Sons of the soil

Mukesh Gupta analyses how organic farming has emerged as a viable option that could address all issues of land productivity as it emphasises the usage for natural farming practices

The world over, agriculture is undergoing major transformation, and India is no exception. Since the 1950s modern agriculture has contributed significantly in raising the land productivity. Today, organic agriculture has emerged as a viable option that could comprehensively address all issues. Organic farming means natural farming based on a philosophy that respects nature and its dynamism. It is the science of nature rather than a set of scientific tools. Most of the initiatives have been led by individual farmers, a few NGOs and select private sector companies. Organic agriculture is a holistic approach that offers equivalent gains in the interim and substantial gains in the long run based upon a set of processes resulting in sustainable eco-systems, safe food, good nutrition, animal welfare and social justice.

PRESENT STATUS
The first initiative for organic agriculture in India was set up by the Steering Group which was constituted by the Government of India under the Chairmanship of Dr MS Swaminathan with a aim to give its recommendation for organic farming in India. Considering the importance of organic farming in the country as an emerging field, a Task Force on Organic Farming was set-up in May 2000, by the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation under the chairmanship of Mr Kunwarji Bhai Jadav. In India, a few voluntary organisations have been promoting organic agriculture in different contexts. Some have formulated their programmes and are implementing them for chemical free foods, sustainable agriculture, livelihood security and biodiversity conservation. A handful of organisations including farmer's groups have exclusively focused on organic agriculture development.

ORGANIC STANDARDS
The worldwide organic movement has now progressed beyond being a niche product and market situation. It has covered a long distance in receiving global acceptance. The International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM) has been in the forefront of initiating development standards across the world. Over the years, many governments have formulated their respective national standards. To receive reciprocal agreements between different standards formulated by each country, national standards have to be in conformity with each other. The IFOAM’s basic standard provides a framework for certification bodies and standard-setting organisations to develop their own certification standards.

ORGANIC CERTIFICATION
A wide variety of organic products are being sold worldwide and the supply is in pace with the growing demand. For gaining the consumer’s confidence, valid certification is an essential prerequisite for organic marketing. Organic inspection and certification are complex tasks and regulations and accreditation criteria are manifold. A welldesigned and recognised system can only ensure

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