Promoting organic farming
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government, in collaboration with the Centre, plans to launch a programme for promoting organic farming in the province. Initially, organic farming will be put into practice on 100,000 acres of land for which the government will provide free organic fertiliser and a subsidy of Rs100 million.
Now the whole world is moving from traditional farming to organic farming in view of the latter’s many benefits. Organic vegetables and other agricultural products are good for health as they are grown without the help of chemical feriliser and pesticides. The use of unnatural fertiliser and pesticides causes many diseases, soil erosion and disturbs biodiversity. Soil erosion reduces the fertility of land. Organic food not only protects health but also maintains its natural flavour and taste. In organic farming, only natural compost is used as fertiliser, and pesticides too are prepared from grass, discarded vegetables and other natural products. This helps retain the ecological balance. Overall, organic methods of farming have no or very little impact on the environment. Organic agricultural practices preserve nutrients and micronutrients in the earth. Also, organic food products contain important vitamins and necessary elements required for humans and other living beings.
For the benefits accruing from organic farming, we don’t have to go much farther in time, as before the advent of industrial and chemical fertiliser and pesticides the food that our ancestors ate was not harmful to health, nor did it impair the environment. The damaging effects of the ever-increasing use of chemical products are having many harms and little benefit. People are contracting many dangerous illnesses due to the consumption of artificially-grown food. Organic farming practices will help eliminate many diseases. Scientific evidence and experience support the case for organic farming. Human and animal health depends much on the food they consume. This is why scientists say food is health.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 31st, 2021.
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