Organic Food Industry Scope

Indian organic food market is growing. There is great increase in the percentage rise of demand of organic products since the last decade and as per many reports, more and more individuals are opting for organic products nowadays. So it is not surprising that the number of organic farms in India has also grown up with a great pace while the total number of farms declined in the last decade. The market may be expanding rapidly but organic is still only 2% to 5% of total shelf space in various hypermarket and supermarket chains such as Spencers, Natures Basket, Fabindia, Hypercity, etc and organic food market is even less than 2% of total food market in India. In comparison, organic products are 5% of the American food market, 8% in Germany. The organic industry has a great room to grow in India and abroad: the world organic market is already close to $100 billion a year.

It should be easy to persuade a lot more farmers to switch to organic methods as organic methods are not only good for soil, water, air and whole ecosystem and organic food is nutritious and tasty but organic methods of farming are a bit profitable than the conventional farming methods because of the use of the latest technology and innovative ideas for cost reduction in it. Other reason is that organic saves energy of almost 30-50% per hectare.

So what is not to like about the organic approach? It all comes down to yield. Organic methods produce about 30-40 per cent less grain per hectare. From the point of view of the farmer, it is not about volume but net income, where organic is the clear winner. But what about feeding the world? Without the boost from chemical fertilizers and pesticides, there just wouldn't be enough food. Even if farm chemicals damage health and the environment, the alternative of mass starvation is worse.

Is there a way to solve this problem? Can we get the benefits of organic farming with the productivity of chemical farming? I think maybe yes.

One thing to consider is that for decades most agricultural research has gone into conventional farming that uses chemicals. Worldwide billions of dollars are spend for research and development in agriculture and agri-food every year and as compared to that, an extremely small amount is spend for organic food science. Could the productivity gap be narrowed if more research went into organic methods?

Another thing to consider is whether there are ways to increase the food supply without pumping it up with chemicals. Through various Agriculture and Agro-Food reports and survey, it is found that around one-third of the global food supply is lost or wasted every year. In India, food worth $8.3 billion, or nearly 40% of the total value of annual production, is wasted last year (of which, meat accounts for about 4% of food wastage but 20% of the cost, while 70% of fruit and vegetable output is wasted, accounting for 40% of the total cost.). India is the world biggest producer of milk and 2nd largest producer of fruits & vegetables, but also India is world largest waster of food. Household food loss and waste accounted for around 1/5th of total wastage, with retail waste and loss (example, poor warehousing conditions, absence of modern distribution chains, few cold storage facilities, etc resulting into perishing of food, ) accounting for the rest.

Eliminating waste in the agro-food system could, in part, make up for the lower productivity of organic methods. Other consideration is that despite its high productivity, the global agrofood system fails to feed close to a billion people, almost all of them the rural poor in low-income countries. The solution for them is not higher production of food in wealthy countries, it is to create conditions that help them produce more food and gain more income. As more than 2/3^rd of the country population lives in rural areas of which more than half lives in small villages , so such a situation, organic methods, particularly agro-ecology could provide the best way to achieve the goal.

Tips for Diabetic Person

Best Recommended Food for a Diabetic Person:

1. Apple: As we told in our earlier article, it is one of the best fruits and antioxidant available and has low calories and great level of fibre contents which helps in keeping control of cholesterol and sugar level in blood.

2. Avocado: They are quite rich in mono saturated fatty acids which are good are heart and helps in reducing blood sugar level and triglyceride level. Except mono saturated fat, they are also good source of potassium and various vitamins.

3. Barley: Grains and cereals are healthy for Diabetic people but barley is the best among grains. The fibres in barley are rich in beta glucan which reduces cholesterol by binding to bile acids and excreting the bile acids from body. Bile Acids are produced by liver from cholesterol and is used by body to digest fat. As barley fibres helps in excretion of more bile acid from body, liver produces more bile acid which results in more consumption of cholesterol.

4. Beans: There have been number of studies proving that a cup of beans dairy helps in good control over blood sugar level and blood pressure. There is also wide variety of beans available in the market which you can choose as per your own taste such as   black (Kālē sēma), kidney beans (Rājamā ), garbanzo (Chana), white, lima, pinto and a lot more.

Some other food recommended: Blueberries, Broccoli, Carrots, Oats. Drinking a lot of fresh water is always good for health.

Best Non Veg food recommended: Chicken and turkey meal are really great in fibre contents and low in fat (except of skin which has high level of saturated fat) and a great help in controlling cholesterol level. As per the study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health study, eating fish just once a week can reduce the risk of heart attack by 40 per cent and heart attack is one of the biggest problem faced by Diabetic Patients. Fatty Acids contained in fish (particularly in salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines, halibut, and albacore tuna) are rich source of Omega 3 which decreases the risk of arrhythmias and decreases triglyceride levels.

Food Not Recommended and Bad for the health of a Diabetic Person: Food contain large amount of sodium such as sauces like soya sauce, pepper sauce, pickles and canned vegetables, etc., food cooked with large quantity of butter , regular oil or regular cheese, white rice, white bread, regular mayonnaise, regular soda drinks, energy drinks, coffee with sugar and lot of cream.

Instead of Eating	Eat
White Rice	Brown Rice
Fried or Mashed Potatoas	Sweet Potatoes or Yam
White Bread	Brown Bread or Whole Grain Bread
Corn	Peas

The Finest Fruits & there Health Benefits

1. Apple: As they say “An apple every day, keeps the doctor away”, and recent scientific studies have shown that the saying is infact true. Fibers in apple called Pectin (a medium-sized apple contains about 4 grams of fibre) helps in controlling cholesterol and keeps you regular. And the powerful flavonoids in it reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and all sorts of cancers. A new study performed on mice, shows that drinking apple juice could keep Alzheimer’s away and fight the effects of aging on the brain. Biting and chewing an apple stimulates the production of saliva in your mouth, which reduces tooth decay by lowering the levels of bacteria.

2. Apricots: Apricots are one of the best sources of vitamins A, C and E, potassium, iron and carotenoids. The lycopene, a carotenoid pigment found in apricots is good for your eyes and prevent heart disease, LDL cholesterol oxidation, certain cancers – especially skin cancer & there is some evidence that it may lower the risk of prostate cancer. Apricots are also rich sources of antioxidants. Antioxidants are required by the body to aid the body’s natural functioning. More the amount of antioxidants in the body, higher is the rate of elimination of toxins from it. And the fiber in apricots is healthy for your heart & helps relieve constipation and in addition the dietary fiber in apricots helps you to lose weight.

3. Bananas: A normal banana has almost 108 calories. Bananas are naturally radioactive (but the level of radiation is not high enough to cause harm), this comes with the fact that they contain relatively high amount of potassium (i.e. approx 400 mg), which helps lower the risk of high blood pressure and stroke and plays a key role in muscle function. Bananas are delicious and sweet to eat, making them a good sugar substitute and natural energy source. Bananas are the only fruit that contains the amino acid tryptophan plus vitamin B6, they help your body produce serotonin—a natural substance that alleviates depression. Even its peel is usefull,  rubbing the inside of a banana peel on a mosquito bite (or other bug bite) or on poison ivy will help keep it from itching and getting inflamed.

4. Berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries): Berries contains outstandingly high amount of powerful antioxidants and phytochemicals — those naturally occurring nutrients that help protect cells from damage. Berries keep you mentally sharp. Berries are sweet but that doesn’t mean that they are bad for diabetic people, rather because of there good level of fiber, they can use that in a diabetic diet. Studies show berries offer great protection against heart disease stroke, cancer and many other diseases. People with a strong inherited risk for heart disease may find that a diet rich in raw fruits and vegetables, including berries, can reduce their chances of having a heart attack According to research, people having atleast 2 berries a week have have a 25 percent less chance of developing Parkinson’s disease than their peers.

