Organic farming for sustainable agriculture in india
Answers
Organic farming as a key to sustainable agriculture has captured the attention of many countries worldwide. Interest in organic agriculture methods is growing especially where there is evident degradation of resources essential to agricultural production, such as land, due to conventional farming system.
The term 'organic agriculture' refers to a process that uses methods respectful of the environment from the production stages through the handling and processing. Organic farming is not merely concerned with a product, but also with the whole system used to produce and deliver the product to the ultimate consumer.
Consumers' concern with food quality and safety, as well as the protection of the environment, were the first to stimulate demand for organic products, and have become the driving force in the development of organic agriculture, particularly in industrialized countries. Governments have responded by setting targets for the expansion of organic production, and new market opportunities have developed as part of the strategy to address such concerns.
Asian governments have recently become interested in organic farming with the expansion of the market for organic products and their potential for promoting sustainable agriculture. Accordingly, almost all have put priority on organic certification and accreditation, even though the major constraints in organic farming in Asia are still at the level of farm production. The proliferation of public organic standards and inspection systems, however, seems to have caused confusion among Asian traders of organic products. Hence, international harmonization of these standards and systems need to be advocated.
Public-private sector partnership is also urgently needed if the rapid growth of organic agriculture in Asia is to be sustained. Re-orientation of government policies is required, including support for farm extension, development of post-harvest technologies, and supply chain management. Closer collaboration between NGOs, the private sector, farmers, scientists, and public authorities can ensure that the efforts of each group are not in conflict with one another and that synergy is achieved.
Used this for my school project. Hope it helps!