Organic Agriculture: An Overview

Tanzila Rahman, UAO, Ramu

Tanzila Rahman and Prof. M Zahidul Haque

Britain’s King Charles III who takes interest in agriculture is an ardent appreciator of Organic Agriculture or organic farming. As a guest speaker at the Soil Association 50 th anniversary Charles criticized the techniques followed in conventional “Industrial Agriculture” system and strongly promoted organic agriculture/farming. In fact, Prince Charles made the Sandringham estate a completely organic farm when he took over its management from his father in 1985. However, after learning about Bio-dynamics and Biodynamic Agriculture during a trip to Australia, he concentrated on adopting the biodynamic system of farming which made the His Majesty King Charles III a champion of biodynamic farming.

Prof. M Zahidul Haque

Well, Biodynamic is the first modern organic agriculture developed by the Philosopher and Scientist Rudolf Steiner then in Germany. Biodynamic Agriculture is one of the Regenerative Agricultural systems. It takes the farm as a whole; it is a holistic ecological and ethical approach to farming. Biodynamics recognizes the spirit of nature. On the other hand, organic Agriculture is a crop production system that uses no synthetic or chemical components, such as, chemical fertilizers and pesticides; instead, it uses natural biological fertilizers from plants and recycled animal wastes plus compost for ensuring plant growth.

Organic agriculture often imports organic inputs from outside the farm but Biodynamic farming use external inputs; it uses only inputs generated inside the farm. In both the systems, healthy vegetables and fruits are grown.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) defined Organic Agriculture as “a holistic production management system which promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity”. Organic farming reduces carbon emissions, and reloads natural ecosystems for cleaner air and water. Organic agriculture increases the involvement of women in agriculture; women act as the essential labor force for implementing the objective of organic farming by actively associating them in the process of growing chemical toxin-free organic foods.

Organic Agriculture is more environment-friendly. Conventional agriculture causes environmental damage, soil erosion, deforestation, wetlands drainage. Air pollution, etc. Excess and indiscriminate use of pesticides in conventional farming led to the entry of harmful compounds into the food chain.

Organic Agriculture is practiced in more than 187 countries around the globe. Australia has the largest organic agricultural operation in the world; currently it accounts for 35 million certified organic hectares which is 54% of the world’s organic agriculture land. Other countries with most organic agriculture are Argentina, China, India and the United States.

In Bangladesh, organic agriculture is gaining popularity because the organic foods including vegetables and fruits are safe and pesticide-free. However, only 0.01% of the potential agricultural land in Bangladesh is under organic farming. 

Although adoption of organic farming is rather slow but fresh and authentic organic products are being marketed through several e-commerce outlets.

Farmers in Bangladesh are poor and yet to learn the techniques of growing organic crops plus have less access to credit and market. So, they are yet to accustom to organic agriculture.

Every good thing has some negative sides and same is applicable to organic agriculture. The production cost for growing organic crop is high. Organic Agriculture is labor intensive too. Farmers do not get as much return from organic farming as conventional agriculture do. Organic crops are easily attacked by pest and diseases and slow down production. Organic fertilizers often contaminated by heavy metals or chemical compounds that are harmful to human health. Sometimes organic foods cause allergies.

Organic farming cannot be taken as the main farming system by any country. For instance, by banning synthetic fertilizers, and adopting the system of organic farming, Sri Lanka’s agriculture and food production sustained a serious set-back.

In a world where a huge amount of food is required to feed the ever increasing population, Organic Agriculture cannot be adopted as the only system for producing food crops. However, organic agriculture may be practiced for growing high-value organic foods for export and for domestic consumption by growing organic vegetables and fruits on homestead and roof-top gardens.

(Tanzila Rahman (BCS-Agri) is Upazila Agriculture Officer, Ramu, Cox’s Bazar and Prof. M Zahidul Haque retired as Professor and was also a former Dean of Faculty of Agriculture at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka.)