Concept and
Characteristics

Concept

Organic farming is native to India. The concept of organic farming is based on these given following principle:

• Nature is the pleasant role version for farming, since it does not use any inputs nor demand unreasonable portions of water.
• The whole system is based on intimate information of nature’s ways. The nature doesn’t believe in soil mining and degradation in any way for today’s need.
• The soil in this system is a living entity.
• The living population such as microbes and other organisms contributes for the fertility to the soil. They must be protected and nurtured at any cost.
• The overall environment of the soil, i.e. from soil structure to soil cover is more important.

Characteristics

• It helps to shield the long fertility of soils by sustaining organic matter levels, boosting biological activities and cautious mechanical intervention.
• Providing friendly-microorganisms to the soil indirectly which converts soluble nutrient to the plant for their good growth and development.
• It improves nitrogen self-efficiency and biological nitrogen fixation by the use of legumes. It also helps in recycling of organic materials such as livestock manures and crop residues.
• The animals which feed on organic plants, gets extra nutrition, has improved health conditions and breeding.
• By doing organic farming, it improves wildlife and natural habitats.

Enhanced area under certified organic farming

• Around 1.4million producers are managing 35 million hectares of agricultural land doing organic farming.
• India has the highest number of producers doing organic farming i.e. having 340,000 producers.

Organic farming and development support

From last 25 years, both public and private sectors are contributing well for organic sector in many countries of the world. The different institutions which took initiative for organic farming are: