Sustainable Agriculture

A deep connection of wellness of human being with sustainable agriculture and living soil. 

Over a period of time, substantial decline in nutrients in the food has been seen despite increased productivity. All nutrition required for human are abundant in nature that can be harvested through sustainable farming method. and on the basis of usage of innovative methods for enriching soil and water as panacea for all health problems of Humanity.

As the world population continues to grow, much more effort and innovation is required urgently in order to sustainably increase agricultural production, improve the global supply chain, decrease food losses and waste, and ensure that all who are suffering from hunger and malnutrition have access to nutritious food. The Sustainable Development Goal to “End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture" with the inter linkages among supporting sustainable agriculture, empowering small farmers, ending rural poverty, ensuring healthy lifestyles, tackling climate change, and other issues addressed within the set of Sustainable Development Goals. These goals focusing on the sustainable agriculture which says to Improve progressively through 2030 global resource efficiency in consumption and production, and endeavor to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation in accordance with the 10-year framework of program on sustainable consumption and production with developed countries taking the lead.

As stated in text of Ayurveda the physiology and pathology of plant life similar to that of Animal and Human life based on the theory of PANCHMAHABHOOTA (5 elements) i.e. Prithvi/Bhudevi (Earth), Apas/Varuna/Jal (Water), Agni (Fire), Vayu (Air), Aakasha/Dyaus (ether). As all measures for nutrition, prevention of diseases, diagnosis and treatment are based on the theory of Tridosha (3 energies) i.e. Vata,Pitta and Kapha these tridoshas  are constituted by the combinations of the panch mahaboota itself. Hence food production and growth is affected by the external components of these mahabhoot’s which when consumed by the human affects the tridoshas of the body hence leading to either a diseases condition or low immunity or increased susceptibility to diseases.

The ignorance of agricultural ethics by keeping in mind the concepts of nature is responsible for the degeneration of the agriculture practices, productivity and thereby losing the nutrient quality of food production. Nowadays farming is done by means of machinery, chemical fertilizers and pesticides. These in longer run causing the degradation of the soil quality and the food produced in that soil. The food produced in such soil contains the components of these chemicals and ultimately these enter the food chain and lead to certain deadly chronic diseases such as cancer.

Nowadays, People are helpless and forced to eat the food available to them, although many are aware that the food, they consume is not safe for health. The time has now come to give serious consideration to the growth of food by natural and ecological means the concept of sustainable farming and to create awareness amongst the policymakers about its benefits for the welfare of all. While conventional agriculture uses synthetic pesticides and water-soluble synthetically purified fertilizers, organic farmers are restricted by regulations to using natural pesticides and fertilizers. Sustainable farming method ensures sustainable supply of nutrients in the soil by using minimum external inputs and maximizing utilization of neighborhood resources. This is a pro-biotic farming system, has shown promising results and its produce have been found to contain all nutrients higher including vitaminB12 as compared to traditional farming.. Sustainable farming aims to shift entire narrative of agriculture from productivity to nutrivity and eventually to health and wellness through collective consciousness. Since your consumption pattern directly affect your thinking perspective, this method ensures evolution to a conscious society.

Unhealthy diets and lifestyles are closely linked to the growing incidence of lifestyle diseases (Diabetes, Heart disease, Cancer, Chronic kidney diseases) in both developed and developing countries. The integration of internationally accepted agro-techniques with traditional Indian system of harvesting would help in following Good Agriculture and safe Practices as well as getting certificates. With greater adoption of this method, it is expected a significant improvement in soil health, nutrients rich foods and better health and wellness throughout the world critical to achieve sustainable development goals. Thus, we seek support from scientific & agricultural community and policy makers for effective information, education and communication dissemination and structural support from state and national government for promoting it to achieve health and wellness for all.

It would be imperative to include Environment factor to complete the wellness process, as we all know wellness is not limited to individual’s physical/mental/spiritual or Financial health, it overall depends on the environment, kind of society and surrounding one lives in. Environmental factor differs from one place to another; if you take example of India the kind of social, environmental factor in South India will be different then the North India and problems associated with these factors.

The farmers in Punjab are living on much fertile land with abundance of water and natural resources whereas in Tamilnadu farmers have to struggle every drop of water they are selective in crops and farming pattern but the problems in Punjab is more than Tamilnadu. Farming is the largest occupation in Punjab with about 82.5 per cent land in the state used for agriculture. While the state took to heavily mechanized farming quite early, the agrarian input costs for farmers also increased drastically. Inability to exploit irrigation facilities and boost yields also made farmers entangled in a vicious debt cycle.

Do you still think farming is sustainable and government/ individuals and NGO's really putting much effort for farmer and farming upliftment?