Book of Abstracts
11th IFOAM
Scientific Conference
11-15 August 1996
Copenhagen, Denmark
Abstract front
page
Subject index
Athor index
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Symposia
Organic Farming: Implications for Rural Extension Services S28
Chander, Mahesh
Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteswar-263I38 U.P., India |
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| Organic Farming is being increasingly seen as
the potential means of sustainable agricultural production globally. The rapid expansion
of organic product markets in Europe and other developed nations along with the growing
consumer preferences for the organically grown health foods, besides, broader
environmental benefits are reasons enough to pay more attention on organic farming
practices and their effective dissemination to the producers. The input intensive
agriculture responsible for »Green RevoIution« is gradualy loosing its charishma for its
health and environmental effects. Thus, it is imperative that the appropriate sustainable
organic agriculture practices be documented, researched, developed, and transferred to the
farmers. Besides, the consumers also need to be sensitized to the benefits of organic
foods. Unfortunately, the extension agencies are still engaged with the transfer of
input-intensive farming practices mainly in poor developing nations where the iformation
gap at the farmers' level is very wide, Moreover, the governments as yet in these
countries seem relatively less sensitive to the issues like sustainable agricultural
production particularly through promotion of organic farming practices. The extension
services as also the government policies, thus, need to be re-oriented towards organic
farming for the sustainable agricultural production and living in developing countries, in
particular. In this paper, the author has suggested ways and means for the promotion of
organic farming and development of organnic markets through better producer/consumer
awareness keeping extension services in focus. Busetto, Bradley (1993): Conversation
with the counter-revolutionaries. Ceres, The FAO Review No.144 (Vot 25, No.6),
November-December, p. 19-23.
Hill, S.B. and MacRae, Rod J. (1992) : Organic Fanning in Canada. Agriculture,
Ecosystems and Environment, Vol. 39, p. 71-84.
Rai, Saritha (1994): Healthy Growth: Organic Foods. India Today, Vol. 19, No. 15, p.
94-95. |