Present Status and Future Prospects of Organic Farming in India

Abstract

Every technology or interference in the natural ecosystem has its own side effect; from last half a century we are using the pesticides and herbicides indiscriminately to raise the crop production, but now its ill effect visible for us. Story of Malwa region of Punjab (cancer belt) and Kerala's endosulfan tragedy are epitome example of it. Now we achieve the self-sufficiency in food grain production our next motto to serve healthy food to people. We are looking for alternative nature based chemical free farming and that is organic farming. It also helps to get the premium price by exporting the chemical free agriculture commodity to the developed countries, day by day demand for healthy and residue free food increase all over the world as well as country itself. People are now ready to pay extra amount if they are ensured that they are purchasing geniunely raised food through natural system. Thus strengthening the certification process in country is must.

Full text

Present Status and Future
Prospects of Organic Farming in
India
12
Raghuveer Singh
1
**, N.K. Jat
2*
, N. Ravisankar
1
,
Sudhir Kumar
3*
, T. Ram
3*
and R.S. Yadav
4*
1
ICAR-Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research,
Modipuram, Meerut (UP) – 250 110
2
ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute,
Jodhpur (Rajasthan)- 342 003
3
ICAR- Indian Agriculture Research Institute, New Delhi- 110 012
4
ICAR- IISWC RC, Datia (Madhya Pradesh)- 475 661
*Formerly associated with ICAR-Indian Institute of Farming
Systems Research, Modipuram, Meerut (UP)
**Corresponding Author’s E mail- rsbicar@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Every technology or interference in the natural ecosystem has its own side
effect; from last half a century we are using the pesticides and herbicides
indiscriminately to raise the crop production, but now its ill effect visible for us.
Story of Malwa region of Punjab (cancer belt) and Kerala’s endosulfan tragedy
are epitome example of it. Now we achieve the self-sufficiency in food grain
production our next motto to serve healthy food to people. We are looking for
alternative nature based chemical free farming and that is organic farming. It
also helps to get the premium price by exporting the chemical free agriculture
commodity to the developed countries, day by day demand for healthy and
residue free food increase all over the world as well as country itself. People are
now ready to pay extra amount if they are ensured that they are purchasing
geniunely raised food through natural system. Thus strengthening the
certification process in country is must.
Keywords: Conventional farming, Future prospects, India, Organic farming, Present
status

276 Sustainable Agriculture
1. INTRODUCTION
Organic farming based on “Nature can provides for everyone's need but
not for greed”…………Mahatma Gandhi
It is definitely true that India had witnessed a tremendous growth in agricultural
production in the era of green revolution. Food grain production, which stood at a
mere 50 million tons at the time of independence, had increased almost five and
half times to 273.38 million tons by the end of 2016–17 (Press Information
Bureau, GOI, 2017) from 159.59 million hectares of cultivated area in country
(Agriculture Census, 2010–11). The technologies involved during the inception
of green revolution supported by policies and further propelled by agrochemicals,
machinery and irrigation were the main driving forces for the enhanced
agricultural production and productivity (Roychowdhury et al., 2013). Despite
the fact that the food security of India was definitely addressed by these
technologies (Charyulu and Biswas, 2010), an important setback was that the
farmers using these technologies were still had to depend upon the purchased
inputs. With manufacturing of fertilizers and pesticides as the two major inputs
of Green Revolution (GR) technologies, an important point of consideration was
the need for fossil fuels and/or expensive energy which are associated with
serious environmental and health problems. In last 50 years we are using heavy
amount of fertilizers and pesticides and we already reach on plateau and
diminishing low of return start to work (Venkateswarlu et al., 2008), so we need
to apply more input (fertilizer and pesticides) to get small raise in production
which cause second generation problem and few of such epitome examples are
some regions of Punjab (cancer belt of country) and endosulfan story of cashew
plantations area in Kerala (proving finding of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring was
published in 1962). Insecticides and herbicides in ideal condition lethal for target
group only, for non-target group and human it is safe but this principle is not
followed strictly and indiscriminate use of these chemicals put human life and
ecosystem health on verge (Aktar et al., 2009). All these thing and un-
sustainability issue associated with modern agriculture force us to look back
(Balachandran, 2004) in history to know either we are not doing any mistake by
depending on off farm inputs because crop production is a recycle system of
nature by putting too much off farm input we are making it fragile day by day.
One of such natural, recyclable and sustainable approach of farming is Organic
farming. It is the effective and cost efficient way to achieve sustainable
development in the agriculture sector (IFOAM, 2010). Organic source of nutrient
also helps to combat with the problem of multi nutrient deficiency and low
organic content in our soil which is affecting productivity of major food crops at
farmer field (Singh et al., 2017).
Organic farming is a method of farming system which primarily aimed at
cultivating the land and raising crops in such a way, as to keep the soil alive and
in good health by use of organic wastes (crop, animal and farm wastes, aquatic
wastes) and other biological materials along with beneficial microbes (bio-

