Holistic benefits of organic farming

A new scientific report on the benefits of organic farming released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has much to cheer for farmers and entrepreneurs engaged in the production, processing and marketing of organic farm produce in India's northeast region. The potential of the region has remained untapped as the implementation of various flagship schemes and programmes promoting organic and natural farming have failed to gain the desired momentum. The CSE report titled "Evidence (2004-20) on holistic benefits of organic and natural farming in India" states long-term trends of crop yield revealed that the organic approach is better than inorganic and is at par with integrated. Besides scientific studies found that crop yields can be higher with organic and natural farming approaches in comparison to other approaches with chemicals, it adds. The report presents CSE's findings on the benefits of organic and natural farming on crop yield, income and livelihood, soil health and environment, and food quality by analysing the results of the government's long-term research project from 2004 and other scientific studies over the last decade. The two sources from which results were collected, collated and analysed for compiling the report are- All India Network Project on Organic Farming (AI-NPOF), a pan India research project of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research during 2014–19 and scientific studies conducted across the country. A key finding is that of the 504 times that yield results were recorded, 41 per cent of the times yields were the highest with an organic approach, followed by 33 per cent with integrated and 26 per cent with the inorganic approach. In the case of vegetables, oilseeds and cereals, yield with organic approach was the highest more times than integrated and inorganic approach. In pulses and spices, however, the yield was the highest more times with an integrated approach than with an organic and inorganic approach. "When five-year mean yields are compared, in 27 out of 31 crops (87per cent) yields were higher with organic approach than with inorganic approach as part of one or more cropping systems. Out of this, in 14 crops (52 per cent), the mean yield was significantly higher (>20 per cent)" state the reports and adds that these crops are tomato, potato, French bean, ladyfinger, linseed, black gram, pigeon pea, chickpea, ginger, coriander, black pepper, basmati rice, rice and maize.These 14 crops were grown at 12 centres including Umiam in Meghalaya and Gangtok in Sikkim. These studies also highlighted the importance of bio-inputs and organic inputs like farmyard manure, vermicompost, poultry manure, foliar spray of banana pseudostem, green manure and liquid bio-fertilizer. The study found that the cost of cultivation is higher with the organic approach than the integrated approach which is explained by the fact that organic, and bio-inputs used in the experimental farms under the AI-NPOF are largely purchased from the market and not produced on-farm, but organic inputs cost less if produced on-farm by farmers. However, net returns are much better with the organic approach than with integrated or inorganic approaches and despite the high cost of cultivation with the organic approach, net returns are more favourable than the integrated approach. Another key finding highlighted is that the food quality and nutrition with the organic approach are found to be better than inorganic, and also slightly better than the integrated approach. The Northeast region is a hub of organic cultivation by default these studies will bolster initiatives of promoting organic farming. The chemicals-driven green revolution in the country bypassing the northeast region is a blessing in disguise as these scientific studies will help demonstrate the traditional knowledge base of farmers in organic cultivation to draw global attention towards the region as India's natural organic food basket. Only 2.7 per cent of the net sown area of the country has been covered under various schemes and programmes for the promotion of organic and natural farming. The report also lists a set of recommendations for policy planning and implementation. These include improving the organic certification process to make it farmer-friendly and low-cost states playing an instrumental role in helping farmers sell their organic and natural products by developing organic value chains, procuring organic produce and helping farmers get remunerative prices, mainstreaming organic and natural farming in agriculture education and research systems and prioritizing adequate production and availability of quality organic fertilizers bio-fertilizers at low cost. It also harps on the importance of enabling the farmers to choose between chemical and organic fertilizers through the transfer of the huge ongoing subsidies allocated for chemical fertilizers to chemical-free farming. The report presents strong scientific evidence for the States in the region to prioritize organic and natural farming to capitalize on various Central government-funded schemes and policies to unlock the huge potential of the region. For the growers and entrepreneurs in agriculture and horticulture in the northeast region, the CSE's report will reinforce confidence in the traditional knowledge base of communities in organic farming.