Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T17:07:37.809Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Indian farmers' experience with and perceptions of organic farming

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 June 2011

P. Panneerselvam ,
Niels Halberg ,
Mette Vaarst  and
John Erik Hermansen
P. Panneerselvam*
Affiliation:
Department of Agroecology and Environment, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé, PO Box 50, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark.
Niels Halberg
Affiliation:
International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems (ICROFS), Blichers Allé, PO Box 50, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark.
Mette Vaarst
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Health and Bioscience, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé, PO Box 50, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark.
John Erik Hermansen
Affiliation:
Department of Agroecology and Environment, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé, PO Box 50, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark.
*
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In India, the number of farmers converting to organic farming has increased in the recent past despite the lack of government support in providing knowledge and extension to the farmers. The aim of this article is to investigate the perceived relevance, benefits and barriers to a conversion to organic agriculture in three different Indian contexts—in Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand states. In each state, 40 farmers from both organic and conventional systems were interviewed. The findings indicated that conventional producers identified production and marketing barriers as the main constraints to adopting organic farming, while the age and education of the farmer were not deemed a problem. Lack of knowledge and lack of institutional support were other barriers to conversion. Some farmers were, however, interested in converting to organic farming in the near future in Madhya Pradesh due to the low cost of production, and in Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand due to the price premium and health benefits. On the other hand, organic farmers were more concerned with health, environmental and production factors when institutional support was available. The years under conversion were positively associated with reduced input costs in all three states and with increased income in Tamil Nadu and increased yield in Madhya Pradesh. Both organic and conventional farmers found the two production factors, low yield and pest control, to be of major concern. However, organic farms in Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand experienced yield increases because most of the farms were in the post-conversion period, while the farms in Tamil Nadu were in the conversion period and experienced yield reduction. The study suggests that the government scheme for compensating yield loss during the conversion period and a price premium may help farmers adopt organic agriculture on a large scale in India.

Keywords

organic farmingfarmers' perceptionsorganic farmers' experienceIndia
Type
Research Papers
Information
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems , Volume 27 , Issue 2 , June 2012 , pp. 157 - 169
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1Donald, W.L., Eugene, J., Pannu, R.S., and Sheokand, R.S. 2004. Instability in Indian agriculture—a challenge to the green revolution technology. Food Policy 29:257–273.Google Scholar
2Anonymous. 2006. Sustainable Agriculture: A Pathway Out of Poverty for India's Rural Poor. Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit, Eschborn, Germany. p. 189. Available at Web site http://www.mamud.com/sustainet_india.htm (accessed June 30, 2009).Google Scholar
3Singh, R.B. 2000. Environmental consequences of agricultural development: Case study from the green revolution state of Haryana, India. Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment 82:97–103.Google Scholar
4Matson, P.A., Parton, W.J., Power, A.G., and Swift, M.J. 1997. Agricultural intensification and ecosystem properties. Science 277:504–509.Google Scholar
5Relyea, R.A. 2005. The impact of insecticides and herbicides on the biodiversity and productivity of aquatic communities. Ecological Applications 15:618–627.Google Scholar
6Pimentel, D., Harvey, C., Resosudarmo, P., Sinclair, K., Kurz, D., McNair, M., Crist, S., Shpritz, L., Fitton, L., Saffouri, R., and Blair, R. 1995. Environmental and economic cost of soil erosion and conservation benefits. Science 267:1117–1123.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7Eyhorn, F., Ramakrishnan, M., and Mäder, P. 2007. The viability of cotton-based organic farming systems in India. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 5:25–38.Google Scholar
8Lanting, H., Raj, D.A., Sridhar, K., Ambatipudi, A., and Brenchandran, S. 2005. Case study on organic versus conventional cotton in Karimnagar, Andhra Pradesh, India. In Hoddle, M.S. (ed.). Second International Symposium on Biological Control of Arthropods. USDA Forest Service Publication FHTET, Riverside, CA, USA. p. 302–317.Google Scholar
