Our Philosophy for Organic Farming

Almost 70% Indian population lives in Rural India, and more than 85% of them depend on Agriculture as their livelihood. Thus, Agriculture affects 600 million people in India, directly. So, development of Agricultural sector is much more relevant for overall National Development.

Even though Agriculture has potential for high prosperity, it is the most neglected sector in India for last so many years. Under the great wave of “Green Revolution” when using chemical fertilizers and poisonous pesticides were considered signs of growth, farmers were under illusion of achieving prosperity through agriculture.

After 5-6 decades of using extensive chemicals, Green Revolution has shown its darker side. Soil fertility is reducing day by day, Underground water table is depleting faster than ever causing scarcity of drinking water, and poisonous pesticides have become a major threat to human health & environment. The figures for yield of cereals show very nominal growth in last one decade.

Chemical farming has proven to be energy intensive and high input farming. Increasing cost of inputs and low yields have pushed small and marginal farmer in hands of Money lenders creating big debts. And very soon these debts reach to a level where suicide seems an easy get away!! The figure of no. of farmers’ suicide is rising every year at an alarming rate!!!

Why on earth a farmer has to suicide? And how sensitive are we as society? Do we feel responsible for that? Why this issue becomes only a Political Agenda? Why we cannot do anything about it?

Not only that, more energy input means more power production. Burning fossil fuels for power generation has created another big environment problem of Global Warming which is turning out to be a big threat on survival of future generations of not only Human beings but many more creatures of the animal kingdom!! Global Warming and Climate Changes at an alarming rate have raised questions on our ability to think and learn from our own mistakes!

We need a solution now, a comprehensive long lasting solution. For Healthy society, we need to balance it now. The Indian farmer has always been a Poor Peasant, last in line to get his share of good living and mostly missing it. Why prosperity hardly comes to a farmer? Why people hesitate to marry their daughters to farmers? We need to change the way we look at them and help our food growers to grow, prosper like any other Indian.
Neither big subsidies, nor waiving of big loans will help farmers to become prosperous. Sustainable Agriculture has become a key issue. Organic Farming is most relevant today than ever, as Organic Farming promises high productivity for small and marginal farmers, which is the largest fraction of farmers’ community in India.

Results from all over the world show that Organic Farming has great potential to revive Agriculture as a good, viable option to earn livelihood, food security to small and marginal farmers and it fights larger environment issues like Global Warming, drinking water scarcity.

At Oasis, we have undertaken Organic Farming Initiative to help our brothers and sisters whose livelihood comes from Agriculture, and who are poor and downtrodden living in Rural India. To help them, we need first to be one of them and create models of Sustainable Agriculture.

We believe that any person on this earth who has a piece of land as less as 2 acres and strong will can and should live a life more prosperous than an engineer in a small town. A life which is full of Joy, Health, Wealth and which is in total tune with Mother Nature.

We also want to prepare various models of Rural Development based on Agriculture and related industries, a model of Sustainable Growth.

Thus we will take Agriculture to a level where it is envied by well educated city dwellers.

Why do Farmers commit suicide?
Why is Organic Farming important for India

100 years back in traditional India, the entire agriculture was practiced using organic techniques, where the fertilizers, pesticides, etc., were obtained from plant and animal products. Organic farming was the backbone of the Indian economy and cow was worshipped (and is still done so) as a God. The cow, not only provided milk, but also provided bullocks for farming, dung which was used as manure and urine as pest controller.

After the World wars, Green Revolution came as By-product! Chemicals meant for Fire arms were used as Farm inputs. Chemical Farming started. As time went by, extensive dependence on chemical farming has shown its darker side. The land is losing its fertility and is demanding larger quantities of fertilizers to be used. Pests are becoming immune requiring the farmers to use stronger and costlier pesticides. Due to increased cost of farming, farmers are falling into the trap of money lenders, who are exploiting them to no end, and forcing many to commit suicide.

Both consumer and farmers are now gradually shifting back to organic farming in India. It has been proven that Organic Farm produces are healthier. Consumers are willing to pay higher premium for the same. Many farmers in India are shifting to organic farming due to the domestic and international demand for organic food. Further stringent standards for non-organic food in European and US markets have led to rejection of many Indian food consignments in the past. Organic farming, therefore, provides a better alternative to chemical farming commercially also.