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India.com
26-05-2025
- Health
- India.com
The Organic Farming Boom: What Dehradun Residents Need To Know
The Indian state capital Dehradun positions itself in the footprints of Himalayas scenic landscape. Situated among its verdant landscapes and enjoyable weather conditions and fertile land, Dehradun has functioned as an agricultural center during many centuries. Organic farming has experienced increasing popularity throughout the region surrounding Dehradun during the previous years. Local and worldwide awareness about sustainable practices and resource conservation as well as improved food health have combined to create this rising organic farming trend. Why Organic Farming? Farmer organizations promote crop cultivation by avoiding the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and GMOs and chemical additives. The system uses only natural biological methods including crop rotation with compost and bio-fertilizers together with biological pest control systems. The adoption of organic farming in Dehradun receives support from multiple contributing aspects. Soil degradation and water pollution together with biodiversity collapse occur due to excessive chemical use in conventional farming techniques. The practice of organic farming stabilizes the environment through its natural preservation techniques. The trend of personal health care grows stronger as people become more aware about their food choices. The public considers organic food items healthier because they exclude pesticide residues and artificial growth-promotional substances. The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) scheme initiated by the Indian government together with other initiatives have motivated farmers to use sustainable agricultural practices. Organic cultivation receives motivation from growing market demand for organic products inside India and throughout the global market. The central location of Dehradun links it to numerous tourist sites giving farmers opportunities to develop agritourism spaces focused on organic farms. Prominent Organic Farms Near Dehradun Agribusinesses across various farms along with organizations in and around Dehradun have reinforced organic farming practices. Several prominent organic farm locations exist in Dehradun and you can locate them through Google Maps. 1. Navdanya Biodiversity Conservation Farm Dr. Vandana Shiva established the well-known organization Navdanya which operates at the intersection of Doon Valley approximately 50 kilometers east of Dehradun. This institution hosts scientific research about organic farming alongside queer seed preservation facilities in combination with educational programs for agricultural sustainability methods. People who visit the farm can walk through their facilities as well as participate in educational workshops and discover biodiversity conservation methods. 2. SahastraDhara Farms The organic vegetable production and dairy farming activities at SahastraDhara Farms take place near the popular waterfall near Dehradun. Through their operations the organization provides fresh pesticide-free produce to buyers as well as delivering educational tours about sustainable living for schools and community groups. 3. Anandvan Farm Stay The rural tourism and organic farming combination at Anandvan lies 20 kilometers from Dehradun. Guests who visit this site can both take part in farming tasks and enjoy organic ingredients prepared as home-cooked meals alongside relaxed natural surroundings. The sustainable initiatives of this farm reach further than organic farming because they implement renewable energy systems along with comprehensive waste management practices. 4. Green Leaf Organics Their farming operation focuses on raising exotic vegetables along with organic herbs at their production site. The farm at Green Leaf Organics maintains a short travel distance from Dehradun to provide its chemical-free produce to both marketplaces and restaurant customers living in urban areas. Challenges Faced by Organic Farmers Switching to organic farming presents several obstacles to Farmers although they gain multiple advantages. Farming organically demands substantial outlay of time together with work force and monetary resources. The organic certification process commences after three to four years of planting yet output levels usually decrease until certification becomes active. Profitability becomes difficult to achieve when farmers no longer have access to chemical pesticides for pest control. Farmers need to combine inventive pest control methods which include using neem oil spray and applications made from cow urine together with natural pest control strategies. Small-scale farmers face difficulties reaching buyers who will pay more for organic products because the consumer demand for organic products keeps increasing. The process of getting organic certification requires extensive documents and inspections that prove challenging for smallholder farmers because it brings high costs to them. Government and NGO Support Several initiatives formed to tackle these obstacles encountered in organic farming development. The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) scheme implements organic farming clusters by giving farmers financial help for agricultural inputs and organic certification and product market promotion. The Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) such as Navdanya support farmers by teaching organic techniques and seed distribution and market access creation. The establishment of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) along with cooperatives provides farmers with collective purchasing strength to lower costs related to transportation storage and sales. Conclusion Around Dehradun organic farming has become a successful fusion of traditional knowledge and new agricultural techniques. The implementation of ecologically sensitive methods by farmers safeguards both authentic natural resources of the area and responds to changing consumer demands. Government assistance, involvement from NGOs and supportive citizen action will create conditions that let organic farming establish Dehradun as a sustainable agricultural haven of prosperity. People who live nearby and people who travel can both enjoy the organic farming opportunities that exist around Dehradun. The expanding understanding of this movement alongside better facilities will lead to developing a more sustainable future that benefits all generations.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Renowned physicist warns of unseen dangers in farming technique: 'Single biggest destructive force on the planet today'
An initiative might appear to be "green," but trouble could be lurking — a lesson that Indian physicist and social advocate Vandana Shiva knows all too well. When Shiva returned to her childhood home for a visit, she discovered that her favorite forest had been razed and a nearby stream drained for an apple orchard. The experience sparked her interest in conservation, leading to the 1982 founding of the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology — an organization devoted to sustainable agriculture. "Food is a weapon. When you sell real weapons, you control armies. When you control food, you control society. But when you control seeds, you control life on Earth," Shiva says in her feature-length documentary The Seeds of Vandana Shiva, referring to industrial farming as the "single biggest destructive force on the planet today." As Encyclopædia Britannica explains, Shiva may be most renowned for her work opposing Asia's Green Revolution, a well-meaning initiative in the 1960s to increase food production in less-developed countries. However, Shiva argued that the revolution's tactics were more harmful than helpful, increasing the use of toxic pesticides and polluting fertilizers while reducing indigenous seed biodiversity. Moreover, farmers became dependent on chemical solutions, which raised their operating costs. And with rising global temperatures creating new agricultural challenges, including more intense extreme weather, Shiva believed that focusing solely on industrial, nonnative monoculture crops was dangerous, leaving the world vulnerable to food shortages and threatening the wellspring of knowledge associated with cultural diversity. To combat this, the RFSTE founded seed banks across India in the 1990s as part of its Nine Seeds project, teaching farmers about sustainable agriculture, which incorporates practices that improve soil and ecosystem health, protect against erosion, and reduce the need for expensive chemicals. Shiva has also authored numerous books addressing corporate plundering of poorer countries, the potential pitfalls of seed biodiversity loss related to genetically modified crops, and proposing the development of innovative solutions as in Globalization's New Wars: Seed, Water, and Life Forms, per Britannica. "We will continue to create a new world — seed by seed, person by person, community by community — until this planet is embraced in a circle of resurgent life and resurgent love," Shiva says of her mission in a statement published by documentary maker Sacred Ecology. What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home? Not enough time Not enough space It seems too hard I have a garden already Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
