Statistics are predicting that the global market for organic foods that was only US$ 17 billion in the year 2000 may touch the US$ 31 billion mark by 2005 — and India's share is only 0.001 per cent.

Most of India's organic farms are not officially considered (or certified) as organic, they are "organic by default." In India, we worship cow dung as Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Gobar-dhan puja is literally the worship of gobar (cowdung) dhan (wealth). Cow dung is worshipped because it is the source of renewal of soil fertility and, therefore, a key factor in ensuring sustainability of human society. The cow has been made sacred in India because it is a keystone species for agro-ecosystems — it is vital for the sustainability of agriculture. Methods that worked for millennia suddenly require certification. Maybe we all need to go back to "Gobar Times"!!

‘Organic’ refers to agricultural production systems, which are used to produce food and fibre. All kinds of agricultural products are produced organically. This includes grains, meat, dairy products, eggs, fibres such as cotton, flowers and processed food products.

Organic farming management relies on developing biological diversity in the field. It helps in managing pest organisms that disrupt. It also ensures maintenance and replenishment of soil fertility. Organic farmers are not allowed to use synthetic pesticides or fertilisers.

Organic farmers build healthy soils by nourishing the living component of soil — the microbial inhabitants that release, transform, and transfer nutrients. The organic matter in soil contributes to good soil structure. It also increases its ability to hold water.

Organic farmers feed soil biota and build soil structure. They build the organic matter in soil with compost, and biologically-based soil amendments. These produce healthy plants that are better able to resist diseases and insect predation. Organic farmers' primary strategy is to control pests and diseases by prevention. This can be done through balanced plant nutrition and management.

Organic farming is a viable vocation for many. Many entrepeneurs have created very successful businesses by producing organic food of good quality. Besides earning a decent living, sustainable farming also contributes to the well-being of the people and the planet.

Says Vandana Shiva, a promoter of organic farming, "The agriculture technologies of the future have to work for people, not corporations, they have to work with nature, not against nature. If farmers and farming have to have a future, it has to be organic."