9Rao, N.C. 2004. Suicides of farmers and cotton cultivation in India. The ICFAI Journal of Applied Economics 3:28–46.Google Scholar
10UNEP-UNCTAD. 2008. Organic Agriculture and Food Security in Africa, UNEP-UNCTAD, Geneva, Switzerland. p. 47. Available at Web site http://www.unep-unctad.org/cbtf (accessed February 25, 2009).Google Scholar
11Scialabba, N.E. 2007. Organic agriculture and food security in Africa. In Nærstad, A. (ed.). Africa Can Feed Itself. Organizing Committee of the Conference in Oslo, Norway, June 6–8, 2007. The Development Fund, Grensen, Oslo, Norway.Google Scholar
12IFAD. 2005. Organic Agriculture and Poverty Reduction in Asia: China and India Focus. Report No. 1664, IFAD, Rome, Italy, p. 134.Google Scholar
13Lyngboek, A.E., Muschler, R.G., and Sinclair, F.L. 2001. Productivity and profitability of multi strata organic versus conventional coffee farms in Costa Rica. Agro Forestry System 53:205–213.Google Scholar
14Mendoza, T.C. 2002. Comparative productivity, profitability and energy use: Intensity and efficiency of organic, LEISA and conventional rice production in the Philippines. In Proceedings of the 14th IFOAM Organic World Congress, “Cultivating Communities”, Victoria Conference Centre, Canada, August 21–24, 2002.Google Scholar
15Gibbon, P. and Bolwig, S. 2007. The economics of certified organic farming in tropical Africa: A preliminary assessment. Danish Institute of International Studies, Working Paper 3, January 2007, Copenhagen, Denmark, p. 25.Google Scholar
16Lampkin, N.H. 1994. Changes in physical and financial performance during conversion to organic farming: Case studies of two English dairy farms. In Lampkin, N.H. and Padel, S. (eds). The Economics of Organic Farming: An International Perspective. CAB International, Oxon. p. 223–241.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17Reganold, J.P. 1992. Effects of alternative and conventional farming systems on agricultural sustainability. Food and Fertilizer Technology Centre, Taipei, Taiwan, p. 5. Available at Web site http://www.agnet.org/library/bc/44001/ (accessed August 12, 2009).Google Scholar
18Lotter, D., Seidel, R., and Liebhardt, W. 2003. The performance of organic and conventional cropping systems in an extreme climate year. American Journal of Alternative Agriculture 18:146–154.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19Willer, H. and Lukas, K. 2010. The World of Organic Agriculture. Statistics and Emerging Trends 2010. IFOAM, Bonn and FiBL, Frick.Google Scholar
20Sherief, A.K., Anilkumar, A.S., Husain, A.S., and Jeyawardana, J.K.J.P. 2008. Socio-psychological characteristics of farmers in the adoption of organic farming practices in coconut based homesteads of humid tropics. In Neuhoff, D., Halberg, N., Alföldi, T., Lockeretz, W., Thommen, A., Rasmussen, I., Hermansen, J., Vaarst, M., Lück, L., Carporali, F., Jensen, H.H., Migliorini, P., and Willer, H. (eds). Cultivating the Future based on Science. Volume 1: Organic Crop Production. Proceedings of the Second Scientific Conference of the International Society of Organic Agriculture Research (ISOFAR), Modena, Italy, June 18–20, 2008. ISOFAR, Bonn. p. 767–770.Google Scholar
21Murthy, M.K.K., Dhananjaya, B., and Naik, C.M. 2008. Organic farming practitioners and their perception. Environmental Ecology 26:136–141.Google Scholar
22Tarde, V.J., Shirke, V.S., Khandve, S.S., and Chavai, A.M. 2008. Knowledge, adoption and constraints in organic farming in pomegranate cultivation. Journal of Maharashtra Agricultural Universities 33:393–394.Google Scholar
23Eyhorn, F. 2007. Organic Farming for Sustainable Livelihoods in Developing Countries? The Case of Cotton in India. Vdf, Zurich, Switzerland.Google Scholar
24Eyhorn, F., Mader, P., and Ramakrishnan, M. 2005. The impact of organic cotton farming on the livelihoods of smallholders. FIBL Research Report, October 2005. Frick, Switzerland.Google Scholar
25Velayutham, M., Mandal, D.K., Mandal, C., and Sehgal, J. 1999. Agro-Ecological Sub regions of India for Planning and Development No. 35. NBSS and LUP Publishers, Nagpur, India. p. 372.Google Scholar
26Choudhary, B. and Gaur, K. 2010. Bt Cotton in India: A Country Profile. ISAAA Series of Biotech Crop Profiles. ISAAA, Ithaca, NY. Available from Web site http://www.isaaa.org/resources/publications/biotech_crop_profiles/bt_cotton_in_india-a_country_profile/download/Bt_Cotton_in_India-A_Country_Profile.pdf (accessed January 20, 2011).Google Scholar
27Panneerselvam, P., Hermansen, J.E., and Halberg, N. 2010. Food security of small holding farmers: Comparing organic and conventional systems in India. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 35:48–68.Google Scholar
28Duram, L.A. 1999. Factors in organic farmers’ decision making: Diversity, challenge, obstacles. American Journal of Alternative Agriculture 14:2–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
29Lockertz, W. 1997. Diversity of personal and farm characteristics among organic growers in the northeastern United States. Biological Agriculture and Horticulture 14:13–24.Google Scholar
