Excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides as a mean of intensive cultivation to boost up our food production have caused considerable damages to our soil health and the environment. This has been criticized recently by many environmentalists.  This has focused the attention of several experts in ecologically sound viable and sustainable farming systems, known as organic farming. Organic farming is a technique, which involves cultivation of plants and rearing of animals in natural ways. This process involves the use of biological materials, avoiding synthetic substances to maintain soil fertility and ecological balance thereby minimizing pollution and wastage. In other words, organic farming is a farming method that involves growing and nurturing crops without the use of synthetic based fertilizers and pesticides. Also, no genetically modified organisms are permitted.

It relies on ecologically balanced agricultural principles like crop rotation, green manure, organic waste, biological pest control, mineral and rock additives. Organic farming make use of pesticides and fertilizers if they are considered natural and avoids the use of various petrochemical fertilizers and pesticides.

International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), an international organization established in 1972 for organic farming organizations defines goal of organic farming as: “Organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a good quality of life for all involved…”

Key Features of Organic Farming:

  • Protecting soil quality using organic material and encouraging biological activity
  • Indirect provision of crop nutrients using soil microorganisms
  • Nitrogen fixation in soils using legumes
  • Weed and pest control based on methods like crop rotation, biological diversity, natural predators, organic manures and suitable chemical, thermal and biological intervention
  • Rearing of livestock, taking care of housing, nutrition, health, rearing and breeding
  • Care for the larger environment and conservation of natural habitats and wildlife

Four Principles of Organic Farming:

  1. Principle of Health: Organic agriculture must contribute to the health and well being of soil, plants, animals, humans and the earth. It is the sustenance of mental, physical, ecological and social well being. For instance, it provides pollution and chemical free, nutritious food items for humans.
  2. Principle of Fairness: Fairness is evident in maintaining equity and justice of the shared planet both among humans and other living beings. Organic farming provides good quality of life and helps in reducing poverty. Natural resources must be judiciously used and preserved for future generations.
  3. Principle of Ecological Balance: Organic farming must be modeled on living ecological systems. Organic farming methods must fit the ecological balances and cycles in nature.
  4. Principle of Care: Organic agriculture should be practiced in a careful and responsible manner to benefit the present and future generations and the environment.

As opposed to modern and conventional agricultural methods, organic farming does not depend on synthetic chemicals. It utilizes natural, biological methods to build up soil fertility such as microbial activity boosting plant nutrition. Secondly, multiple cropping practiced in organic farming boosts biodiversity which enhances productivity and resilience and contributes to a healthy farming system. Conventional farming systems use mono cropping that destroys the soil fertility.

Reasons For Organic Farming:

The population of the planet is skyrocketing and providing food for the world is becoming extremely difficult. The need of the hour is sustainable cultivation and production of food for all. The Green Revolution and its chemical based technology are losing its appeal as dividends are falling and returns are unsustainable. Pollution and climate change are other negative externalities caused by use of fossil fuel based chemicals. In spite of our diet choices, organic food is the best choice you’ll ever make, and this means embracing organic farming methods. Here are the reasons why we need to take up organic farming methods:

  1.  To accrue the benefits of nutrients

Foods from organic farms are loaded with nutrients such as vitamins, enzymes, minerals and other micro-nutrients compared to those from conventional farms. This is because organic farms are managed and nourished using sustainable practices. In fact, some past researchers collected and tested vegetables, fruits, and grains from both organic farms and conventional farms.

The conclusion was that food items from organic farms had way more nutrients than those sourced from commercial or conventional farms. The study went further to substantiate that five servings of these fruits and vegetables from organic farms offered sufficient allowance of vitamin C. However, the same quantity of fruits and vegetable did not offer the same sufficient allowance.

  1.  Stay away from GMOs-

Statistics show that genetically modified foods (GMOs) are contaminating natural foods sources at real scary pace, manifesting grave effects beyond our comprehension. What makes them a great threat is they are not even labeled. So, sticking to organic foods sourced from veritable sources is the only way to mitigate these grave effects of GMOs.

  1.  Natural and better taste-

Those that have tasted organically farmed foods would attest to the fact that they have a natural and better taste. The natural and superior taste stems from the well balanced and nourished soil. Organic farmers always prioritize quality over quantity.

  1. Direct support to farming-

Purchasing foods items from organic farmers is a surefire investment in a cost-effective future. Conventional farming methods have enjoyed great subsidies and tax cuts from most governments over the past years. This has led to the proliferation of commercially produced foods that have increased dangerous diseases like cancer. It’s time governments invested in organic farming technologies to mitigates these problems and secure the future. It all starts with you buying food items from known organic sources.

  1.  To conserve agricultural diversity-

These days, it normal to hear news about extinct species and this should be a major concern. In the last century alone, it is approximated that 75 percent of agricultural diversity of crops has been wiped out. Slanting towards one form of farming is a recipe for disaster in the future. A classic example is a potato. There were different varieties available in the marketplace. Today, only one species of potato dominate.

This is a dangerous situation because if pests knock out the remaining potato specie available today, we will not have potatoes anymore. This is why we need organic farming methods that produce disease and pest resistant crops to guarantee a sustainable future.

  1. To prevent antibiotics, drugs, and hormones in animal products-

Commercial dairy and meat are highly susceptible to contamination by dangerous substances. A statistic in an American journal revealed that over 90% of chemicals the population consumes emanate from meat tissue and dairy products. According to a report by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a vast majority of pesticides are consumed by the population stem from poultry, meat, eggs, fish and dairy product since animals and birds that produce these products sit on top of the food chain.

