ORGANIC FARMING A PROFESSION FOR SELF HELP GROUPS (SHGs)

Manighandan V & Anandha Lakshmi S

(Full-Time MBA Students)
Dr. C. Selvaraj. Assistant Professor
Department of Management Sciences,
Velammal Engineering College, Chennai 600 066
E-mail id- manighandanvenkat@gmail.com, anandhi95.leo@gmail.com

Abstract
Being a human is so proud that to eating fresh produce is perhaps our only interaction with nature. It refers how the
farmers grow and process agricultural products and other vegetables.
Agriculture is the backbone of our Indian economy and in that organic farming is a sustainable alternative to
conventional farming. Organic food production is one of the highest growth sectors in the global food industry.
Main factor affecting the organic farming will be political, economical, social, technological environment and legal.
The adaptation of organic farming has a positive and significant impact on human life. This paper will focus on the
Organic Farming as a Profession for SHGs.

1. Introduction
The word ORGANIC refers to way farmers grow and process agriculture products,
without using toxic, Persistent, Pesticide and Fertilizers, which are known to contaminate soil,
air, water and food such as fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy products. By training emergent
farmers to farm organically, it will create self employment opportunities which alleviate poverty.
Organic farming does not use any type of harmful chemicals to keep pests away, unlike the
majority of industrial farming. They use all natural methods that do not harm the consumer or the
environment that they are grown in. Herbicides, pesticides, and artificial growth hormones are all
forbidden on an organic farm. Fruits and vegetables that are organically raised have a much
better taste than other mechanically farmed ones. This is due to the fact that they are given a
much longer time to develop and are not pumped with artificial things. Empowerment of women
and reduction of household debts of Self Help Groups can be possible through organic farming

activities. Integration of family farming activities in a specific geographical area are providing
assured quantitative production of crops for localized value addition and marketing
opportunities.
2. Factors Influencing Organic Firm:

It is a form of system that is considered by some to have beneficial impacts on the future
sustainability of agriculture. Some researchers had studied the attitudes of consumers and
farmers, in particular what factors influence the willingness of consumers to pay organic
premiums and what factors influence farmers to adopt organic farming. They also given the key
role that agricultural professionals play in influencing farmer adoption of agricultural
innovations and conducting research their views on farming system may be critical for overall
adoption. The study had conducted by them in 2004 with 185 agricultural professionals surveyed
for their views towards organic farming. Their particular aim is to study how increased
knowledge and experience influenced attitudes towards organic agriculture. Their study finds
support for the hypothesis that professionals with increased organic knowledge and experience
are more likely favorably about organic agriculture. This study shows a clear idea about how
organic farming has been influenced among farmers. Since farmers plays a vital role in
agriculture they should not influenced by negative attitudes and their aim towards on willingness
in cultivation in organic should be less than their aiming on profits.

2.1 Advantages of Organic Farming

Consumer Benefits
Nutrition
The nutritional value of food is largely a function of its vitamin and mineral content. In this
regard, organically grown food is dramatically superior in mineral content to that grown by
modern conventional methods. Because it fosters the life of the soil organic farming reaps the
benefits soil life offers in greatly facilitated plant access to soil nutrients. Healthy plants mean
healthy people, and such better nourished plants provide better nourishment to people and
animals alike.
Poison-free
A major benefit to consumers of organic food is that it is free of contamination with health
harming chemicals such as pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. As you would expect of
populations fed on chemically grown foods, there has been a profound upward trend in the
incidence of diseases associated with exposure to toxic chemicals in industrialized societies.
Food Tastes Better
Animals and people have the sense of taste to allow them to discern the quality of the food they
ingest.
Food Keeps Longer
Organically grown plants are nourished naturally, rendering the structural and metabolic integrity
of their cellular structure superior to those conventionally grown. As a result, organically grown
foods can be stored longer and do not show the latters susceptibility to rapid mold and rotting.
Grower Benefits
A healthy plant grown organically in properly balanced soil resists most diseases and insect
pests. This was proven by US doctor and soil nutrition pioneer Dr Northern who conducted many
experiments to test the hypothesis during the 1930s.

Disease and Pest Resistance

Weed Competitiveness

Lower Input Costs

Drought Resistance
Added Value

3. Factors Affecting Organic Firm:

Organic forming is sustainable alternative to conventional farming. Reason for this has
been known that because of increased number of population along with several calamities, that
has been led to food scarcity in the country. As a result, the government was forced to import
food grains from foreign countries to increase the food security and productions because of this
Hybrid seeds were introduced. But at that time none of them had realized that this is a temporary
relief for them. As the time went by the extensive dependence on chemical farming has shown its
darker side. It had been named as Green Revolution. Very soon they started feeling that their soil
has lost its fertility and it required large amount of fertility where they had been pushed to get
large or high cost of pesticides to cultivate. It was a major impact created by Green Revolution.

The will be the indicators of Environment impact. It based on two types they are:
Means-based, Effect-based. Where Means-based which is based on the production

methods and Effect-based which is the impact that farming methods have on farming system
on emission to the environment.

4. Environmental Constraints

Soil quality
Water quality
Sedimentation
Nutrients
Irrigation
Health issues
Atmospheric deposition
Resource need
Certification
Social acceptance

Main Principle of Organic Farming:

The main principles of organic farming are the followings:
i)

To work as much as possible within a closed system, and draw upon local resources.

ii)

To maintain the long-term fertility of soils.

iii)

To avoid all forms of pollution that may result from agricultural techniques.

iv)

To produce foodstuffs of high nutritional quality and sufficient quantity.

v)

To reduce the use of fossil energy in agricultural practice to a minimum.

vi)

To give livestock conditions of life that confirm to their physiological need.

vii)

To make it possible for agricultural producers to earn a living through their work and
develop their potentialities as human being.