30Tovey, H. 1997. Food, environmentalism and rural sociology: On the organic farming movement in Ireland. Sociologica Ruralis 37:22–37.Google Scholar
31Padel, S. 2001. Conversion to organic farming: A typical example of the diffusion of an innovation? Sociologia Ruralis 41:40–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
32Stofferahn, C.W. 2009. Personal, farm and value orientations in conversion to organic farming. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 33:862–884.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
33Comer, S., Ekanem, E., Muhammad, S., Singh, S.P., and Tegegne, F. 1999. Sustainable and conventional farmers: A comparison of socio-economic characteristics, attitude and beliefs. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 15:29–45.Google Scholar
34Dabbert, S. 1994. Economics of conversion to organic farming: Cross-sectional analysis of survey data in Germany. In Lampkin, N.H. and Padel, S. (eds). The Economics of Organic Farming: An International Perspective. CAB International, Oxon. p. 285–293.Google Scholar
35Freyer, B., Rantzau, R., and Vogtmann, H. 1994. Case studies of farms converting to organic agriculture in Germany. In Lampkin, N.H. and Padel, S. (eds). The Economics of Organic Farming: An International Perspective. CAB International, Oxon. p. 243–263.Google Scholar
36Peters, S.E. 1994. Conversion to low-input farming systems in Pennsylvania, USA: An evaluation of the Rodale farming system trial and related economic studies. In Lampkin, N.H. and Padel, S. (eds). The Economics of Organic Farming: An International Perspective. CAB International, Oxon. p. 265–284.Google Scholar
37Schulze, P.L. 1994. Oekonomische Analyse der Umstellung auf oekologischen Landbau (Economic Analysis of the Conversion to Organic agriculture), Schriftenreihe des Bundesministeriums fuer Ernaehrung, Landwirtschat und Forsten, Reihe A: Angewandte Wissenschaften, Heft 436. Landwirtschaftsverlag, Muenster-Hiltrup.Google Scholar
38Duram, L.A. 2000. Agents’ perception of structure: How Illinois organic farmers view political, economic, social and ecological factors. Agriculture and Human Values 17:35–48.Google Scholar
39Rigby, D., Young, T., and Burton, M. 2000. Why do farmers opt in or opt out of organic production? A review of the evidence. In Symposium Paper for the Annual Agricultural Economics Society Conference, Manchester, April 14–17, 2000. p. 1–18.Google Scholar
40McCann, E., Sullivan, S., Erickson, D., and De Young, R. 1997. Environmental awareness, economic orientation, and farming practices: A comparison of organic and conventional farmers. Environmental Management 21:747–758.Google Scholar
41Schramek, J. and Schnaut, G. 2004. Motives for the conversion or non-conversion to organic farming. Okologie and Landbau 131:44–46.Google Scholar
42Niemeyer, K. and Lombard, J. 2003. Identifying problems and potential of the conversion to organic farming in South Africa. Paper presented at the 41st Annual Conference of the Agricultural Economic Association of South Africa (AEASA), October 2–3, Pretoria, South Africa.Google Scholar
43Lockeretz, W. and Madden, P. 1987. Midwestern organic farming: A ten-year follow-up. American Journal of Alternative Agriculture 2:57–63.Google Scholar
44Fairweather, J.R. 1999. Understanding how farmers choose between organic and conventional production: Results from New Zealand and policy implications. Agriculture and Human Values 16:51–63.Google Scholar
45Halberg, N., Rosegrant, P., Sulser, T., Knudsen, M.T., and Høgh-Jensen, H. 2006. The impact of organic farming on food security in a regional and global perspective. In Halberg, N., Knudsen, M.T., Alrøe, H.F. and Kristensen, E.S. (eds). Global Development of Organic Agriculture: Challenges and Prospects. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK.Google Scholar
46Shah, T., Verma, S., Bhamoriya, V., Ghosh, S., and Sakthivadivel, R. 2005. Social Impact of Technical Innovations. Study of Organic Cotton and Low Cost Drip Irrigation in the Agrarian Economy of West Nimar Region. FIBL Research Report, Frick, Switzerland.Google Scholar
47Venugopalan, M.V., Rajendran, T.P., Chandran, P., Goswami, S.N., Challa, O., and Damre, P.R. 2010. Comparative evolution of organic and non-organic cotton production systems. Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 80:287–292.Google Scholar
48Halberg, N. and Kristensen, I.S. 1997. Expected crop yield loss when converting to organic dairy farming in Denmark. Biological Agriculture and Horticulture 14:25–41.Google Scholar
49Stonehouse, D.P., Weise, S.F., Sheardown, T., Gill, R.S., and Swanton, C.J. 1996. A case study approach to comparing weed management strategies under alternative farming strategies in Ontario. Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics 44:81–99.Google Scholar
50Pimentel, D., Hepperly, P., Hanson, J., Douds, D., and Seidel, R. 2005. Environmental, energetic, and economic comparisons of organic and conventional farming systems. Bioscience 55:573–582.Google Scholar
51Hanson, J.C., Lichtenberg, E., and Peters, S.E. 1997. Organic versus conventional grain production in the Mid-Atlantic: An economic and farming system overview. American Journal of Alternative Agriculture 12:2–9.Google Scholar