RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES OF INCREASING YIELDS IN ORGANIC FARMING: A REVIEW
Dr. Irvinder Kaur
Abstract
Current organic farming does well in areas like treating animals kindly, making farms profitable, and using less pesticide. However, it usually produces less than traditional farming methods. Now, there is renewed interest in boosting the amount of food organic farming can produce to meet the needs of a growing and wealthier population, and to reduce harm caused by each unit of food made. But in the past, when yields went up, there were also some bad effects. This review looks at the possible risks and benefits of increasing yields in organic farming, especially in India. Increasing organic yields has both good and bad sides. It can help meet global food needs and make farmers earn more money, but it also brings risks like harming the environment, such as reducing the variety of living things or increasing harmful gases, and challenges like lower production compared to traditional farming and higher costs to make the food. To handle these, researchers suggest methods that make the soil healthier, like 'Evergreen Agriculture,' and developing new ways to get nutrients and control pests that support sustainability. We focus on key actions for increasing yields, including using more nitrogen, controlling weeds, diseases, and pests, feeding livestock better, and breeding plants and animals that produce more and lose less. We examine how these actions affect biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient loss, soil health, animal welfare, human nutrition and health, and farm earnings. Our study, which is the first of its kind, shows which strategies can help increase yields without causing harm and should be a top priority, and which ones need careful handling due to trade-offs.
References
- Reganold, J. P., & Wachter, J. M. (2016). Organic agriculture in the twenty-first century. Nature plants, 2(2), 1-8.
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