5. Current Status of Organic Farming

India is bestowed with lot of potential to produce all varieties of organic products due to its
various agro climatic regions. An inherited tradition of organic farming in several states of the
country is an added advantage. This holds the promise for organic producers to tap the market
which is steadily growing (15 to 25 %) in the domestic market related to the export market.
Farmers living in lands untainted by pollutants and away from the hassles of modernity and are
rediscovering the benefits of traditional and holistic farming that maintains soil health and biodiversity. Currently India ranks 33rd in terms of total land under organic cultivation and 88 th in
terms of the ratio of agricultural land under organic crops to total farming area. Presently the land
under organic cultivation is 4.43 million Ha and its increasing at steady rate and rest are minor
forest produce (wild collection) in an area about 3.65 million Ha. India exported more than 300
organic products under 19 categories for a volume of 69837 MT realizing value of USD 157
million (2010-11). The major products exported were cotton & textiles-17363 MT (25 %),
basmati (5243 MT) and non basmati rice (1634 MT) (10%), Oil crops-17966 MT (26%) except
sesame-2409 MT (3%), Process foods -8752 MT (13 %), tea-2928 MT & coffee (5%), honey2408 MT (3%), dry fruits -1472 MT (2%), spices, medicinal plants and their processed products,
miscellaneous (13%). The other products categories (5%) are cereals, spices, medicinal and

herbal plants, coffee, vegetables, aromatic oil and pulses. 44 % of the organic products were
exported to Europe followed by Canada (22%), USA (19%) and Asia (13%).
5.1 Government Support for Organic Farming:
Nowadays Government of India has introduced the Capital investment scheme for
commercial production units for organic/biological inputs is being implemented by the
Department of Agriculture and Corporation through National Centre of Organic Farming
(NCOF) in collaboration with NCDC. The main objective of the scheme is to improve Organic
farming and productivity while maintaining the soil health and environment safety in our
country. National Project on Organic Farming (NPOF) is a continuing central sector scheme
since 10th five year plan. Planning Commission approved the scheme as PILOT Project. The
scheme is continuing in the 12th plan.
Other Universities in States like Michigan State University, University of Florida,
Washington State of University and Colorado State University are the first to offer either a major
or a certificate program in organic agriculture. Their courses of study will also include classroom
and hands-on experiment learnings, as graduates look towards carrier in organic farming,
certification, marketing, manufacturing food projects or sustainable agriculture.
6. Organic Farming as profession for Self Help Groups
One of the major issues of developing countries is the problem of unemployment especially for a
large sector of less skilled group. Organic farming requires over 15% more labor than traditional
farming and therefore provides rural job opportunities. Some of the commonly used organic
farming techniques such as strip farming, non-chemical weeding, and production, collection and
transportation of organic supplements all requires significant labor. The labor scarcity and cost

involved therein, may constrain adoption of organic farming in developed countries and also for
cash-poor farmers in developing countries. However, for countries like India, labor as well as the
cost involved therein is not a constraint. Instead, organic farming can generate employment
opportunity for a vast section of rural communities like self help groups. In India, women
constitute an important component of labor work force in agriculture. Thus, the variations in
nature of works and in planting and harvesting schedules may provide more work opportunities
for rural women and a more evenly distributed and stabilized employment opportunity for male
agricultural labor. It self help groups engaged in organic farming busy throughout the year with
crops such as wheat, hairy vetch cover, rice and summer crops and mechanical weed control. In
conventional farming more labors are required during spring and fall, providing only part-time
job opportunity. Thus, the organic farming addresses the concept of cost-effectiveness also.
Organic farming by SHG will create self-employment opportunities and providing training to the
rural youth. It will provide support to Agriculture Sector to make it scientific more rewarding and
more employment generating that will help in eradication of poverty, give work and employment
to such rural youth, which is otherwise unutilized.
7. Conclusion

Last four decades of the 20th Century, the global population doubled itself from 3 to 6 billion
and it is estimated that by the year 2020, it will reach the 8 billion mark. It has also been noticed
that the volume of population from 3000 BC to 1950 is almost same or less from 1950 to 2030.
It means that the galloping explosion of population has been made during last 5-6 decades only.
Food and nutritional security is therefore a serious global concern. Neither conventional farming
with inorganic alone nor organic farming only with the use organic input can face this challenge.

The combination of organic and inorganic is undoubtedly the best option as on today unless the
existing dietary system is changed.
Sales of organic food have grown by 20 percent annually. Demand for organic food is likely to
grow, experts say, because consumers are more likely to see organically grown food as a healthy
and nutritious option to conventionally grown products, studies show.
A recent study by the Hartman Group, a market research firm that tracks healthy food sales and
trends, found that traditional motives to buy organic-concern for the environment-have been
eclipsed by concerns about health and food safety. Thus, it will definitely create greater business
opportunity for self help groups for their livelihood by exploring the opportunities in Organic
Farming.
References:

yourstory.com/2014/03/indian-agriculture-future
knowledgeshower.blogspot.in/2013/07/present-status-of-organic-farming.html
thetechpanda.com/2013/12/19/agriculture-startups-india
99businessideas.com/50-most-profitable-agriculture-business-ideas/
Journal of Scientific Research Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi Vol. 56, 2012 : 47-72 ISSN : 0447-9483
Jitendra Pandey and Ashima Singh Environmental Science Division, Centre of Advanced Study
www.thealternative.in/business/10-technological-innovations-revolutionizing-indian-agriculture