Present Status and Future Prospects of Organic Farming in India 277
fertilizers) to release nutrients to crops for increased sustainable production in an
eco-friendly pollution free environment (Narayanan, 2005; Guruswamy and
Gurunathan, 2010; Makadia and Patel, 2015).
As per the definition of the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA), study team on organic farming “organic farming is a system which
avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetic inputs (such as fertilizers,
pesticides, hormones, feed additives etc.) and to the maximum extent feasible
rely upon crop rotations, crop residues, animal manures, off-farm organic waste,
mineral grade rock additives and biological system of nutrient mobilization and
plant protection”.
FAO suggested that “Organic agriculture is a unique production manage-
ment system which promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including
biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity, and this is accomp-
lished by using on-farm agronomic, biological and mechanical methods in
exclusion of all synthetic off-farm inputs”.
2. MAIN PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIC FARMING
The main principles of organic farming by (Chandrashekar, 2010) are as follows:
• To work as much as possible within a closed system, and draw upon
local resources.
• To maintain the long-term fertility of soils.
• To avoid all forms of pollution that may result from agricultural
techniques.
• To produce foodstuffs of high nutritional quality and in sufficient
quantity.
• To reduce the use of fossil energy in agricultural practice to a
minimum.
• To give livestock conditions of life that confirm to their physiological
need.
• To make it possible for agricultural producers to earn a living through
their work and develop their potentialities as human being.
All the above principles based on the four ethical principles (Principle of
Health, Principle of Care, Principle of Fairness and Principle of Ecology)
IFOAM, 2005.
3. THE MAIN PILLARS OF ORGANIC FARMING
The main pillars of organic farming (Roychowdhury et al., 2013) are as below –
• Organic threshold standards.
• Reliable mechanisms regarding certification and regulatory affairs.

278 Sustainable Agriculture
• Technology packages.
• Efficient and feasible market network.
4. ORGANIC FARMING IN INDIA
4.1. Historical background
The concept of organic agriculture is not alien to India. In fact, the first scientific
approach to organic farming dates back to the Vedas of the later Vedic period, the
essence of which is to live in harmony with, rather than exploit, Mother Nature.
There is brief mention of several organic inputs in our ancient literatures like
Rigveda, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Kautilya Arthasashthra etc. In fact, organic
agriculture has its roots in traditional agricultural practices that evolved in
countless village’s and farming communities over the millennium. Major
milestones in the area of organic farming are presented in Table 1.
Table 1. Historical perspective of organic farming in India
Ancient period Oldest practice 10000 years old, dating back to Neolithic age,
practiced by ancient civilization like Mesopotamia, Hwang-Ho
basin etc.
Ramayana All dead things - rotting corpse or stinking garbage returned to ear-
th are transformed into wholesome things that nourish life. Such is
the alchemy of mother earth - as interpreted by C. Rajagopalachari
Mahabharata
(5500 BC)
Mention of Kamadhenu, the celestial cow and its role on human
life and soil fertility.
Kautilya Artha-
shastra (300 BC)
Mentioned several manures like oil cake, excreta of animals.
Brihad-Sanhita
(by Varahmihir)
Described how to choose manures for different crops and the
methods of manuring.
Rig Veda
(2500–1500 BC)
Mention of organic manure in Ria Veda 1, 161, 10, 2500–1500
BC, is Green Manure in Atharva Veda II 8.3, (1000 BC). In Sukra
(IV, V, 94, 107–112) it is stated that to cause healthy growth, the
plant should be nourished by dungs of goat, sheep, cow, water as
well as meat. A reference of manure is also made in Vrksayurveda
by Surpala (manuscript, oxford, No 324 B, Six, 107-164)
Holy u;-an
(590 AD)
At least one third of what you take out from soils must be returned
to it implying recycling or post-harvest residue.
(Source: Bhattacharyva and Chakraborty, 2005)
More recently, Mahatma Gandhi pioneered organic farming through his
constructive programmes in several locations in India. It was the aggressive
promotion of the green revolution, which led to a reverse in the spread of the

Present Status and Future Prospects of Organic Farming in India 279
Gandhian movement’s organic farming programme. There is evidence to suggest
that small farmers, especially in the Third World, are more likely to apply
agricultural practices, such as crop rotations and mixed cropping, which are the
essential building blocks of organic farming. They also usually combine
agriculture with livestock rearing and utilize the manure to replenish the soil
fertility.
Empirical evidence further suggests that while conventional agriculture goes
better with large holdings, organic farming functions better in small farms. A
study by Gupta and Verma (1997), comparing grain production in organic vis-à-
vis conventional methods, observed that as farm size increases, the advantages of
organic rotation become less visible. Further, the study reported that on a smaller
scale, organic farming was more profitable and productive than conventional
farming.
4.2 Government initiative
The lucrative market of the developed world has so far acted as the primary
driving force behind the development of the ‘certified organic’ sector, which is
still in a nascent stage in India. According to one estimate, in 1999 merely 0.001
per cent of the total agricultural land in India was under certified organic
cultivation. It is predominantly the NGOs and people’s organizations that have
been spearheading organic agriculture movement in different parts of the country
during the last two decades.
The Government of India has set up a special cell under the Agricultural and
Processed Food Export Development Authority (APEDA) of the Ministry of
Commerce and Industries (MOCI). The MOCI has come out with the ‘National
Programme of Organic Products’ (NPOP) in 2000, and the ‘India Organic’ logo
in 2002. While these initiatives have been undertaken to promote exports of
Indian organic products, the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation has
formulated a ‘National Project on Organic Farming’ to promote organic
agriculture as part of an exercise to curb the use of chemical pesticides and make
agricultural activity more eco-friendly. Shifting to organic farming, even if it
promises higher returns in terms of better prices and international acceptability in
the long run, may not be preferred by the majority of farmers as they are
dependent on the farm for livelihood and any departure would affect them
immediately. To make majority of small farmers shift to organic farming, several
subsidies have to be given on organic inputs. Such initiatives are a step in the
right direction, but they should be weighed against the huge subsidies that the
Central Government has been providing for the production and import of
chemical fertilizers and pesticides. There is a great potential for organic farming
to flourish in this country and given an appropriate institutional and policy
framework, it will not be very difficult to promote the existing ‘de-facto organic’
farms to the category of certified organic farms. This would enable the small
farmers to take advantage of the lucrative market for certified organic products in

