Organic farming in India: Gaps and opportunities

The agricultural sector has undergone many transformations. Except for the most common type, which is chemically fed, there are other variations such as organic, natural, and renewable. While these non-chemical derivatives have roots in various epistemological underpinnings, they are all primarily intended to produce safe food and restore the environment. Its emergence, adoption and dissemination can largely be attributed to the individual endeavors of farmers and agricultural experts. The importance of these diverse methods to peasants, as well as the obstacles to their adoption by a larger number of farmers, deserve attention. This article attempts to explore these aspects on the part of farmers and consumers.

Since the debunking of the Green Revolution myth and the subsequent emergence of its ill effects on the environment and public health, agricultural practices have come under scrutiny. However, producers and consumers, who are two sides of the same coin, witnessed and experienced it very differently. So it is important to examine the entire supply chain from farm to plate.

Epic cereal producers

Food is produced in a factory. Taking rice as an example, the price is inflated by approximately 110 percent from the farm gate price to the end consumer purchase price. Ironically, while grain spends the longest time in farmers’ hands before consumption and the shortest in factories, farmers get the least share of the pie. The entire product is purchased from the farmers by the warehouse owners to grind and add more value.

in the consumer corner

A food’s perceived value is often linked to its brand recognition and marketing strategy, which can elevate it to a superior product in the marketplace. Consumers are willing to pay a premium, if the brand can create a compelling and charming perception of the quality of their product. Famous German political scientist, economist, and philosopher Karl Marx explained this phenomenon as “commodity fetishism.” The exact value of a commodity is determined based on its exchange value rather than its true use value.

PRADAN, a national NGO and facilitator of ‘Aamon’, the Nayagram based women farmers produce organization, has organized over 10 prices and exhibitions on rural produce in Kolkata between 2019 and 2022. At these events, while interacting with consumers In urban areas, it was observed that nearly 85 percent of the visitors were unaware of the variety and nutritional values ​​of various types of rice. There is an absolute lack of knowledge about aspects such as – different types of rice, the presence of bran in the rice kernel, and the fact that naturally colored rice is present with diverse and unique nutritional values.

Farmer’s point of view

Agriculture is the main source of livelihood for the rural Indians. It has always played an important role in shaping their cultures, traditions and identities. Ironically, the farmers become the invisible part when the grain is packaged and sold to the final consumer. The combination of block chain technology and previous tracking technology made it possible to track the journey of a food product from farm to plate by keeping detailed data, but unfortunately, this insight into farmers’ activities is not intended to acknowledge their efforts but rather for monitoring purposes. This whole process turns farmers away from the final good so badly that farmers also turn away from their produce once it is sold.

This farm-to-plate process resists building any social relationship between producer and consumer. Neither one cares about the other, they both look to the brand to be sure. Consumers are willing to pay a premium for brand value, not farmers. Farmers worry about the price they are getting. In such a detached situation, it is difficult to provide farmers with sufficient reasons and motivation to grow safe foods or to switch to organic products.

Challenges in increasing organic production:

Organic, renewable and natural farming – all these methodologies have proven their ability to produce safe food sustainably. Switching from chemical farming to organic farming does not result in loss of production. Moreover, the production cost is reduced by 80-90 percent in these methods compared to chemical-based cultivation. In all economic terms, switching to organic practices is beneficial. However, simply analyzing the cost-benefit and effectiveness of the technology is not enough to convert farmers’ habit from chemical to organic.

We realized that consumers and farmers do not exist within each other’s mental map, and this gap in the societal relationship must be bridged. Thus, correcting the broken relationship between farmers and consumers should be the primary focus.

PRADAN has developed a campaign – “We will eat better and feed better.” It has come a long way and has greatly helped mobilize nearly 6,000 women by 2021, turning their entire land into a membership from just 500 in 2018. At the same time, many initiatives have been taken to elevate farmers within the value chain. Key activities included enabling farmers to add value to their produce, facilitating the formation of producer companies, and establishing direct links with the market. Eventually, the farmer’s identity as a product emerged as the brand “Amon”. Amon has a female contributor base of 2,677 and is serving more than 6,000 women in Naigram district of Jhargram district.

More of these initiatives need to be taken, farmers produce safe food to feed their children safe food. More attempts are needed to evoke a sense of greater connectedness that resonates deeply with farmers, touching a chord that resonates widely. This is where the agricultural shift towards organic farming will take place.

The author is Team Coordinator – WEST BENGAL at Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN).