| Organic Food |
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| A term which one comes across quite often in relation to food is Organic Food. What exactly is Organic Food? In simple words it is natural food that:
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| Does not contain any artificial preservatives. |
| Has been grown without the use of any synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. |
| Is not genetically modified or genetically engineered. |
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Producers have to obtain an organic certification in order to market their products as organic. For a produce to be certified as organic the producers need to follow certain production standards.
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| Organic food is natural food that does not contain any artificial preservatives and has been grown without the use of any synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. |
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| This broadly means artificial fertilizers, pesticides; synthetic preservatives are not used for growing and processing the food. Today with growing awareness of organic food and ill effects of artificial fertilizers and pesticides on the environment, the demand for organic food has steadily grown. |
Growth of the Organic Movement
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With rapid advances made in sciences, one saw large scale changes in farming. Greater yields, lower losses due to pests and longer shelf life were the outcome of the modernization of agricultural techniques. The downside of modern farming is the use of large quantities of artificial fertilizers, synthetic pesticides
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and preservatives. This adversely affects the environment. Some of these being the toxic pesticides which find its way to our food and ground water supply. Effects on livestock, top soil, and the general ecosystem are well known and documented. In India as rest of the world the aggressive use of pesticides and fertilizers is common, so is the use of genetically engineered variety of plants.
The 1950s and 60s saw growing popularity of organic form of farming. By 1990s the organic movement gained recognition with the advent of government regulations and certifications. The organic movement has been growing quite rapidly over the years and currently with greater demand for organic foods, production has also seen an increase. |
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| Organic Cultivation Methods |
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Organic Farming is based on the principle of non usage of synthetic inputs like fertilizers, pesticides, preservatives and genetically modified organisms.
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| One of the major victims of modern farming methods has been the top soil and the loss of natural nutrients. Organic farming employs techniques such as crop rotation, green manure to enhance the soil health. |
| Pest control includes the use of beneficial organisms, crop rotation and acceptance of certain amount of crop damage due to pests. The pesticides used are those derived from plants and not synthetic. These techniques help in better soil protection, maintaining the eco-system of the area and water conservation. |
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| Organic Certification for Aashirvaad |
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 The India Organic logo is granted to exporters, manufacturers and processors whose products comply with the National Standards for Organic Production (NSOP). These products after being certified by the accredited inspection and certification agencies, is granted the license to use the logo. |