280 Sustainable Agriculture
the developed world, which could directly contribute towards the improvement
of their economic well-being.
4.2.1 Status of organic farming in India
Extent of Organic Area and Production
At present in the world Australia at number one position with total 12,29,290 ha
area under organic agriculture, in terms of per centage of total land Italy take first
position with 9 per cent of total agriculture land cover under organic and with
17,557 number of organic farms Germany recorded highest organic farms in the
world. India stand on 14
th
rank in the world with 528,171 ha area comes under
organic agriculture and it covers 0.3 per cent area under organic agriculture of
total agriculture land and 44,926 total number of organic farms in the country.
The Asian countries together currently account only 7 per cent of the total global
organic land, China and India being major contributors (Musa et al., 2015).
Table 2. Rank (on basis of total area) under organic agriculture
Rank
(on basis of
total area)
Country Area under
organic
agriculture (ha)
Percentage of
total agriculture
land
Number of
organic
farms
1 Australia 12,294,290 2.8 1550
2 China 2,300,000 0.4 1600
3 Argentina 2,220,489 1.7 1486
4 USA (2005) 1,620,351 0.5 8493
5 Italy 1,148,162 9.0 45,115
6 Uruguay 930,965 6.1 630
7 Spain 926,390 3.7 17,214
8 Brazil 880,000 0.3 15,000
9 Germany 825,539 4.8 17,557
10 UK 604,571 3.8 4485
11 Canada 604,404 0.9 3571
12 France 552,824 2.0 11,640
13 India 528,171 0.3 44,926
World 30,418,261 0.65 718,744
(Source: Ramesh et al., 2010)
According to APEDA 2013–14, India ranks 10
th
in the world in terms of
cultivable land under organic certification. The certified area includes 15 per cent
cultivable area with 0.72 million Hectare and rest 85 per cent (3.99 million

Present Status and Future Prospects of Organic Farming in India 281
Hectare) is forest and wild area for collection of minor forest produces. The total
area under organic certification is 4.72 million Hectare. India produced around
1.24 million MT of certified organic products which includes all varieties of food
products namely Sugarcane, Cotton, Oil Seeds, Basmati rice, Pulses, Spices, Tea,
Fruits, Dry fruits, Vegetables, Coffee and their value added products. The
production is not limited to the edible sector but also produces organic cotton
fibre, functional food products etc. Among all the states, Madhya Pradesh has
covered largest area under organic certification followed by Himachal Pradesh
and Rajasthan.
Table 3. The status of organic production in India (2013–2014)
Total area under certified organic cultivation 0.72 M ha
Forest and wild area for collection of minor forest produces 3.99 M ha
The total area under organic certification 4.7 M ha
Total production 1.24 million MT
Total quantity exported 177766 MT
Value of total export 1328.61 crores
(Source: APEDA. 2014)
Commodities produced under organic farming
Commodities produced under organic farming in India mainly include tea,
basamati rice, cardamom, black pepper, ginger turmeric, mango cashew and
herbal extracts.
Table 4. Major products produced in India by organic farming
Type Products
Commodity Tea, coffee, rice, wheat
Spices Cardamom, black pepper, white pepper, ginger, turmeric, vanilla, mustard,
tamarind, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, chili
Pulses Red gram, black gram
Fruits Mango, banana, pineapple, passion fruit, sugarcane, orange, cashew nut,
walnut
Vegetables Okra, brinjal, garlic, onion, tomato, potato
Oil seeds Sesame, castor, sunflower
Others Cotton, herbal extracts
(Source: Salvador and Katke, 2003)

282 Sustainable Agriculture
Details of herbal extracts
Table 5. Details of herbal extract commonly exported
Sr. No. Comman name Scientific name
1 SafedMusali, Dry roots Chlorophytum borivillianum
2 Ashwagandha, Dry roots Withania somnifera (Whole Powder)
3 Ginger root whole & Powder Zingiber officinale
4 Kalmegh, whole plant (leaf) Andrographis paniculata
5 Shatavari, yellow dry roots Asparagus racemosa (Powder)
6 Kapikacchu Mucuna pruriens (Seed)
7 Amalaki Emblica officinalis (Fruit no stone)
8 Haritaki Terminalia chebula (Fruit no stone)
9 Bibhitaki Terminalia belerica (Friut no stone)
10 Guduchi Tinosporia cordifolia
11 Pushkaramool Inula racemosa (Root)
12 Vacha, dry root Acorus calamus
13 Shankapushpi Canscora decussata
14 Gurmar Gymnema sylvestre
(Source: Salvador and Katke, 2003)
Products for which Indian production has a comparative advantage
India being a country with different agro-climatic zones, each state produces its
own specialty products (Shetty et al., 2014). Based on soil and climate, India is
divided into 21 agro-ecological zones. Products for which production in India has
a comparative advantage are given in Table 6.
Table 6. Products for which Indian production has a comparative advantage
Product Season States Major Locations
Tea Throughout
the year
Assam, West Bengal,
Uttranchal
Darjeeling, Guwahati,
Dehradun
Spices Throughout
the year
Kerala, Tamil Nadu,
Karnataka
Cochin, Coimbatore, Idduki,
Coorg
Coffee Throughout
the year
Kerala, Tamil Nadu,
Karnataka
Coimbatore, Coorg,
Wayanadu, Peeremade

