PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIC FARMING.

 

PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIC FARMING

The Principles of Organic Agriculture were established by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) in September, 2005. They are aspirations for organic farming. The Principles were approved by the General Assembly of IFOAM on September 25, 2005.

The General Assembly of IFOAM approved the Principles of Organic Agriculture on September 28, 2005. The principles were developed during an intensive two-year participatory process The aim of the principles is both to inspire the organic movement and to describe the purpose of organic agriculture to the wider world.

The organic sector has grown significantly in recent years. Along with that growth have come opportunities and challenges. The IFOAM General Assembly concluded that there was a need to elaborate the basic values of organic agriculture.

The principles are intended to "apply to agriculture in the broadest sense, including the way people tend soils, water, plants and animals in order to produce, prepare and distribute goods. They concern the way people interact with living landscapes, relate to one another and shape the legacy of future generations

The International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movement (IFOAM) is an international body working since 1972 it regulates the organic farming. According to them “The role of organic agriculture, whether in farming, processing, distribution, or consumption, is to sustain and enhance the health of ecosystems and organisms from the smallest in the soil to human beings.” Artificial practices like battery-raised animals, genetically modified foods and additives to animal feed do not include in organic farming.

There are four main principles of Organic farming according to IFOAM.

Following are the principles on which organic farming is based on

According to this principle production of crops and animals should be based on the land that is nutrients enriched. The main objective of this principle is to attain ecological balance through the farming so it focuses on recycling. We can use lots of leftovers as potential compost rather than burning leftovers using them as compost can also save environment from pollution. We should focus on reuse of inputs by recycling so we can enjoy better quality of environment.

Organic agriculture is  the terms biological or ecological farming which are also used to describe this production method. The goal of organic agriculture is to create a sustainable agriculture system. Many believe it is potentially more environmentally-sustainable and economically-viable than other systems of farming. Organic farmers use many traditional techniques but they also have access to and use new technologies and information from the developing fields of ecology, microbiology and related sciences. Thus there is nothing old-fashioned about organic agriculture; it is the branch of agriculture in which some of the newest developments in food production are occurring.

In organic farming, we use the following techniques;

• CROP ROTATION: It is the technique to grow various kind of crops in the same area, according to the different seasons, in a sequential way.

• GREEN MANURE: It refers to the dying plants that are uprooted and turned into the soil to make them act as a nutrient for the soil to increase its quality

• BIOLOGICAL PEST CONTROL: With this method, we use living organisms to control pests with or without the use of chemicals.

ADVANTAGES OF ORGANIC FARMING

1.     Organic farming helps to prevent environmental degradation and can be used to regenerate degraded area

2.     Organic manures produce an ideal condition in the soil for high yields and good quality of crops.

3.     They cut the need for purchased inputs.

4.     They improve the soil chemical properties such as supply and retention of soil nutrients and promote favourable chemical reactions.

5.     Organically grown plants are more resistant to diseases and insect and hence only a few chemical sprays or other protective treatment are required.

6.     Poison – free.

DISADVANTAGES OF ORGANIC FARMING

1.     Production costs are a high error because farmers need more workers.

2.     Food illness may happen more often.

3.     Organic food is more expensive because farmers do not get much out of their land as conventional farmers do.

4.     Organic farming cannot produce enough food that the world’s population needs to survive.