Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T02:45:02.103Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Impact of large-scale organic conversion on food production and food security in two Indian states, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2014

P. Panneerselvam ,
John Erik Hermansen ,
Niels Halberg  and
P. Murali Arthanari
P. Panneerselvam*
Affiliation:
Department of Agroecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé, PO Box 50, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark.
John Erik Hermansen
Affiliation:
Department of Agroecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé, PO Box 50, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark.
Niels Halberg
Affiliation:
International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems (ICROFS), Blichers Allé, PO Box 50, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark.
P. Murali Arthanari
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India.
*
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The millions of food insecure people in India are not solely due to inadequate food production, but also because some people are simply too poor to buy food. This study assessed how a large-scale conversion from conventional to organic production would impact on the economics of marginal and small farmers in Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh, and on the total food production in these states. This study also considered a situation where fertilizer subsidies would be discontinued, with farmers having to carry the full cost of fertilizer. Results show that conversion to organic improved the economic situation of farmers although food production was reduced by 3–5% in the organic situation. Thus, the estimated economic values were higher in the organic system (5–40% in fertilizer subsidy scenario and 22–132% in no fertilizer subsidy scenario) than in the conventional system, whereas the total state-level food productions were lowered by 3–5% in the organic compared to the conventional system. Food production was higher when rainfed, and lower in the irrigated situation in the large-scale organic scenario. Although the study addresses short-term perspectives of large-scale conversion to organic farming, more research is needed to understand the long-term impact of organic conversion on food production, nutrient supply, food security and poverty reduction.