Present Status and Future Prospects of Organic Farming in India 283
Product Season States Major Locations
Rice Kharif & Rabi Punjab, Haryana,
Assam, Maharashtra,
Tamil Nadu
Amritsar, Jalandhar, Darrang,
Ratnagiri, Kanchipuram,
Thiruvallur
Wheat Kharif & Rabi Punjab, Haryana,
Uttar Pradesh
Ambala, Patiala, Bhatinda,
Faridkot
Vegetables Throughout the year All India Various locations
Fruits Throughout the year All India Various location
Cotton Kharif Maharashtra, Gujarat
Madhya Pradesh
Akola, Amravati, Amreli,
Kheda, Indore
*Kharif and Rabi are two growing seasons in India. Kharifis essentially from May to
September and Rabi is from November to March (Source: Salvador and Katke 2003).
Besides the broad range of products and the seasonal advantages mentioned
above, India has other comparative advantages for organic production:
i. India is strong in high quality production of certain crops like tea,
some spices, rice specialties, ayurvedic herbs etc.
ii. India has a rich heritage of agricultural traditions that are suitable for
designing organic production systems. Sophisticated crop rotation or
mixed cropping patterns, for example the famous agro-forestry
systems of the Western Ghats, facilitate the management of pests,
diseases and nutrient recycling. Botanical preparations, some of which
originate from the ancient Veda scripts, provide a rich source for
locally adapted pest and disease management techniques. The
widespread cultivation of legume crops facilitates the supply of
biologically fixed nitrogen.
iii. In several regions of India agriculture is not very intensive as regards
the use of agro-chemicals. Especially in mountain areas and tribal
areas, use of agro-chemicals is rather low, which facilitates conversion
to organic production. On these marginal soils, organic production
techniques have proved to achieve comparable or in some cases
(especially in the humid tropics) even higher yields than conventional
farming.
iv. Compared to input costs, labour is relatively cheap in India, thus
favouring the conversion to less input-dependent, but more labour-
intensive production systems, provided they achieve sufficient yields.
v. The NGO sector in India is very strong and has established close
linkages to a large numbers of marginal farmers. Many NGOs are
engaged in promotion of organic farming and provide training,
extension services information and marketing services to farming
communities.

284 Sustainable Agriculture
vi. The Indian Government has realized the potential significance of
organic agriculture for the country and has recently started to support
organic agriculture on a large scale and on various levels. A national
regulatory framework (standards, accreditation regulations) has
already been passed in 2000. There are various schemes and events to
support and facilitate exports of organic products (e.g. the large
conference ‘Indian Organic Products – Global Markets’ held in Delhi
in December 2002, mainly sponsored by the Indian Government). The
Ministry of Agriculture announced that various forms of support for
organic producers, processors and traders were to be included within
the latest five-year plan.
4.2.2. Organic certification and marketing in India
4.2.2.1. Accreditation boards in India
Country has recently started to support organic agriculture on a large scale and
on various levels. A national regulatory framework (standards, accreditation
regulations) has already been passed in 2000. There are various schemes and
events to support and facilitate exports of organic products (e.g., the large
conference ‘Indian Organic Products – Global Markets’ held in Delhi in
December 2002, mainly sponsored by the Indian Government). The Ministry of
Agriculture announced that various forms of support for organic producers,
processors and traders were to be included within the latest five-year plan. The
Ministry of Commerce has identified six organisations as accreditation agencies
of organic products, they are (1) Agricultural and Processed Food Products
Export Development Authority (APEDA), (2) Tea Board, (3) Spices Board, (4)
Coconut Development Board, (5) Directorate of Cashew and Cocoa, and (6)
Coffee Board. These accreditation boards give permission to certifying agencies
for certifying organic products, following the prescribed norms. Certification
through these boards and agencies has been made compulsory, particularly for
export market, as ‘the Government of India has issued a public notice according
to which no organic products may be exported unless they are certified by an
inspection and certifying agency duly accredited by one 22 of the accreditation
agencies designated by the Government of India’ (Salvador and Katke, 2003).
Several certifying agencies are functioning in India.

Present Status and Future Prospects of Organic Farming in India 285
4.2.2.2. List of Certifying agency in India who providing certificates
Name of the Certification Agency
With Certification Mark
Name of the Certification Agency
With Certification Mark
Bureau Veritas Certification India (BVCI)
Pvt. Ltd.
Indian Organic Certification Agency
(INDOCERT)
ECOCERT India Pvt. Ltd.
Lacon Quality Certification Pvt. Ltd.
IMO Control Pvt. Ltd.
OneCert Asia Agri Certification (P) Ltd.
SGS India Pvt. Ltd.
APOF Organic Certification Agency
(AOCA)
Control Union Certification
Rajasthan Organic Certification Agency
(ROCA)

286 Sustainable Agriculture
Name of the Certification Agency
With Certification Mark
Name of the Certification Agency
With Certification Mark
Uttarakhand State Organic Certification
Agency (USOCA)
Vedic Organic Certification Agency
ISCOP (Indian Society for Certification of
Organic Products)
Chhattisgarh Certification Society, India
(CGCERT)
Food Cert India Pvt. Ltd
Tamil Nadu Organic Certification
Department (TNOCD)
Aditi Organic Certifications Pvt. Ltd
Intertek India Pvt. Ltd.
Madhya Pradesh State Organic
Certification Agency
Natural Organic Certification
Agro Pvt. Ltd.