5. Citrus Fruits:  A cup of raw orange sections contains 85 calories, 21 grams of carbohydrate and 4 grams of fiber, which delivers 160 percent of your daily vitamin C needs, 14 percent of your folate requirement and 7 percent of your potassium needs, based on a 2,000-calorie diet.Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant it is also required for the synthesis of collagen, which helps wounds heal and helps hold blood vessels, tendons, ligaments and bone together. Citrus Fruits are also a good source of folate, fiber and other antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Citrus fruit has been shown to help reduce cholesterol, blood pressure and flavonoids in citrus fruitsmay halt cancer cell growth and slow down tumor progression.

Though Initial years are difficult- yields give good returns on organic Farming

Agriculture without use of chemicals is not a new concept and has been in place since time immemorial. However, the concept is gaining momentum in recent times with agriculturists speaking about the soil depletion and industrial wastes disturbing the ecological balance.

Concept of Organic farming involves various techniques and methods to stabilise the output from agricultural process. Overall this includes the processes which aims to retain the quality of soil and keep the cultivable nature of land intact so as to ensure sustainable production. It also involves the use of organic wastes like aquatic wastes and animal wastes, biological materials in combination with the microbes that release the requisite amounts of nutrients to the crops for a pollution free environment. For a eco-friendly environment that needs to passed on to next generations as part of the responsible citizenship, it is nonetheless important to stop the ongoing exploitation of land.

While the non-renewable natural resources have been exploited for human greed, the scientists have realised that “green Revolution” needs a re-look to maintain the natural balance at all costs. The existence of life and property is equally important in a scenario where the fossil fuels are diminishing at a faster pace. The main concept of organic farming includes the following:

• Maintaining the organic matter, enhancing the biological activities and intervention of machine made techniques very sparsely.
• Inducing required nutrients to the crop by way of supplying nutrient sources through soil micro organisms
• Recycling the organic materials like livestock manures
• Attending to the issues involving the process adopted and its corresponding effect on the surrounding environment.
• Using crop rotations, organic manuring and resistant variants of corps as a way out to control weeds and pests.
• Allowing the livestock to exhibit their natural behaviour for re-production and other life cycles
• Ensure proper returns on investments made
• Socially and economically acceptable quality and quantity of food
• Avoid all forms of pollutions

Success of alternate techniques 

The success of this mode of agriculture is choosing not to make use of chemical techniques that are easily available in alternate modes of producing food. The yields therefore largely depends on the enthusiasm of the manager.

Initial phases are difficult

The initial years are therefore very crucial especially during the conversion of land from conventional uses. After the initial three to five year period, the returns will be higher.  But it has to be observed that the pest problems persistent in this type of production method is very difficult to tackle, even when bio pesticides are used. 

Organic sustainability

Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony.

Sustainable agriculture refers both to economic and ecological sustainability. Any farming system that is going to be truly sustainable must be so in both senses; a farmer cannot stay in the farming business if the farming operation is not economically viable, regardless of how fine it may be ecologically! While there is considerable debate about exactly what constitutes sustainable agriculture, in general it is defined in terms of practices that not only allow for quality of life and agricultural production for this generation, but also for generations into the future. Sustainable agriculture doesn't necessarily mean "organic" farming (farming without use of synthetic chemical inputs), although increased attention is paid to "organic components," particularly in fertility and pest control.

Sustainable (or alternative) agricultural practices are fundamentally a more ecologically based approach to raising food. These practices are based on understanding of, and respect for, ecological principles. In such systems, growers find themselves working with the ecology of the system, rather than against it.

Sustainable (or alternative) agricultural practices are fundamentally a more ecologically based approach to raising food. These practices are based on understanding of, and respect for, ecological principles. In such systems, growers find themselves working with the ecology of the system, rather than against it.

