Agrotechnology

Organic Agriculture: Prospects and Problems of Organic Farming

Daniel Tovey^* Department of Agricultual Business, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, USA
^*Correspondence: Daniel Tovey, Department of Agricultual Business, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, USA, Email:

Received: 03-Jun-2022, Manuscript No. AGT-22-17159; Editor assigned: 06-Jun-2022, Pre QC No. AGT-22-17159 (PQ); Reviewed: 20-Jun-2022, QC No. AGT-22-17159; Revised: 27-Jun-2022, Manuscript No. AGT-22-17159 (R); Published: 04-Jul-2022, DOI: 10.35248/2168-9881.22.11.267

Description

"Organic agriculture is a unique production management strategy that maintains and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity, by excluding all synthetic off-farm inputs and employing on-farm agronomic, biological, and mechanical means." "Organic farming is a production strategy that promotes soil, ecological, and human health." Rather than using harmful inputs, it depends on biological processes, biodiversity, and cycles that are tailored to local conditions. Organic farming brings together tradition, creativity, and science to assist the environment while also promoting equitable relationships and a high quality of life for everyone involved. Organic agriculture is for 'fertilizing the soil' in regular addition, where organic fertilizer increases soil health and quality. Conventional agriculture is based on the notion of fertilizing the crop, whereas organic agriculture is for 'fertilizing the soil' in regular addition. Organic manure has a lower nutrient loss due to its gradual release. Furthermore, the organic standard prohibits the use of off-farm organic fertilizer since it may include contaminants, and it is always preferable to utilize on-farm inputs to ensure organic agriculture's success.

Prospects for organic farming

Biodiversity in organic agriculture- Organic agriculture optimizes competition for food and space between diverse plant and animal species by managing locally available resources. Organic farmers' key productive "input" is manipulating the temporal and geographical distribution of biodiversity.

Organic food is becoming more popular among consumers because they feel it is tastier and better for both themselves and the environment. Organic items are more expensive, but consumers are ready to pay for their choice. Organic fruit production is more cost-effective than conventional fruit production, but it requires a higher farm gate price. Another factor that contributes to the popularity of organic products is the aversion to genetically engineered foods.

Agro-ecosystems and organic agriculture- In organic systems, disease resistance and insect predation must be extended as far as possible. Crop rotation is a key component of organic management, since it serves as a tool for pest control and soil fertility.

Over time, long-term viability- Many environmental changes are long-term and develop gradually over time. Organic agriculture analyses the agro-medium-ecosystems and long-term effects of agricultural activities. Its goal is to generate food while maintaining an ecological balance to avoid difficulties with soil fertility or pests. Rather of reacting to issues as they arise, organic agriculture adopts a proactive approach.

The growing hazard of ground water contamination from inefficient and indiscriminate fertilizer and pesticide usage warrants serious consideration. Natural pest management is used in organic agricultural methods, which eliminates these dangers. In California, it has been proven that growing organic tomatoes without synthetic pesticides does not result in greater crop losses due to pest damage. In reality, prevention is the major tactic used by organic farmers to combat pests and illnesses.

Problems of organic farming production

Due to unforeseeable circumstances that will challenge agricultural growth as a whole, organic agriculture will not advance in a bilinear fashion, but rather in response to technological innovations. Organic agriculture takes 30 years to establish in Europe, occupying 1% of agricultural fields and food markets. However, the recent food safety problem has resulted in an unanticipated expansion, with countries like as the United Kingdom now aiming to have 30 percent of organic lands in place within ten years. Economic viability, particularly for small and marginal farmers, marketing, and other micro-level difficulties confront organic farming. One of the most significant impediments to organic farming, for example, is the so-called conversion phase, which involves both direct and indirect expenditures. The conversion of a conventional farm to an organic farm necessitates stringent adherence to international production, processing, and labeling norms and standards. All of the requirements for certifying a product as "organic" must be met and validated by a certifying organization throughout the conversion period. The cost of organic farming is additionally increased by costs such as information, marketing fees, inspection fees, and certification fees.

Furthermore, organic farming is still impeded by a lack of clarity; consumers did not always understand what organic farming included and what constraints it entailed. The existence of a number of diverse "schools" or ideologies, the absence of harmonized language, the nonstandard presentation of products, and the propensity to obscure the boundaries between notions such as organic, natural, wholesome, and so on are all contributing to the confusion. Cases of fraudulent use of labels relating to organic procedures aggravated the issue.