Organic farming: A sustainable agricultural practice

Abstract

The agriculture sector faces multiple challenges in meeting the growing food demand of an ever-increasing population. Conventional farming is one of the most widely practiced approach due to its affordability and accessibility, but it is associated with various drawbacks. A resilient and sustainable agriculture system is required to face different environmental challenges. Sustainable agriculture includes different ecofriendly farming techniques that boost crop yield and livestock production without having an adverse effect on the environment. Organic farming is one such approach that should be practiced for attaining the goal of sustainable agriculture. In simple words, organic farming can be defined as the production of plants by avoiding the use of harmful synthetic additives (fertilizers, pesticides, antibiotics etc.). Organically cultivated foodstuffs have become increasingly popular due to their numerous health benefits. India has experienced a significant expansion of organic farming and is presently one of the major organic producers in the world. Though there are some difficulties yet to be overcome in order to ensure that organic farming has a beneficial economic and health impact, it can be argued that it has a better prospect in India. This review deliberates the current state of organic farming in India along with its components, advantages, associated constraints and future potential.

Organic Agriculture in India: A Review of Current Status, Challenges, and Future Prospects

“…Since organic agriculture relies on soil health and biology, practices like crop rotation, intercropping and mixed cropping could be handy in improving soil life by boosting soil properties and associated bioactivities. Soni [8] refers to crop rotation as cultivating crops in separate farm areas to ensure no single crop would be consecutively planted in a similar area. It is a great practice to conserve and boost soil structure and nutrient levels alongside hindering soil-borne pests.…”

“…It is a great practice to conserve and boost soil structure and nutrient levels alongside hindering soil-borne pests. Also, intercropping refers to cultivating multiple crops simultaneously in the same area [9,8]. According to Yadav [10], intercropping allows farmers to cultivate at least a single high-value crop while leveraging crop combinations to suppress weeds and alleviate soil erosion.…”

“…According to Soni [8] and Yadav [10], biofertilizers are "preparations constituting latent cells or living cells of efficient strains of microorganisms that assist crops' uptake of nutrients by their interactions in the rhizosphere when applied through soil or seed." Biofertilizers include various strains of microbes such as fungi, bacteria, and algae.…”

Exploring Soil Quality Variations across Upper, Middle, And Lower Ganga Regions: Leveraging GIS & Multivariate Statistical Methods to assess Organic Farming Viability

“…It would also contribute signi cantly to the Ganga River water quality (Bowden et al, 2023). Organic farming has the potential for sustainable agriculture, but its feasibility depends on the condition of the underlying soil quality (Gamage et Soni et al, 2022). As a result, it is critical to understand the differences in soil health across the Ganga region.…”

Influence of Settlement Activities on Sustainable Households’ Livelihoods of the Inhabitants in Mount Elgon Forest, Bungoma County, Kenya

“…The use of these chemicals can lead to soil degradation, water pollution, and health risks for farmers and consumers (Bai, Zhu, Zhang, Liu, Wang, Cao & Chen, 2021). On the other hand, sustainable agricultural practices such as organic farming, crop rotation, and agroforestry can enhance soil fertility, increase yields, and promote biodiversity (Soni, Gupta, Agarwal & Mishra, 2022). Energy consumption is another anthropogenic practice that has significant impacts on sustainable household livelihoods.…”