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.

Some of the must-use organic edible oils with benefits galore

Natural products are being used by a large number of people today as there are lots of health benefits in them. Organic oils too are mostly used in Indian and global kitchens today on a regular basis. These extracts are highly preferred because they do not contain any additives, preservatives or chemical substances. Apart from cooking purposes, these also prove to be great beauty products as well.  Prolonged consumption of such ingredients helps people to keep their mind and body in an active state always.

If you are prone to heart diseases and degeneration of bones, it is highly likely that your doctor would recommend you to include any organic edible oil in your food. Many researches were conducted in the US and it was found out that women who consume these ingredients regularly are less prone to deadly diseases like ovarian cancer. Doctors all over the world are asking people to refrain from using processed extracts completely.

However, this doesn’t mean that these natural liquid extracts are a strict no-no at all. Food indeed gets tasty when it is fried or nicely sautéed.  There are now many an organic edible oil to choose from for people who love their fried foods. Natural grape seed liquid extract is the best choice when it comes to frying foods. This is relatively new in the Indian market, but many international super markets have started stocking this ingredient. The cholesterol levels of this compound are very low and hence it is absolutely safe for the heart.

Coconut liquid extract is another commonly- used ingredient in one’s kitchen today. However the processed extract that is available easily in all the stores today has a lot of fat in it. Hence, one must be very careful to choose only the extra virgin coconut variety, which is the unprocessed kind. This is mostly used as a substitute of cooking butter as it is not only healthy, but also has a wonderful taste.

Extra Virgin Olive seed extract is one of the most famous organic oils available in the Indian and international stores today. Many people have switched to this olive product today for cooking, as this has lower fat content in it. Similarly natural extracts of sunflower, natural peanut, natural groundnut, natural mustard, and natural sesame are used regularly by people today. There is an increased awareness about the dangers of using processed plant extract for eating and cooking and therefore the sales of these natural products have increased phenomenally over the years all over the world.