Present Status and Future Prospects of Organic Farming in India 287
Name of the Certification Agency
With Certification Mark
Name of the Certification Agency
With Certification Mark
Biocert India Pvt. Ltd
Fair Cert Certification Services Pvt. Ltd.
Odisha State Organic Certification Agency
(OSOCA)
Gujarat Organic Products Certification
Agency (GOPCA)
Uttar Pradesh State Organic Certification
Agency
(Source: APEDA, 2014)
4.3 Big Consumers of Indian Organic Products
India exported 135 products last year (2013–14) with the total volume of 177766
MT, with total coast 1328.61 crores. In last three year trend it is found that
European Union, USA. and Canada contributes more than 91 per cent of total
export from India if Switzerland, Japan and Australia included in this list than it
cross over 96 per cent total volume exported from India are consumed by these
countries.
4.4. Export Trend
A general trend observed that U.S.A. and Canada nowadays giving fight to
European Union breaking monopoly as organic product importer from India. If
we observe last three year tend, in 2011–12 total share of European Union is 60
per cent which reduced to 42 per cent in 2013–14 but total remain same above 90
per cent for European Union, USA and Canada.

288 Sustainable Agriculture
Table 7. Export volume and value from country in last three year
2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 Countries
Export
volume
(MT)
Value
(Rs.
crores)
Export
volume
(MT)
Value
(Rs.
crores)
Export
volume
(MT)
Value
(Rs.
crores)
European Union
51138.8 505.29 82835.37 678.51 56946.72 553.85
U.S.A. 37630.23 197.94 34292.35 228.72 74942.72 498.83
Canada 19848.91 66.66 33645.80 146.05 38545.57 182.41
Switzerland 2161.51 21.04 3455.27 27.57 4306.56 33.88
Japan 232.77 8.79 199.22 11.11 309.07 16.12
Australia 349.14 5.15 468.26 6.60 749.95 14.58
Rest 4055.78 34.47 5380.68 57.25 1964.66 28.94
Total 115417.2 839.3 160276.9 1155.8 177765.2 1328.6
(Source: Ministry of Commerce and Industries, GOI, 2014)
5. FUTURE PROSPECTUS OF ORGANIC FARMING
In this India divided under two groups –

Present Status and Future Prospects of Organic Farming in India 289
5.1 Area affected by intensive agriculture (to reduce ill effect)
In this we cover North India (Punjab, Haryana and Western UP) and South India
(Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and costal Andhra Pradesh) which are affected
by intensive agriculture, indiscriminate use of off farm inputs (pesticides and
fertilizer). Main target by promoting organic farming we reduce ill effect of
intensive agriculture
5.1.1. No more cancer belt and cancer train
The Malwa region of Punjab, India, is facing an unprecedented crisis of environ-
mental health linked to indiscriminate, excessive, and unsafe use of pesticides,
fertilizers, and poor groundwater quality. The region has been described as
India's “cancer capital” due to abnormally high number of cancer cases, which
have increased 3-fold in the last 10 years. Studies of this region have also
highlighted a sharp increase in many other pesticide-related diseases, such as
mental retardation and reproductive disorders. The most affected individuals are
the agricultural workers who are directly exposed to pesticides. The Malwa
region of Punjab, India, is less than 15 per cent of the total area of Punjab (only
0.5 per cent of the total geographical area of India), but it consumes nearly 75 per
cent of the total pesticides used in Punjab. As per the 2007 State of Environment
Report prepared by the Punjab State Council for Science and Technology. The
state, in turn, uses 17 per cent of the total pesticides applied in India. The high
use of pesticides, along with environmental and social factors, is responsible for
the high concentration of pesticide residues in the food chain of this region.
Moreover, many banned and restricted pesticides are still in use in this region,
warranting strict periodical health checkups and other interventions. Though
several studies in the past decade had showed that Punjab has higher incidence of
cancer than the rest of the country, this is for the first time the state government
conducted a comprehensive door-to-door survey to quantify the problem. The
study underscores that the Malwa region, already infamed as the cancer belt, has
the highest number of cancer patients - 107 in 100,000 population. Four districts
that topped the cancer incidence list are from this region. With 136 cancer cases
per 100,000 populations, Muktsar district fares the worst. It is closely followed
by Mansa, Bathinda and Ferozepur districts. Tarn Taran district in the Majha
region has the least number of cancer patients - 41 per 100,000 people (Singh J.,
2013).
‘Cancer train’ a lifeline for stricken patients Cancer patients from various
towns of Punjab travel on this Lalgarh-Abohar-Jodhpur Train No. 339 to a
hospital in Bikaner for cheap treatment. This train famous in farming community
and locally known as cancer train. So this is the time to rethink about the our old
age practices for farming in place of depending on off farm chemical input which
will in long term collapse our health we need to aware our farmer the importance
of organic farming so they not look towards market for chemicals and also get
themselves to purchase there bad self-health and soil health by waiting in queue.

