S S R A N AS R S C I E N T I S T

Relevance in Present Context

� There is one issue that concerns every human being-Food. Food safety and quality issues have received greatattention in recent years.

� Besides food, environment/ecology/Global warmingissues are importance.

� During the last two decades, there has been a significantsensitization of the global community towardsenvironmental preservation and assuring of food quality.

� Ardent promoters of organic farming consider that it canmeet both these demands and become the mean forcomplete development of rural areas.

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Relevance in present context

Global warming/Climate change?

� Means any long term significant change in the averageweather that a given region experiences including averagetemperature, precipitation and wind patterns.

� These changes happen over durations ranging from decadesto millions of years and normally caused by dynamicprocesses on earth, external forces including variation insunlight intensity and more recently by human activities. Inthe recent usage, especially in the context of environmentalpolicy the term climate change often refers to changes inmodern climate (global warming).

� It is important to note that climate change is attributeddirectly or indirectly to human activity.

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Relevance in present context

Global warming/climate change-Causes

� Green house gas emissions

� A report of the Intergovernment Panel onClimate Change (IPCC, 1995) estimatedthat 20% of the greenhouse effect isrelated to agricultural activities.� Therefore, producers, scientists and

planners are faced with a challenge toincrease agricultural production withoutaccentuating risks of GHG emissions.

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Relevance in present context

� In this regard, the management of soilresources, in general, and that of the soilorganic carbon (SOC), in particular, isextremely important.� Soil resources of the world may be the

key factor in the creation of an effectivecarbon sink and mitigation of thegreenhouse effect.

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Relevance in present context

Main sources of ‘direct’ GHG emissions in the agricultural sector in 2005

� According to the IPCCagriculture currentlyaccounts for 10-12% ofglobal greenhouse gas(GHG) emissions and thisfigure is expected to risefurther.

� GHGs attributed toagriculture by the IPCCinclude emissions fromsoils, enteric fermentation(GHG emissions from thedigestion process ofruminant animals), riceproduction, biomass burningand manure management .

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Relevance in present context

Other ‘indirect’ sources of GHG emissions

� Changes in natural vegetation and traditional land use, including deforestation and soil degradation.

� Soil carbon losses caused by agriculture account for one tenth of total CO2 emissions attributable to human activity since 1850.

� Deforestation is a common land-preparation practice in many agricultural regions that leads to massive loss of carbon stocks and massive CO2 emissions.

� The world’s soil is however a major store of carbon –approximately three times the amount in the air and five times as much in forests.

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Relevance in present context

Contribution of the HKH countries to global greenhouse gas emissions

84.3

0.2

0.01

11.2

3.8

0.10.5

Other countries

Bangladesh

Bhutan

China

India

Nepal

PakistanSix countries in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region have prepared greenhouse gas inventories (Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan). Together these countries emit approximately 17% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions (right above), which is low compared with their area and population (right below). The average emissions from the HKH part of these countries is likely to be much lower than the country average as the mountain regions are sparsely populated and much less industrialised. There is a considerable disparity between the countries with China emitting 12% of the global total, India 4%, and Bhutan acting as a net sink. The emissions from these countries are expected to increase further with future economic growth (UNFCC). (The relative values are approximate as the inventories refer to different years)

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Effects of Global warming/climate change

� Less water� Glacial lake outburst floods� Floods and drought � Ecosystem services� People’s well-being

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Relevance in present context

Organic farming: in relation to climate change

Relevance in present context

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� With the right type of agriculture, emissions leading to climate change can be minimized and the ca­pacity of nature to mitigate climate change can be harnessed to sequestrate significant quantities of atmospheric carbon dioxide – especially in the soil. Organic agriculture affordably captures carbon from the air and effectively stores it in the soil in high levels for long-periods. Global adoption of Organic Agriculture has the potential to sequester up to the equivalent of 32% of all current man-made GHG emissions (Jordan et al 2009).

Organic farming and climate change

Relevance in present context

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� The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UnitedNations (FAO) regards Organic Agriculture as aneffective strategy for mitigating climate change andbuilding robust soils that are better adapted to extremeweather conditions associated with climate change(Niggli et al 2009).

� The IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report also recommendsthe use of practices which are standard in OrganicAgriculture for mitigating climate change. OrganicAgriculture optimally combines these different practicesin a systematic manner and sustains agriculturalproduction in resource-limited regions (Smith et al2007).

Crop residue and its role in soil organic carbon management

� There is a potential for C sequestration throughmanagement of crop residues. Assuming the meancarbon content of 45%, total carbon assimilatedannually in the crop residue is about 1.5 Pg in theworld. If 15% of the carbon assimilated in theresidue can be converted to humus fraction, it maylead to carbon sequestration at the rate of 0.2 Pg/yror 5.0 Pg of cumulative C sequestration in the worldby the year 2020. Assuming soil bulk density of 1.5Mg/m3, an increase of 5.0 Pg of C in world arableland area of 1500 x 106 ha to 1-m depth wouldincrease mean SOC content of 0.001%/yr. These arerealistically attainable goals.

