A little back story. It all happened during the Green Revolution that occurred between the 1930s and late 1960s. Given the growing demand and population, developing countries like India decided to ramp up their crop production by use of artificial chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers along with hybrid seeds that were known to give more yield. The outcome was complex and two-fold – increase in production but decrease in the fertility of the land. Extreme farming practises have led to the degradation of the soil and the land massively over the years.

Not just this, it has also impacted the health of the crops and more importantly, of those who consume them. There have been growing incidences of chemical laden fruits and vegetables and it’s hard to find freshness in their flavour. Today, the Malwa region of Punjab has been dubbed as the cancer belt of India. It is believed that cancer struck this area soon after the cotton cultivation was introduced here which led to the excessive use of pesticides to protect the crop.

This has contaminated the underground drinking water which could be a major cause of the dreaded disease. All these and more critical reasons have led to the need to pay attention to the way we are growing our food and organic farming seems to the ideal solution.

Source: NDTV News, 20 February 2017

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