The common perception of anything branded “organic” being truly so, is not always true. The belief that the presently followed organic agriculture practices are pesticide-free is also turning out to be a farce. There are many outlets that simply put a label organic on their products, to sell them at a higher price. None of us have ever asked whether they have been properly certified as organic. A recent study has shown that most of the so-called ‘organic’ products had an equal amount of insecticide residues as in their non-organic counterparts.
However, organic culture is still being practiced. An international example of organic agriculture is the practices followed in Cuba. In India, it would be Sikkim. The author explains with ground realities of Cuban agriculture and that of Sikkim, why going blindly organic is not a panacea for our problems. The future of agriculture that benefits both the farmer and the consumer is Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The action plan to reach this goal is explained in the book.
The next step in quality food production is Good Agricultural Practices or GAP. The third chapter of this book is a guideline on how GAP can be practiced. This book is a must-read for the “organic extremist” to understand the facts as they are. This book is an ideal reference for the toiling farmer on producing a healthy crop while maintaining productivity and sustainability with profit.
Dr. A M Ranjith retired from the Kerala Agricultural University as the Head of Agricultural Entomology. During the 36 years of his service, he had been teaching his students, everything about insect pests, pest damages and methods to manage them. He has written two books in Entomology for the benefit students of agriculture and for farmers. He has also guided postgraduate and Ph.D. students in the field of Entomology and have also served in the examination boards of postgraduates in many agricultural universities in India. Currently, he is the chief consultant for agriconsultantskerala.com
Prof. Ranjith is a critic of unverified data and half-truths being propagated in the agricultural field. He is also a staunch supporter of scientifically verified agricultural practices that will benefit the farmer. This is his first book in Malayalam, to place facts authentically. The book is based on his experience as well as published work from various sources.
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