Keywords

organic farmingsmall farmersfood productionfood security
Type
Research Papers
Information
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems , Volume 30 , Issue 3 , June 2015 , pp. 252 - 262
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1Donald, W.L., Eugene, J., Pannu, R.S., and Sheokand, R.S. 2004. Instability in Indian agriculture—a challenge to the green revolution technology. Food Policy 29:257–273.Google Scholar
2FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization). 2008. The state of food insecurity in the world. Available at Web site http://www.fao.org/docrep/011/i0291e/i0291e00.htm (accessed January 15, 2009).Google Scholar
3Agricultural Census. 2001. Agricultural Census Division, Ministry of Agriculture, New Delhi. Available at Web site http://agcensus.nic.in/ (accessed July 10, 2009).Google Scholar
4Scialabba, N.E. 2007. Organic agriculture and food security. In International Conference on Organic Agriculture and Food Security, May 3–5, 2007, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Italy. (OFS/2007/5). Available at Web site http://www.fao.org/organicag (accessed December 12, 2013).Google Scholar
5IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development). 2005. Organic Agriculture and Poverty Reduction in Asia: China and India Focus. Available at Web site http://www.ifad.org/evaluation/public%5Fhtml/eksyst/doc/thematic/organic/ (accessed April 26, 2010).Google Scholar
6Marriott, E.E. and Wander, M.M. 2006. Total and labile soil organic matter in organic and conventional farming systems. Soil Science Society of America Journal 70:950–959.Google Scholar
7Fließbach, A., Oberholzer, H.R., Gunst, L., and Mäder, P. 2007. Soil organic matter and biological soil quality indicators after 21 years of organic and conventional farming. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 118:273–284.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8Bengtsson, J., Ahnström, J., and Weibull, A.C. 2005. The effects of organic agriculture on biodiversity and abundance: A meta-analysis. Ecology 42:261–269.Google Scholar
9Tscharntke, T., Clough, Y., Wanger, T.C., Jackson, L., Motzke, I., Perfecto, I., Vandermeer, J., and Whitbread, A. 2012. Global food security, biodiversity conservation and the future of agricultural intensification. Biological Conservation 151:53–59.Google Scholar
10UNEP-UNCTAD. 2006. The Status of Organic Agriculture Production and Trading Opportunities in Tanzania. Final Report presented at the UNEP-UNCTAD Capacity Building Task Force of Trade, Environment and Development Regional Workshop on Organic Agriculture in East Africa, March 6–10, Arusha, Tanzania.Google Scholar
11Seufert, V., Ramankutty, N., and Foley, J.A. 2012. Comparing the yields of organic and conventional agriculture. Nature 485:229–232.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12De Ponti, T., Rijk, B., and Van Ittersum, M.K. 2012. The crop yield gap between organic and conventional agriculture. Agricultural Systems 108:1–9.Google Scholar
13Halberg, N., Rosegrant, P., Sulser, T., Knudsen, M.T., and Høgh-Jensen, H. 2006. The impact of organic farming on food security in a regional and global perspective. In Halberg, N., Knudsen, M.T., Alrøe, H.F., and Kristensen, E.S. (eds). Global Development of Organic Agriculture: Challenges and Prospects. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK. p. 277–322. Available at Web site http://ecowiki.org/GlobalPerspective/ReportOutline (accessed December 12, 2013).Google Scholar
14Badgley, C., Moghtader, J., Quintero, E., Zakem, E., Chappell, M.J., Avilés-Vàzques, K., Samulon, A., and Perfecto, I. 2007. Organic agriculture and the global food supply. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 22:86–108.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15Panneerselvam, P. 2011. Improving smallholder's food security through organic agriculture in India. PhD thesis, Faculty of Science and Technology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.Google Scholar
16Panneerselvam, P., Hermansen, J., and Halberg, N. 2011. Food security of small holding farmers: Comparing organic and conventional systems in India. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 35:1–21.Google Scholar
17Eyhorn, F., Ramakrishnan, M., and Mäder, P. 2007. The viability of cotton-based organic farming systems in India. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 5:25–38.Google Scholar
18Ministry of Finance. 2008. Economic survey. Ministry of Finance, Government of India. Available at Web site http://indiabudget.nic.in/es2006-07/agriculture.htm (accessed December 12, 2013).Google Scholar
19Indian National Science Academy. 2009. Nutrition security for India: Issues and way forward. Available at Web site http://typo3.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/fsn/docs/Symposium_Report_Nutrition_Security_India.pdf (accessed August 8, 2010).Google Scholar
20Kanyama, A.C. 1998. Climate change and dietary choices—how can emission of greenhouse gases from food consumption be reduced? Food Policy 23:77–293.Google Scholar
21Ramasamy, C., Ramanathan, S., Balasubramanian, T.N., Ragupathy, N., Natarajan, S., Devasenapathy, P., and Natarajan, N. 2004. Alternative Cropping Pattern for Tamil Nadu. Directorate of Research, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore.Google Scholar
22Das, P. 2002. Cropping Pattern (Agricultural and Horticultural) in Different Zones, their Average Yields in Comparison to National Average/Critical Gaps/Reasons Identified and Yield potential. Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi. Available at Web site http://agricoop.nic.in/Farm%20Mech.%20PDF/05024-02.pdf (accessed June 10, 2003).Google Scholar
23Kar, G., Singh, R., and Verma, H.N. 2004. Alternative cropping strategies for assured and efficient crop production in upland rainfed rice areas of eastern India based on rainfall analysis. Agricultural Water Management 67(1):47–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
24Ministry of Agriculture. 2009. Agricultural statistics at a glance. Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. Available at Web site http://eands.dacnet.nic.in/At_Glance_2009.htm (accessed December 12, 2013).Google Scholar
25Statistical Handbook. 2010. Department of Economics and Statistics, Government of Tamil Nadu. Available at Web site http://www.tn.gov.in/deptst/Stat.htm (accessed April 26, 2010).Google Scholar
26NSS (National Sample Survey). 2007. Household Consumer Expenditure among Socio-Economic Groups: 2004–2005. National Sample Survey 61st Round. Report No. 514(61/1.0/7). Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation, Government of India.Google Scholar
27Hanson, J.C., Lichtenberg, E., and Peters, S.E. 1997. Organic versus conventional grain production in the Mid-Atlantic: An economic and farming system overview. American Journal of Alternative Agriculture 12:2–9.Google Scholar
28Setboonsarng, S., Stefan, A., Leung, P.S., and Cai, J. 2008. Profitability of organic agriculture in a transition economy: the case of organic contract rice farming in Lao PDR. Paper presented at Cultivating the Future Based on Science: 2nd Conference of ISOFAR, Modena, Italy, June 18–20, 2008.Google Scholar
29Schumacher, P. 2004. Comparison of conventional and biological cotton production in India, Maikaal area: Cropping pattern, production costs and farmer income. Diploma thesis, Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich.Google Scholar
30Rasul, G. and Thapa, G.B. 2004. Sustainability of ecological and conventional agricultural systems in Bangladesh: An assessment based on environmental, economic and social perspectives. Agricultural Systems 79:327–351.Google Scholar
31Rajeev, M., Vani, B.P., and Bhattacharjee, M. 2011. Nature and Dimensions of Farmer's Indebtedness in India and Karnataka. The Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore, working paper 267.Google Scholar
32Araya, H. and Edwards, S. 2006. The tigray experience: A success story in sustainable agriculture. Third World Network Environment and Development series 4. TWN: Penang, pp 45. In: Vaarst M. 2010. Organic farming as a development strategy: Who are interested and who are not? Journal Sustainable Development 3:38–50.Google Scholar
33Sharma, V.P. and Thaker, H. 2009. Fertilizer Subsidy in India: Who are the Beneficiaries? Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, India. WP No. 2009-07-01. Available at Web site http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/fertilizer%20subsidy.pdf (accessed July 10, 2010).Google Scholar
34Dimitri, C., Kemp, L., Sooby, J., and Sullivan, E. 2012. Organic farming for health and prosperity. Organic Farming Research Foundations. Available at Web site http://www.ofrf.org/sites/ofrf.org/files/docs/pdf/HP-report-web.pdf (accessed April 10, 2013).Google Scholar
35Carating, R., Fernando, M., Abrina, Y., and Tejada, C. 2011. The Organic Fertilizer Production Project: Community-Based and Small Scale Soil Fertility and Farm Waste Management Strategies in Support of the National Rice and Corn Program. Bureau of Soils and Water Management, Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City, Philipines.Google Scholar
36Purushothaman, S., Patil, S., and Francis, L. 2012. Impact of policies favoring organic inputs on small farms in Karnataka, India: A multicriteria approach. Environment Development Sustainability 14:507–527.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
37Ministry of Agriculture. 2011. Agricultural statistics at a glance. Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. Available at Web site http://eands.dacnet.nic.in/latest_20011.htm (accessed March 15, 2013).Google Scholar
38Letter, D., Seidel, R., and Liebhardt, W. 2003. The performance of organic and conventional cropping systems in an extreme climate year. American Journal of Alternative Agriculture 18:146–154.Google Scholar
39Ghosh, P.K., Das, A., Saha, R., Kharkrang, E., Tripathi, A.K., Munda, G.C., and Ngachan, S.V. 2010. Conservation agriculture towards achieving food security in North East India. Current Science 99:915–921.Google Scholar
40Bhatia, A., Kumar, A., Kumar, V., and Jain, N. 2013. Low carbon technologies for sustainable agriculture. Indian Farming 63(2):18–22.Google Scholar
41Panneerselvam, P., Halberg, N., Vaarst, M., and Hermansen, J.E. 2011. Indian farmers experience with and perception of organic farming. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 27:157–169.Google Scholar