When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself.
-Herophilus.
Food, clothing and shelter had been the basic needs of humans since existence. They still are the fundamentals for living without any doubt. The rising rate of human population and unbalanced food supply had always been a crisis and subsequently, nations across the world has been gulfed as poor, developed or developing nations. Indices such as the Human Development Index (HDI), Global Hunger Index (GHI) measures the prosperity of a nation in terms of the living conditions, the government can offer its citizens. Government of India’s Ministry of Agriculture in 2018 has proposed a new index to track the performance of states called “Ease of Doing Agribusiness Index” that measures the implementation of policies and programs in the field of agriculture, which is the backbone of food security system of the nation.
Food, clothing and shelter had been the basic needs of humans since existence. They still are the fundamentals for living without any doubt. The rising rate of human population and unbalanced food supply had always been a crisis and subsequently, nations across the world has been gulfed as poor, developed or developing nations. Indices such as the Human Development Index (HDI), Global Hunger Index (GHI) measures the prosperity of a nation in terms of the living conditions, the government can offer its citizens. Government of India’s Ministry of Agriculture in 2018 has proposed a new index to track the performance of states called “Ease of Doing Agribusiness Index” that measures the implementation of policies and programs in the field of agriculture, which is the backbone of food security system of the nation.
To lift the people from the vicious cycle of poverty, malnutrition, diseases and deaths, Green Revolutions emanated from the hearts of the empathetic scientists like Norman. E. Borlaug and M.S. Swaminathan to different farmlands across the world. India too reaped the benefits of Green Revolution and saved millions from famines and ominous deaths. But there was still a danger awaiting the mankind, oblivious about the consequences of inputs used during the 1960s to achieve such a tremendous yield.
Pollution and contamination became the new challenge. Pesticide laden soil and crop residues crept way into our dining halls and tummies and eventually lifestyle diseases came knocking our doors. What was a blessing once, turned out to be the beginning of a new crisis in no time. Men started to think different, contemplating where one went wrong during the growth curve. Retrospections dawned and people finally realised the folly of switching to chemicals for faster yields and returned to the adoption of healthy and safer means of crop production, like the old times. After the era of farming that showed a surge in the use of pesticide and chemicals, farming practises using naturally available sources began to foster. People started relying on naturally available seeds, organic manures and botanical insecticides revamping the culture of “Organic Farming” and healthy choice of food.
Organic also means going eco-friendly, i.e quitting from the practise of applying chemicals responsible for air, water and soil pollution. It’s a conscious choice as a responsible inhabitant of the planet to be a solution for the crisis rather than being the reason. Attainment of an organic farming culture isn’t definitely an easy win but slowly and steadily, people across the world are choosing it.
It’s more than choosing hormone free meat or chemical free fruits and veggies. It’s a lifestyle. It’s a wise choice to return to nature and about avoiding lifestyle diseases. It’s about escaping exposures rather than being victims of chronic diseases. It’s about eliminating genomic aberrations and feeding new born with the purest of mother’s milk.
It’s never a compulsion, but always a choice. Decision is yours and so are the after effects!!
Written By,
Anjana Sebastian