290 Sustainable Agriculture
Cancer prevalence per (100,000) peoples in Punjab (Source: Singh J. 2013)
5.1.2. No more Kerala’s Endosulfan Tragedy
What is Endosulfan?
Endosulfan is a pesticide belonging to the organochlorine group of pesticides,
under the Cyclodiene subgroup. It was introduced in the 1950’s and it emerged as
a leading chemical used against a broad spectrum of insects and mites in
agriculture and allied sectors. It is used in vegetables, fruits, paddy, cotton,
cashew, tea, coffee, tobacco and timber crops. It is also used as a wood preserv-
ative and to control tse-tse flies and termites. The chemical is out of patent and is
marketed by many different companies under a variety of names like Agrosulfan,
Aginarosulfan, Banagesulfan, Cyclodan, Endocel, Endoson, Endonit, Endomil,
Endosol, Endostar, Endodaf, Endosulfer, E-sulfan, Endorifan, Hildan, Redsun,
Seosulfan, and Thiodan. Endosulfan is a highly toxic, ubiquitous environmental
pollutant that causes long-term harm to humans and wildlife. It is widely
considered to be a Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP) and is readily absorbed by
stomach, lungs and through the skin. It has been banned in over 68 countries.
Some areas where it is banned are Belize, Singapore, Tonga, Syria, Germany, the
USA, the Brazilian state Rondonia, the UK, Sweden, Netherlands, Colombia, and
the Indian state Kerala. It is severely restricted in Australia, Bangladesh,
Indonesia, Cambodia, Japan, Korea, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Philippines, Lithuania,

Present Status and Future Prospects of Organic Farming in India 291
Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Denmark, Yugoslavia, Norway, Finland, Russia,
Venezuela, Dominica and Canada. This pesticide is classified as a Highly
Hazardous chemical by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the
European Union, as a Persistent Toxic Substance by the United Nations Environ-
mental Programme (UNEP), as a Category II - Moderately Hazardous chemical
by the World Health Organization (WHO), and as Extremely Hazardous
chemical by the Industrial Toxicological Research Centre (ITRC) in India.
However, India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of Endosulfan.
How did the disaster happen?
The endosulfan tragedy happened in Kasaragod district of Kerala in India. It is
not a well-known tragedy. It is considered by many experts in the field of
pesticide toxicity as one of the world’s worst pesticide disasters. The Plantation
Corporation of Kerala (PCK), a public sector undertaking under the State
Government, which owns three cashew plantations covering 4600 hectares in
Kasargod, sprayed endosulfan aerially in these plantations for 24 years (1976 to
2000), three times a year. These uninterrupted spraying in spite of several
warnings about its disastrous impact on health and environment has resulted in
several chronic, critical and life-threatening ailments in the areas surrounding the
plantations.
What are its impacts?
Eleven Gram Panchayats covering twelve villages (group and sub-villages) have
been severely affected. These villages are Enmakaje, Belur, Kumbadaje,
Badiadka, Muliyar, Karadukka, Periya, Pullur, Ajanur, Kallar, Panathady,
Kayyur, Cheemeni. In these villages there is a very high concentration of chronic
health complications like Mental, Physical and Behavioural disorders, Sensory
loss, Neurological ailments, Cardiovascular diseases, Congenital Anomalies,
Dermatological and Musculoskeletal disorders etc. This tragedy occurred
because a toxic chemical was used continuously in a populated area with several
(open) natural drinking water sources.
5.2. Area of de-facto organic
(maintains as such and brings under certification)
In this we cover Western India (Western Rajasthan and North Gujarat) and NE
Region Main target maintains as such and brings under certification so small
farmers to take advantage of the lucrative market for certified organic products in
the developed world In India, approximately 70 per cent of arable land, where
rainfed or dry farming is practiced, agro-chemicals are not generally used.
According to an estimate made by the Institute of Integrated Rural Development
in 2001, only one fifth of the dry land farmers in India use chemical inputs, the
rest rely on manure and green compost for maintaining soil fertility. The majority
of these people use traditional methods, often in highly heterogeneous and risk-

292 Sustainable Agriculture
prone marginal environments. In fact, given their situation, these farmers have
little choice, but to rely upon locally available natural resources to maintain soil
fertility and to combat pests and diseases. Whatever may be the reasons, the fact
is that the diverse farming systems managed by such small farmers could be
considered as organic, as they do not rely on synthetic chemical pesticides or
fertilizers and use technologies that optimize nutrient flows and use local
resources such as native seeds and traditional knowledge. In technical terms such
farms are called ‘de-facto organic’ (as distinct from certified organic) farms, i.e.,
farms that rely exclusively on natural methods of building soil fertility and
combating pests and diseases, but are not inspected and verified by any organic
certification agency.
Table 8. State wise consumption of plant nutrients per unit of gross cropped area
in N E State as compared to national average
Consumption Difference with national
average
N P
2
O
5
K
2
O Total N P
2
O
5
K
2
O Total
Arunachal Pradesh
1.9 0.8 0.3 3.0 84.3 41.1 18 143.3
Assam 34.8 14.5 18.2 67.6 51.4 27.4 0.1 78.7
Manipur 21.9 4.7 1.3 27.9 64.3 37.2 17 118.4
Meghalaya 9.0 4.5 1.4 15.0 77.2 37.4 16.9 131.3
Mizoram 16.7 19.8 9.1 45.5 69.5 22.1 9.2 100.8
Nagaland 1.6 1.0 0.3 2.9 84.6 40.9 18 143.4
Tripura 26.0 14.4 11.2 51.6 60.2 27.5 7.1 94.7
All-India 86.2 41.9 18.3 146.3
(Source: FAI, 2011-12)
5.2.1. N E region, Western India
There is a great potential for organic farming to flourish in this country and given
an appropriate institutional and policy framework, it will not be very difficult to
promote the existing ‘de-facto organic’ farms N E region, Western India to the
category of certified organic farms (Shetty et al., 2013). This would enable the
small farmers to take advantage of the lucrative market for certified organic
products in the developed world, which could directly contribute towards the
improvement of their economic well-being. In India same region like as N E
Region, Western Rajasthan Himalayan region and Chota Nagpur plateau are
naturally growing crops without fertilizer and pesticides, due to climate reason
even same farm, a single particle of urea never used in history so government
should cover these areas and reserve for organic region. Government should

