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Organic Farming Approaches
Most of us pay the least attention to the quality of the food we consume. Despite numerous and regular reports in the media about the presence of pesticides and other chemical contaminants in food and water, we have not yet started searching for and demanding food that is grown in a non-toxic way. The fact is that many of us are very much isolated from the food production process – either on the farm or in the industry where it is done. Some of us do not even have the faintest idea about how the food that comes in front of us in packets and bottles is prepared. Agriculture is becoming more and more commercial-oriented now. As a result, food produced by anybody in whatever way is now available in the market as an industrial product. These producers may be concerned only about the profitability, but not the food safety and quality.
Traditional farmers are very much concerned about their farming activities. They use local varieties of seed, manures and consider the planting time and season based on the local climate. Farming is more nature friendly and the produce is more nutritious. The processing of produce is also done locally.
The principle followed in this farming is to allow nature to provide us the food the way nature intended it. The soil is of central importance. Farmers nourish the soil and its biotic environment. They never force-feed the plants with chemicals to grow unnaturally fast. With regard to animal husbandry, animals are treated with care and respect. There are no cages, animals move free, graze on grass and natural pastures. Such kinds of farming similar to organic farming were everywhere in the past. Some are still there. There are different approaches to organic farming. So let’s examine one by one.
Traditional Farming Approach
Traditional farming in India dates back to the Neolithic age of 7,500-6,500 BC. The farmers of ancient India are known to have evolved nature-friendly farming practices. They considered the Earth as a living being. Agriculture was not developed just as a production system but as a culture. Great attention was paid to agricultural technologies and agronomic practices. Sophistication came in through genetic diversity, crop rotation, and mixed cropping systems.
Animal husbandry was an integral part of the farming practice. Classical Indian plant science, Vrikshayurveda [ Science of Plants ], and Mrgayuveda [ Science of Animals ] in the form of Sanskrit hymns are a corpus of rich textual knowledge. In Vrikshayurveda, practices related to collection, selection and storage of seeds, germination, sowing, various techniques of plant propagation, grafting, nursing and irrigation, testing and classification of soil, selection of soil suitable to various plants/types of plants, manuring, pest and disease management, preventive and promotive care to build up disease resistance and to cultivate healthy plants are detailed.
Favorable and unfavorable meteorological conditions were taken care of. Plants were used as indicators of weather, water, minerals, etc. This knowledge system is alive even today among millions of Indian farmers. Furthermore, it is kept alive in many forms, such as folk songs, rituals, proverbs, and riddles. Traditional farming practices are very rarely seen among modern farmers today. However, some farmers in a few farming communities still follow these practices.
Today organic farmers make use of these indigenous knowledge systems and try to integrate them into the modern organic agricultural practices, thus making changes easier and more effective, eg., the use of Panchagavya Growth Stimulant/Pest Control Formula and Njattuvela Crop calendar followed in Kerala.
Organic Farming Approach
The traditional wisdom gained and practices adopted by our farmers were passed down through generations and became ingrained in the cultural outlook of the society. Even today the belief system, the myths, rituals, and religious festivals of the Indians encompass these principles of soil, plant, and animal health. The practices of seed selection, soil fertility, and biodiversity are interwoven in the belief system. These practices were observed and documented by Sir Albert Howard [ 1873-1947 ], a British Botanist, and an organic farming pioneer. He was the principal figure in the early organic movement and acknowledged as the Father Of Modern Organic Agriculture. He worked in India as Agricultural Advisor. He observed and supported the traditional Indian farming practices over that of modern agricultural science. Though he came to India to teach Western Agricultural Techniques, he found that the Indians could in fact teach him more. One important aspect he took notice of was the connection between Healthy Soil and the Healthy Populations, Livestock, and Crop in villages.
He was also called the “Father Of Modern Composting“, for his refinement of a traditional Indian composting system to what is now known as the Indore Method. He went on to document and develop organic farming techniques and spread his knowledge through the UK-based Soil Association and the Rodale Institute in the US. His book, An Agricultural Testament, is a classic organic farming text. His work influenced and inspired many farmers and agricultural scientists to become part of the organic movement. Among them were Lady Eve Balfour [ The Haughley, The Living Soil ] and J.I. Rodale [ Rodale Institute ].
In the past five decades, traditional knowledge and organic principles were eroded because of the influx of modern scientific agriculture. However, this knowledge has been sustained by some Indian communities, especially in the Tribal and dryland areas. These areas are categorized as “Organic By Default”. Such areas have come into focus after recent Government policy.
Thousands of acres of land is cultivated by farmers in an organic way. Their produce is either sold in the open market along with conventionally grown produce at the same price or at a nominal premium. Sometimes they sell their produce purely on goodwill and trust as “organic” through selected outlets and regular specialist bazaars. These farmers are unable to get certification because of the costs involved as well as the extensive documentation that is required by certifiers.
Sustainable Farming Approach
It is estimated that about 65 percent of India’s cropped area is rainfed. It is mostly seen in the dryland tracts. One specialty of this region is that high-input demanding crops are not grown on these lands. The fertilizer and pesticide use on these drylands is always much less. This is because the chemical fertilizers require sufficient water to respond. Also, the economics of these hardy or “not so profitable” crops will not permit expensive inputs. These areas though not “organic”, can be considered as “sustainable farming” as the input use is less. However, produce from these areas cannot be sold as organic, as the certification agency will object to the application of certain chemicals even in smaller quantities. But farmers can opt for converting the farm to organic over a period by following certain guidelines. This approach exclusively relies on the use of on-farm resources.