This means they are fed foods loaded with chemicals and toxins. Drugs, antibiotics, and growth hormones are also injected into these animals and so, are directly transferred to meat and dairy products. Hormone supplementation fed to farmed fish, beef and dairy products contribute mightily to ingestion of chemicals. These chemicals only come with a lot of complications like genetic problems, cancer risks, growth of tumor and other complications at the outset of puberty.

Organic Agriculture: A promising sector for income generation in Nepal:

The farm production system in Nepal is highly integrated and interlinked, and is characterized by subsistence farming. The majority of the farming communities have extremely small landholdings of less than 0.5 ha. Farming in Nepal has always been based on production techniques that are healthy and promote healthy existence of inter-related elements of the ecosystem – soil, plants, animals and people. Synthetically produced fertilizers and pesticides have hardly been used or never been used in the case of some hill areas in Nepal. The advent of commercialization of agriculture has exacerbated environmental problems and to top it up climate change is affecting communities who already have limited options for coping with adverse weather conditions. Therefore farmers are now exploring farming systems that can help to produce more from the available land, water and labor resources without either ecological or social harm, and increase their resilience to climate change. Organic agriculture represents one such potential area that is gaining momentum in economic, health and environmental aspects.

There is growing trend among urbanites for organic products, especially vegetables. An increase in purchasing power, education and awareness about health and quality of organic foods and the willingness to pay for healthy foods among consumers have increased the demand for organically cultivated vegetables in urban areas. This has also resulted in a vague mechanism of organic pricing and premiums although there is no established framework for organic product pricing. Market practices of organic agriculture in Nepal show individual farmers, entrepreneurs and cooperatives that are taking the practice forward as a remunerative enterprise. For example, one of the organic farm entrepreneurs in Nepal – Mr. Prem Lama of Aashapuri Organic Farm, Sanga, who has been farming about 5 hectares of land, is selling about 300 kg of organic products daily and generating more than NRs. 500,000 (US $6,250) a month. He is providing more than 50 organic products including ground apple, shitake mushrooms, cauliflower, cabbage and cucumber to restaurants and star hotels in Kathmandu. He has also been exporting asparagus, ground apple and mushrooms to Singapore. Currently there are also many private companies like Organic village, Kheti bazaar, Organic World and Fair Future working in partnership with local farmers and bringing organic products from different parts of the country to the Kathmandu Valley. In addition, many organic shops specially targeting the elite society and tourists are increasing in Kathmandu and Pokhara.

As the organic agriculture sector is gaining momentum in Nepal, it also possesses a great scope for its competitiveness, as Nepal is home to many potential products, namely spices, essential oils and medicinal plants, fresh fruits and vegetables. A significant area of agricultural land in Nepal is also organic by default, and is gradually increasing. The enabling environment for the sector also seems to be favorable in Nepal with the recent establishment of the National Organic Agriculture Accreditation body (NOAAB) and the National Coordination Committee for Organic Agriculture Production and Processing System (NCCOAPPS), and policies supporting organic agriculture. The National standard for organic agriculture has also been established and endorsed by the government, and working guidelines for two certification systems (Internal Control System and Participatory Guarantee System) are being developed, both of which will serve as an important instrument for taking advantage of the international and domestic markets. The latter is a certification scheme particularly for small farmers whose products are of high demand in the local market, but who cannot meet the high cost of certification.

The role of organic agriculture in enhancing soil fertility and nitrogen inputs and addressing food security is well known. A participatory assessment of the organic agriculture conducted by ANSAB based on current price rates and growth potential also shows that the sector possesses high prospective of income generation in the peri-urban areas. In addition it can involve youth and thus reduce the current alarming rate of youth migration to urban areas and abroad in search of better livelihood opportunities and higher incomes.

Difficulties in organic agriculture in Nepal:

  • Lack of organic inputs such as seeds, bio – fertilizers and bio – pesticides.
  • Lack of government initiatives, plan, policies and assistance.
  • Lack of adequate information of different aspects such as advantages of organic farming and the organic products, crops and area on organic cultivation , technology , marketing , suppliers of input , etc.
  • Organic farming is a labor intensive farming. So, in the urban areas where there is scarcity of labor, the cost of cultivation may be high.
  • The misconception of the people that, “organic agriculture is not a feasible option to improve food security “.
  • Awareness: There is lack of awareness about the organic farming and the organic products amongst consumers and producers.

How to promote Organic farming in Nepal?

  • The policy and program should emphasize the organic food rather than the market and the business oriented agricultural system.
  • The cost of production is high and Nepalese farmers cannot compete with the international market. Hence Government must provide support to the organic farmers in order to minimize the cost of mass production. Subsidy must be provided based upon the volume of production in order to motivate the farmers for easy marketing of the products.
  • Due to the lack of awareness, consumers are not convinced for the premium price of the organic product. Therefore farmers need to compete in the international market. Arrangement of the subsidy in price and insurance of the production is the biggest incentive for the farmers. There should be separate and interrelated networking of training, research and technology development, verification and extension of organic agriculture for its development.
  • Organic certification is important for the exportable organic product but, small farmers cannot afford the additional costs as well as the time consuming certification process. There is a need of a packaged program so that a farmer can be self equipped and prepared for the process of certification.
  • There are limited courses and activities on organic farming at school, universities and training institutions. As a result, extension services have usually faced problems of trained professionals on organic agriculture. Thus, incorporation of courses related to organic production is necessary in the education programs of primary and secondary school level, universities and training institutions for developing professionals in this field.