Present Status and Future Prospects of Organic Farming in India 293
concentrate these areas and try to give them organic certificate at policy level so
they can get benefit of premium price of organic certification. In this direction
Sikkim declared first organic state in the country after 13 years effort from 2003
to 2016 (Indian Express, 2016; The Hindu 2016). And now government focusing
on Himalayan region adjoining to Sikkim, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer
Welfare has launched a Central Sector Scheme entitled “Mission Organic Value
Chain Development for North Eastern Region” for implementation in the states
of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Sikkim
and Nagaland, during the 12th plan period (Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer
Welfare 2016).
6. CHALLENGES OF INDIAN ORGANIC FARMING
Organic farming in the Indian context has to resolve several issues at both micro
and macro level.
6.1. Micro level issues
The micro level issues confronting organic farming include economic viability,
particularly for small and marginal farmers, marketing, etc. For example, one of
the greatest barriers for organic farming is the so-called conversion period due to
the direct and indirect costs. The conversion of a conventional farm to an organic
farm requires strictly adhering the rules and standards of production, processing
and labelling at prescribed international levels. During the conversion period all
the standards required for certifying a product as ‘organic’ must be fulfilled and
verified by a certifying agency. Costs due to things, such as information,
marketing charges, inspection, and certification expenses also increase the cost of
organic farming. For instance, fees for the inspection and certification can be
prohibitively high at Rs. 5000, since this equals the returns from agriculture for
many small farmers (Brook and Bhagat, 2004). The often reduced yields of
organic farming, as compared to conventional farming particularly during the
conversion period before soil nutrients and organic matter are replenished with
bio-fertilizers, are an additional liability to the farmer. Particularly during the
conversion period when the products are not certified as organic, and thus, they
cannot be sold at the organic market price. Farmers often incur expenditures for
things, such as farm machinery, bunding and purchase of bioinputs to augment
soil fertility and yield. In addition, various barriers like transaction costs (lack of
access to relevant knowledge on cultivation practices, market), mandatory
documentation required for inspection and certification, lack of demand in
domestic market and constraints to enter international market and institutional
factors restrict the spread of organic farming (Das, 2004).
6.2. Macro level issues
The macro challenges include impacts mainly on food security, employment, and
environment. The question of food security assumes significance considering

294 Sustainable Agriculture
potential yield reductions of organic farming vis-à-vis conventional farming
(Pandey and Singh, 2012), particularly in the two to three year conversion period.
Given India’s history of inadequate food production, it is necessary to examine
food security related issues, taking into account the large number of marginal and
small farmers, before organic farming is promoted en masse. Another macro
dimension of promoting organic farming is its impacts on rural employment.
Organic farming is expected to increase employment opportunities owing to
requirement of producing various agricultural inputs, like bio-fertilisers and bio-
pesticides, using locally available materials. The scope for increased employment
opportunities need to be assessed at the regional and national level. From the
environmental point of view, apprehensions have been raised that organic
farming might also lead to unsustainable problems, due to increased land and
water use to offset decrease in yield. Considering the Indian case, even in organic
practices water conservation must ultimately remain the paramount concern.
Considering the various challenges to the adoption of organic farming the
Working Group on Organic and Bio-dynamic Farming of the Planning
Commission (GOI, 2001b) suggested examination of some important issues for
effective promotion and practice of organic farming and sustainable agriculture.
These include economics of organic crop production, economic and environme-
ntal externalities associated with conversion to organic farming, comparative
study of chemical based and organic farming covering social, environmental and
economic costs.
7. RESEARCH FINDING
Organic farming, in spite of the reduction in crop productivity by 14.6 per cent,
provided higher net profit to farmers by 21.5 per cent compared to conventional
farming. This was mainly due to the availability of premium price (20–40 per
cent) for the certified organic produce and reduction in the cost of cultivation by
15.9 per cent. In cases, where such premium prices were not available and the
cost of cultivation was higher primarily due to purchased off-farm inputs, organic
farming was not found economically feasible (Dadhwal et al., 2011). However,
there was an overall improvement in soil quality in terms of various parameters,
viz. physical, chemical, biological properties, availability of macro- and
micronutrients, indicating an enhanced soil health and sustainability of crop
production in organic farming systems
According to Ramesh et al. (2010), A survey was made on certified organic
farms in the country to ascertain the real benefits and feasibility of organic
farming in terms of the production potential, economics and soil health in
comparison to the conventional farms, the study revealed that organic farming, in
spite of the reduction in crop productivity by 9.2 per cent, provided higher net
profit to farmers by 22.0 per cent compared to conventional farming. This was
mainly due to the availability of premium price (20–40 per cent) for the certified
organic produce and reduction in the cost of cultivation by 11.7 per cent. In
cases, where such premium prices were not available and the cost of cultivation