Biodynamic Farming Approach
This is a holistic system of agriculture that seeks to connect nature with cosmic creative forces. Bio-dynamic farming method has developed since 1922, on a foundation of advice and instruction given by Rudolf Steiner, a German Philosopher, known for his world view called Anthroposophy [Wisdom of man]. The name ‘Bio-dynamic’ refers to cosmic energies, that create and maintain life. This name was adopted by the first group of farmers inspired by Rudolf Steiner’s advice. The term was derived from two Greek words ‘Bios’ [ Life ] and ‘Dynamics’ [ Energy ]. The use of the word ‘method’ indicates that one is not dealing merely with the production of another fertilizer, which is organic, but rather, involves certain principles. These principles on the practical application can provide healthy soil and healthy plants that in turn produces healthy food for man and animals. This approach has now become a distinct farming strategy of organic farming and the produces are certified as “DEMETER”.
Natural Farming Approach
Natural farming, also known as do-nothing farming or no-till farming was popularised by Masanobu Fukuoka, a Japanese agriculturist in 1940. He outlined his experience in his famous compilation, “The One-Straw Revolution“. The most essential aspect of natural farming is to let nature play a dominant role to the maximum extent possible. No-tillage, farm biodiversity, symbiotic farm inputs, and protection of soil cover are given importance in this method of farming. The seed ball technique for sowing has also been highlighted by Fukuoka. The physical work and labor inputs are 80% less compared to other farming systems.
Fukuoka proved that he can achieve yields similar to those of chemical farming. His methods have also been adapted to suit European conditions and many farmers practice it there. In India, Fukuoka is fondly regarded and his work has found a number of practitioners who have termed their method of farming as ‘Rishi Kheti‘ literally meaning “Agriculture Of The Sages“.
The essence of Fukuoka’s method is to reproduce natural conditions as closely as possible. There is no ploughing, as the seed germinates quite happily on the surface if other conditions are favorable. There is also considerable emphasis on maintaining diversity. A ground cover of white clover grows under the grain plants to provide nitrogen. Weeds are also considered part of the ecosystem, periodically cut and spread on the surface so the nutrients they contain are returned to the soil. Ducks are let into the grain field, and specific insectivorous carp are also introduced into the rice field at certain times/seasons of the year to eat slugs and other pests.
The ground is always covered with clover and weeds. The straw from the previous crop is used as mulch. Each grain crop is sown before the harvest of the standing crop. This is done by broadcasting the seed among the standing crop. He also re-introduced the ancient technique of Seed Balls [ Earth Dumplings ]. The seed for next season’s crop is mixed with clay, compost, and sometimes manure, and formed into small balls. The result is a denser crop of smaller but highly productive and stronger plants.
Fukuoka’s method and philosophy are about small-scale farming, yet he claims that “with this kind of fanning, which uses no machines, no prepared fertilizer, and no chemicals, it is possible to attain a harvest equal to or greater than that of the average Japanese farm.”
Permaculture Approach
Permaculture, the word coined in Australia in late 1970 by Australian ecologist Bill Mollison, is gaining importance now. Permaculture means ‘Permanent agriculture’ defined as a system of farming that holds the prospects of sustained rather than temporary yields from the land. Mollison [ 1989 ] states, “Sustainable use of land cannot be separated from personal lifestyle and philosophical matter”. It encourages a style of farming that puts pressure on the land for short-term gain which is detrimental to its long-term ability to produce food.
Permaculture, basically means a system of agriculture that relies on perennial crops, like fruits and nut trees, because of their ability to provide a more permanent and sustained harvest. It stresses the careful use of resources, agroforestry, self-reliance, and small-scale operations carried out as near as possible to the food consumer.
Mollison suggested that “earth repair work” was needed and it would yield a good economic return. He advocated that Polyculture [ multiple species ] forestry, small organic farms [ in urban as well as rural areas ], and recycling could facilitate high rates of return.
LEISA Farming Approach
A more recent approach in agriculture, propagated by ILEISA [ Information Centre for Low-External Input and Sustainable Agriculture ] of ETC Foundation, the Netherlands, is the LEISA [ Low-External Input and Sustainable Agriculture ] farming. It states that when “modern” external inputs are not available or profitable, farming has to depend on optimal use of local resources, human and animal labor, ecological process, recycling, and site-specific genetic resources. Production levels have to be raised, but at the same time, it is necessary to stop the depletion and degradation of the resource base [ soil, nutrients, vegetative cover, genetic resources, indigenous knowledge, and social cohesion ]. Self-reliance, local economies, strong local institutions, and local “agri-culture” are important to prevent loss of sustainability. Intensification and increase of efficiency are possible to a certain extent by natural nitrogen fixation, mobilization, and concentration of nutrients, diversification, and better integration of different elements and activities. However, an important precondition is that the nutrient flows are kept in balance.
When natural external inputs such as sediments and biomass from outside the farm are scarce and the population is growing fast, “modern” external inputs may be needed. It would compensate for unavoidable losses of nutrients, invest in soil fertility, repair degradation, and bring down severe pest attacks. However, they should be used prudently and strategically, and are complementary to natural, external, and internal inputs.
The LEISA approach is not a uniform or fixed farming system that can be universally applied, but a way of approaching the issue based on the specific local context. The knowledge on the potential of the LEISA approach is location-specific and continuously developed over a period of time.