Relevance in present context

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� After almost a century of development organicagriculture is now being embraced by themainstream and shows great promisecommercially, socially and environmentally.� While there is continuum of thought from earlier

days to the present, the modern organic movement isradically different from its original form.� It now has environmental sustainability at its core in

addition to the founders concerns for healthysoil, healthy food and healthy people.

Relevance in present context

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� The relevance and need for an eco-friendlyalternative farming system arose from the ill effectsof the chemical farming practices adopted worldwideduring the second half of the last century.� The negative effects of modem chemical based

farming system were first experienced by thosecountries, which introduced it initially.� So, naturally, it was in those countries organic

farming was adopted in relatively large scales.

Relevance in present context

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� There are very large number of organizationspromoting the organic farming movement inEuropean countries, America, Australia and rest ofthe world.� These organizations, for example, IFOAM and

Greenpeace have studied the problems of thechemical farming methods and compared thebenefits accruing to the organic farming with theformer.� Organic farming movements have since spread to

Asia and Africa too.

Relevance in present context

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� The need for organic farming in India arises from theun-sustainability of agriculture production and thedamage caused to ecology through the conventionalfarming practices.� The present system of agriculture which we call

'conventional' and practiced the world over evolvedin the western nations as a product of their socio-economic environment which promoted an overriding quest for accumulation of wealth.� This method of farming adopted by other countries is

inherently self destructive and unsustainable.

Relevance of organic agriculture under different farming situations

Relevance in present context

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� Rainfed and Dry land areas, � Hilly areas� Irregular monsoons, � Dwindling cattle population

Marketing and export potential of organic products

� Since 1990, the market for organic products hasgrown from nothing, reaching $51 billion in 2008.This demand has driven a similar increase inorganically managed farmland. Approximately35,200,000 hectares (87,000,000 acres) worldwideare now farmed organically, representingapproximately 0.8% of total world farmland (2008).In addition, as of 2008 organic wild products areharvested on approximately 31 million hectares.

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Relevance in present context

Present Status In India (as per 2008-09 records)

1. Total production 1,811,111 M.T.2. Total quantity exported 53918 M.T.3. Value of total export INR 591 cores 4. Total area under certified organic

cultivationFull organicIn conversionTotal

757978.71 ha327669.74 ha

1085648.45 ha

5. Number of Farmers Full organicIn conversionTotal

351297246576597873

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Relevance in present context

Major products produced in India by organic farming

Type of Product

Products

Commodity Tea, Coffee, Rice, WheatSpices Cardamom, Black pepper, white pepper,

Ginger, Turmeric, Vanilla, Tamarind, Clove, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Mace, Chili

Pulses Red gram, Black gramFruits Mango, Banana, Pineapple, Passion

fruit, Sugarcane, , Cashew nut, WalnutVegetables Okra, Brinjal, Garlic, Onion, Tomato,

PotatoOil seeds Mustard, Sesame, Castor, SunflowerOthers Cotton, Herbal extracts

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Relevance in present context

Major organic products exported from India

Product Sales(tons)

Product Sales (tons)

Tea 3000 Wheat 1150Coffee 550 Pulses 300Spices 700 Oil seeds 100Rice 2500 Fruits and

vegetables1800

Cashew nut 375 Cotton 1200Herbal products 250 Total 11925

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Overview for World Market for organic food & beverages in 2000 (estimates)

Markets % of total food sales

% Expected growth - Medium term

Germany 1.6-1.8 10-15U.K. 1.0-2.5 15-20Italy 0.9-1.1 10-20France 0.8-1.0 10-15Switzerland 2.0-2.5 10-15Denmark 2.5-3.0 10-15Austria 1.8-2.0 10-15Netherlands 0.9-1.2 10-20Sweden 1.0-1.2 15-20Belgium 0.9-1.1 10-15U.S.A. 1.5-2.0 20

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Relevance in present context

Existing conventional export market for Indian producers for particular productProspective market for Indian organic products

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Relevance in present context

Domestic Market

Product % Projected Growth in the 5 next Years

Product % Projected Growth in the 5

next YearsSpices (all) 14 Pineapple 5Pepper 5 Herbal

extracts7

Turmeric 4.5 Cotton 7Tea 13 Coffee 5Rice 10 Oil seeds 5Fruits (all) 8 Honey 5Banana 15 Groundnut 5Mango 5 Baby food 5Orange 5 Coconut 5

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