Organic Farming

Subject: Economic Geography

Section: Agriculture

Context: The total increase in lands in India under organic cultivation was 3,59,000 hectares, according to IFOAM -Organics International data.

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India among top 3 nations in expanding organic farming in 2020
Of the world’s total 74.9 mh under organic farming, Australia has the highest at 35.7 mh. Whereas India has 2.8 mh.
In contrast, out of total 34 lakh organic producers in the world, 16 lakh farmers in India are into certified organic farming.

Organic Farming:

Organic farming is a type of agriculture or farming which avoids the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators, & livestock feed additives.
Organic farming systems rely on crop rotation, crop residues, animal manures, legumes, green manure, off-farm organic wastes & biofertilizers, mineral bearing rocks to maintain soil productivity, etc.

Organic farming in India

Sikkim became the first State in the world to become fully organic.
North East India has traditionally been organic, & the consumption of chemicals is far less than rest of the country.
Madhya Pradesh tops the list with 0.76 million ha of area under organic cultivation — that is over 27 per cent of India’s total organic cultivation area.
The top three states, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, & Maharashtra — account for about half the area under organic cultivation.
Major organic exports from India are flax seeds, sesame, soybean, tea, medicinal plants, rice & pulses.
Major exporting states: Assam, Mizoram, Manipur, & Nagaland.