Sustainable agriculture has gained increasing attention over recent years. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a (small) sustainable agriculture program called "SARE" (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program), which, while not big budget, does provide some funding for research and education in sustainable agriculture. (This program was formerly referred to as "LISA," for "Low Input Sustainable Agriculture," but some groups objected to the "low input" part of this title, hence the name switch. If you are reading older literature about the US government and its involvement with sustainable agriculture, however, you may see the LISA acronym used.) Unfortunately, however, the fraction of the USDA research budget that is devoted to projects of relevance to alternative farming practices (including organic farming -- see below) remains very small -- in 1995, it was estimated at about 0.1% of the research budget (that is, one tenth of one percent).

Organic Products market in India

Organic products are those made entirely from natural substances, which in turn have been grown eschewing the use of artificial chemicals, fertilisers and pesticides.

Indian organic food market has begun growing rapidly. According to a YES Bank report in 2012, it was estimated at Rs 1,000 crore ($170 million) - of which Rs700 crore came from exports - and is growing at 30 to 40 per cent annually. The country has 4.43 million hectare under organic cultivation with a total organic certified production of 171,100 tonne. In comparison, the US organic foods market is worth $26 billion, the European, $10 billion.

The report added that the country produced around 3.88 million tonne of certified organic products that includes basmati, pulses, tea, coffee, spices and oilseeds

India aims to export $1 billion worth of organic products in the next five years as there is greater demand for non-food products such as organic cotton. "Five years from now, we should aim at achieving $1 billion in organic products export by harnessing the potential in other products like organic cotton and other.

India is the largest organic cotton grower in world, and accounts for 50% share of total world organic cotton production, it said.

Government is promoting organic farming under National Project on Organic Farming (NPOF), National Horticulture Mission (NHM) and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)

Concept and issues with Organic Agriculture

        Organic Agriculture implies the application of agronomic, biological and mechanical methods of production in place of the use of synthetic chemical inputs. It also includes better land husbandry” techniques such as soil-conservation measures, crop rotation and the use of green manure, instead of slashing and burning.

        The primary goal of organic agriculture is to optimise the health and productivity of Interdependent Communities of Soil life, Plants, Animals and People.


        Organic agriculture" is not limited to certified organic farms and products but also includes all productive agricultural systems that use natural processes, rather than external inputs, to enhance agricultural productivity. Organic farmers adopt practices to conserve resources, enhance biodiversity, and maintain the ecosystem for sustainable production. This practice is often but not always oriented towards the market for food labelled as organic.


Agronomic Performance:-

        Comparisons of the performance of organic and conventional agriculture systems are meaningful only when made over an intergenerational period of time in order to assess the continued capacity of natural resources to sustain agriculture. High yields in non-organic systems are often exploitative systems that degrade land, water, biodiversity and ecological services on which food production depends.

        Most comparisons of the efficiency of alternative production systems focus merely on the gross yield of marketable commodities. Farmers usually experience a decline in yields after discarding synthetic inputs and converting their operations to organic production. After the agro-ecosystem is restored and organic management systems are fully implemented, yields increase significantly.

        All agricultural management systems that apply ecological approaches but which make use of some synthetic inputs or genetically modified organisms are obviously excluded from the organic category.

        Developing countries are important suppliers of organic commodities. They, however, need to establish that they conform to the standards and rules of the importing developed countries. Suppliers to multiple markets may need to carry several such certifications: standards accepted in Sweden may not be recognized in the United States or Japan, and vice-versa. In countries where recognized domestic facilities are lacking, suppliers often must hire foreign inspection and certification bodies; in many instances, this is prohibitively expensive. Given that a certain part of certification is a fixed cost, certification costs take a higher percentage of earnings of smaller units. Smallholders in developing countries have little chance to export certified organic products without active government support for inspection and certification. Alternative control systems for small holders are however developing in order to ensure quality assurance without depending totally on foreign inspectors and certification bodies.
       

