Benefits of organic farming

Pay the farmer or pay the hospital.” If these words by the once 11-year old TED Talk speaker, Birke Baehr, have managed to intrigue you and stop you from doing whatever you’re up to at the moment, then you need to read this article.

Here are 5 reasons why you must pay more attention to organic farming:

1. To safeguard your health: A healthy lifestyle can manifest only if what we consume is made through healthy means. Activist Michael Pollan has given a simple formula of deciphering whether our food is healthy or not – “If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.” When you support organic farming or organic products, you automatically shun artificially grown, chemical-induced, and processed foods – foods that are less nutritious and cause health hazards in the long run.
2. To save money: People often avoid organic food as it costs more than commercially grown crops. But often cheap choices can lead to expensive consequences. Food Beware: The French Organic Revolution, a French documentary film reveals how chemical-based pesticides, mercury, and lead found in non-organic crops can sometimes lead to severe diseases and health complications including cancer – the treatment of which can become a financial burden.
3. To save the farmer: Organic farming is pro-farmers. P. P. Reddy, former director of Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, had stated that organic farming can minimize crop loss caused due to nematodes (a type of parasitic worms). Secondly, over time, the chemicals from synthetic pesticides and herbicides, damage the soil quality and fertility which, in turn, affects the crop’s yield. With  58% of the villagers dependent on agriculture for livelihood, and 60% of India’s land being cultivable, organic farming seems to be one of the ways of improving the farmer’s finances.
4. To save the environment: It is said that non-organic or conventional farming techniques lead to soil damage to the extent that the land becomes a wasteland and infertile. The use of chemical fertilizers also leads to groundwater pollution. Whereas, organic farming not only prevents and reverses soil and water pollutions but is also said to sustain biodiversity.
5. To save the future: Organic farming is soil friendly, eco-friendly,  farmer-friendly,  health-friendly and eventually pocket-friendly.  Investing in our health today can help in making our future secure.

How can one pay more attention to organic farming? Just start buying only organic foods and when you buy organic foods from 24 Mantra Organic, you not only get India’s best organic supplies but also help an indigenous small-scale farmer survive.