?
Does this organic farming have some shortcomings too?
Or in plain words what are the disadvantages of Organic Farming?”
Of course! Everything in our world has pros as well as cons.
So come let’s decode the cons of organic farming.
- Higher Costs in Short Term:
Organic Foods have just caught the attention of Indians. And currently, since they are yet to see a successful penetration into the nooks and corners of our country, so they are available at a higher price point than traditionally grown crops.
That’s why more and more people are first buying the organic produce to taste them in small quantities and then they are gradually bringing 1 or 2 crops in their purchases, so as to easily manage with the monthly budget.
And yes, until the sale of organic food experiences “Economies of Scale”, the prices will take time to come down.
- Less Promotion:
No doubt that the Indian Govt. has come up with many schemes and programs to promote organic farming, but they are yet to bring fruits.
Until and unless farmers don’t see the potential of organic farming in Indian Markets, they will be reluctant to fully shift to organic farming.
Organic MP addresses this issue on priority and has been helping many organic farmers of MP with proper marketing and promotional activities to grow their sales.
- Knowledge & Training:
Organic Farming is very interesting to learn and practice. But since its benefits were not conveyed, that’s why so much useful knowledge and information failed to reach around the whole country.
But now many certified agencies and people have come forward to host awareness sessions and training camps on organic farming.
For instance, Organic MP is conducting many workshops and training sessions for farmers in villages of Madhya Pradesh. Our teams are giving all efforts to promote organic farming as far as possible.
- Certification Assistance:
Getting certificate from the govt. departments used to be a challenging task. It’s because of a big communication gap in conveying about the compliances related to organic farming certification.
We understood this issue very early during our initial days and that’s why we provide consultancy to farmers who want to apply for organic certification.
- Cold Storage & Transportation:
Organic Crops are highly perishable and farmers always need to assure its freshness. Getting cold storage facilities at affordable task is a real problem faced by all farmers.
To overcome this, Organic MP has initially deployed few Reefer Vans in villages of MP and also reaching out to farmers with our economical prices that gives them access to our chain of cold chain solutions.
- Unity among Farmers:
Co-operatives have a really larger role in promoting organic farming in India. Farmers in some parts of Karnataka and Maharashtra have shown good results because of their unity in taking up organic farming on a big scale. And this unity also gives them power to override the decision- making power of middlemen who try to exploit organic farmers.
So, we need more farmers co-operatives in India for making Organic Farming profitable and sustainable for the farming community.
- Shelf life:
Organic Foods sell very fast because they have low shelf life as compared to their traditional counterparts. This is because organic crops weren’t grown using chemicals that otherwise elongate shelf life and size in a very quick time.
- Availability:
Finding organic vegetables and fruits always takes some time.
In some Indian cities there are 2-3 days of a weekend where an organic mela takes place. For those who have access to superstores and shopping malls, finding organic foods is not an issue.
We seriously need to think upon closeness to the sabzi mandis or the markets where the organic produce will be made available for sale to consumers.
To solve this problem once and for all, we invite you to place your order with Organic MP. We have a wide range of food items made of organically produced crops. And we are also making organic vegetables and fruits available to people via. Our online store.
- Demand-Supply Gap
Sometimes it has also been reported that there’s a sudden pick in demand for organic crops. But non-availability due to limited supply, becomes a major hurdle.
So, that’s the exact reason why we need more farmers to take up organic farming and maintain consistency in supply of organically produced fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs.
Whoa! Are you still here? See how we made it till here. 🙂
Organic Farming is an interesting way of raising healthy and nutritious crops that make way to our plates every day.
At least now we are super confident that all Indians can trace where their food has come from.
It’s possible only in case of Organic Farming.
So, friends this was all that we had to share about organic farming with you.
Before bidding you a goodbye we want you to know that Organic MP is helping farmers and consumers gain the benefits of Organic Farming.
We are doing this preparing a Farming Ecosystem right in our own country.
Organic MP consists of a team of brilliant agronomists, horticulturists, and agriculture experts.
Please feel free to contact us for organic farming projects and allied services.
And if you want to read some more blogs on super awesome information about Organic Farming, then please hop on to our other fantastic blog posts. You’ll enjoy them in the same spirit that made you enjoy this one.
So, let’s meet soon.
Cheers. Take care of your health.
Eat Fresh. Eat Pure. Eat Organic.