Present Status and Future Prospects of Organic Farming in India 295
was higher primarily due to purchased off-farm inputs, organic farming was not
found economically feasible. However, there was an overall improvement in soil
quality in terms of various parameters, viz. physical, chemical, biological
properties, availability of macro- and micronutrients, indicating an enhanced soil
health and sustainability of crop production in organic farming systems.
Table 9. Productivity of crops (t/ha) in organic versus conventional farming
State Crop Organic
farming
Conventional
farming
Per cent increase
(+)/ decrease (-
) in
organic farming
Maharashtra Vegetables 11.0 13.0 -15.3
Fruit crops 11.4 13.6 -16.1
Rice 2.0 2.5 -20.0
Wheat 1.2 1.5 -20.0
Karnataka Soybean 0.9 1.1 -18.2
Chickpea 0.8 0.8 0.0
Fruit crops 8.0 9.0 -11.1
Groundnut 1.2 1.4 -14.2
Sugarcane 120 140 -14.3
Tamil Nadu and
Pondicherry
Cotton 0.6 0.8 -25.0
Cashew 1.3 1.0 +30.0
Banana 25.0 30.0 -16.6
Mango 8.0 6.0 +33.3
Guava 20.0 23.0 -13.0
Coconut 28,250 nuts 28,750 nuts -1.7
Kerala Rice 5.0 6.0 -16.6
Pepper 1.38 1.40 -1.4
Banana 23.6 27.2 -13.2
Coconut 31,000 nuts 30,500 nuts +1.6
Coffee 1.23 1.31 -6.1
Turmeric 22.5 25.0 -10.0
Uttarakhand Rice 3.77 3.82 -1.3
Wheat 3.12 3.92 -20.4
Potato 12.0 15.0 -20.0
Mean -9.2
(Source: Ramesh et al., 2010)
According to Sahu et al. (2010), it may be concluded that majority farmers
were found in the range of high level of knowledge of organic farming practices.
The wide knowledge gapes are in the areas of organic farming practices like use

296 Sustainable Agriculture
of Ha NPV, use of trichocards, use of bio-pesticides and use of NADEP compost.
The farmers need to be made well aware about the use of such practices so that
the basic concept of organic farming and its application part could be familiar to
the farmers.
Table 10. Knowledge gap of farmers on the basis of the organic farming
practices
S.No. Organic farming
practices
Maximum
knowledge
(score)
Total obt-
ained Know-
ledge (score)
Knowledge
gap
percentage
Rank
1. Knowledge about concept of
organic farming
90
76
15.56
IX
2. Use of bio-pesticides 90
55
38.88 III
3. Use of organic manure and
crop residues
90
66
26.66 VII
4. Use of mechanical cultivation
90
61
32.22 VI
5. Use of vermicompost 90
74
17.77 VIII
6. Use of bio-fertilizers 90
58
35.55 V
7. Use of HaNPV 90
51
43.34
I
8. Use of NADEP compost 90
56
37.77 IV
9. Use of trichocards 90
53
41.12 II
Over all knowledge gap 810
550
32.10
(Source: Sahu et al., 2010)
8. CONCLUSION
According to Ramesh P. et al. (2005) the following conclusions can be drawn on
important issues regarding organic farming:
1. Large-scale conversion to organic agriculture would result in food
shortage with the present state of knowledge and technology, as the
yield reductions of organic systems relative to conventional agriculture
average 10–15 per cent, especially in intensive farming systems.
However, in traditional rainfed agriculture, organic farming has the
potential to increase the yield, since 70 per cent of total cultivable land
falls in this category. Mere 5–10 per cent increase in farm production
would definitely help to achieve the targeted growth rate of 4–5 per
cent in agricultural production in the Tenth Plan period.
2. Organic manure is an alternative renewable source of nutrient supply.
A large gap exists between the available potential and utilization of

Present Status and Future Prospects of Organic Farming in India 297
organic wastes. However, it is not possible to meet the nutrient requi-
rements of crops entirely from organic sources, if 100 per cent
cultivable land is converted to organic farming.
3. Organic farming systems can deliver agronomic and environmental
benefits both through structural changes and tactical management of
farming systems. The benefits of organic farming are relevant both to
developed nations (environmental protection, biodiversity enhance-
ment, reduced energy use and CO
2
emission) and to developing
countries like India (sustainable resource use, increased crop yields
without over-reliance on costly external inputs, environment and
biodiversity protection, etc.).
4. Organic foods are proved superior in terms of health and safety, but
there is no scientific evidence to prove their superiority in terms of
taste and nutrition, as most of the studies are often inconclusive.
5. Combination of lower input costs and favourable price premiums can
offset reduced yields and make organic farms equally and often more
profitable than conventional farms. However, studies that did not
include organic price premiums have given mixed results on
profitability. Thus it is the premium price on the organic food which
decides the economic feasibility of organic farming, at least at the
current rate of development in organic agriculture.
6. In organic farming systems, pest and disease management strategies
are largely preventive rather than reactive. In general, pest and disease
incidence is less severe in organic farms compared to conventional
farms.
In nut shell the performance of organic agriculture on production depends
on the previous agricultural management system. An over-simplification of the
impact of conversion to organic agriculture on yields indicates that:
• In industrial countries, organic systems decrease yields; the range
depends on the intensity of external input use before conversion;
• In the so-called Green Revolution areas (irrigated lands), conversion to
organic agriculture usually leads to almost identical yields;
• In traditional rain-fed agriculture (with low-input external inputs),
organic agriculture has the potential to increase yields.
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