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The government Thursday proposes to develop organic farming in the northeastern region by setting aside Rs.100 crore for it, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said. 'Rs.100 crore has been set aside for development of organic farming in northeast region,' Jaitley said while presenting the general budget in parliament. (Read: Why is organic food better for your health?)
What is organic farming?
Organic farming is a type of food production method which avoids using artificial and unsafe chemicals in the form of pesticides, fertilizers, growth regulators and animal feed additives. Fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat are grown by applying alternative farming practices such as crop rotation, mechanical cultivation, animal and green manure as well as environmentally sensitive pest and weed control.
Why is organic food better? Are there any studies to prove that organic food is healthier?
Organic food is better in terms of lesser exposure to pesticides (chemicals sprayed on food to control molds, insects and diseases) and food additives (e.g. artificial sweeteners, colours, flavours and monosodium glutamate) plus lesser environmental pollution. Organic foods, especially fruits and vegetables, are reported to taste better. However, it is unclear if they are more nutritious than non-organic food.
What are the effects of pesticides on our health and the environment? How does organic farming protect the environment?
Pesticides can cause multiple health conditions such as birth defects, nerve damage and cancer depending on the toxic nature of the pesticide. A person comes across pesticides via skin contact(handling pesticides), inhalation (breathing-in dust or spray) and ingestion (eating or drinking polluted food and water).
Long-term pesticide use negatively impacts the ecosystem. The most critical environmental impact iscontaminated ground water which pollutes drinking water and all products that require water.For example, in the pesticide adulterated cola drinks the source of contamination could be either water or sugar (sugarcane agriculture). Another example is the observed link between long-term pesticide use and reduction in honey bee population which lowers the crop yield of bee-pollinated food plants such as tomatoes, beans and apples. Read more about Organic food and farming your queries answered
With inputs from IANS
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