        Many developing countries require external technical assistance to build the capacity for technical, organizational, and legal skills needed to establish reliable certification and accreditation programmes. Some certification bodies become accredited by the importing country. This requires educated, trained personnel and administrative structures. International equivalence of various national organic standards will reduce the administrative overhead, improve public-sector relations with private certifiers and traders, and eliminate redundant certification. This bureaucracy and its attendant cost particularly burdens poor farmers in developing countries. Internationally recognized accreditation and equivalence will benefit exporting and importing countries alike because it ensures conformity with requirements of importers while recognizing the competence and compliance of the exporters.

Benefits of Yoga and tips for beginners

Yoga is an ancient science originated in India about 5000 years ago. It was designed as a path to spiritual enlightenment and is built on three main elements of breathing, exercise and meditation.  The modern practitioners of this form of exercise aim at bringing together the mind and body through structured postures (aasanas). Researches have proved that regular practise of Yoga for well being has produced increased fitness, normalisation of blood pressure and increased concentration levels. These are the time tested techniques and in the corporate world, even patents are being registered to prohibit self-styled gurus to claim the unique postures promulgates about 2000 years ago by Guru Patanjali.

Yoga for better health is achieved through exerting pressure on glandular systems by way of breathing technique. When the prescribed aasanas are practised under expert supervision for a short period, one can experience strength and flexibility, calm mind and soothing nerves. Prolonged and disciplined practise also enhances the working of internal organs, bones and brains. Once practised, the individual will be happy to have improved blood circulation for better digestion, musculoskeletal problems are addressed for long term benefit of reduced back pain and improved posture.

For the beginners, who intend to practise Yoga for better health, they have to ensure proper clothing and props and other necessary equipment. These may include: comfortable workout apparel like shorts, leggings or sweatpants; yoga straps and blocks for stretching and strengthening, a yoga blanket to use as a cushion for poses requiring support and finally a yoga mat for meditation.

Yoga for well being is taken up as a course by many through trained practitioners. It is convenient for everyone irrespective of fitness levels and age. The assanas should not cause pain and it is very important to keep a check on your physical limits. And for people who have pre-existing medical complaints should first check with medical practitioner before starting a regular exercise routine. Furthermore, getting stretched for an aasana is not advisable for people having pre-existing medical problems and also the people with spinal problems, history of blood clots, glaucoma, retinal disorders, pregnancy and blood pressure disorders. For such people, there are lighter versions of aasanas.

Always seek for pre exercise screening to outweigh the risks of potential health problems during physical activity. Usually each class consists of 20 people to enable individual attention. Also at least 3-4 hours should have elapsed since last meal to be fit for an exercising session.

Health Benefits of Organic Agriculture

      

      
        Organic food contributes to better health and no doubt the benefits are numerous of organic food. Organic food contributes to better health through reduced pesticide exposure for all and increased nutritional quality of the organic food. Organic food not only helps the consumers of organic food but also the producers or farmers which are exposed less to the pesticides etc.

        There are several studies emphasizing that organic food is good for health  and these studies have increased the hopes of numerous people who strongly believe that mankind should stop using chemical fertilizers and pesticides and shift to more sustainable organic farming practices helping the mankind. There are harmful affects of using pesticides in growing food and though we understand that they are being used in order to keep crops from being attacked by the natural world, including bugs and pesticides. Pesticides do a good job keeping certain pests away from the crops, they also are composed of powerful chemicals like organophosphorus.

        This is an unnatural mineral compound that is not required by humans, but more than 80% of this material in our bodies comes from eating pesticide-coated foods. Since organic food is not prepared using any such chemical fertilizers, it does not contain any traces of these chemicals and might not affect the human body in a negative way. Natural fertilizers, like manure, work perfectly fine, and organic farmers are happy to use this smellier, yet safer, form of fertilizer. So what we can say is that as against the modern and conventional agricultural methods, organic farming does not depend on powerful synthetic chemicals and rather utilizes natural, biological methods to build up soil fertility such as microbial activity boosting plant nutrition so organic food is the best way of living for a healthy life and a healthier society.