Organic farming, Importance and Tourism promotion in Nepal

Organic farming is the practice of farming which don’t allow us the use of external synthetic inputs like chemical fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides, antibiotics etc. It fully depends on organic manure obtained from our farm animals. It is the sustainable way of farming.

According to IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement), organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems, and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic Agriculture combines tradition, innovation, and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and good quality of life for all involved. As this definition defines organic agriculture we understand what actually organic farming and food is. It includes our innovation and all the things we practice under traditional farming.
Importance of organic farming

There are so many benefits of organic food but among them, good health is one. This pandemic has also taught us about our healthy organic practices and use of traditional organic medicines that we have been using since past.

Others importance are:

• It is sustainable way of farming which maintains soil’s ability for production for longer period of time
• Use of organic manure enriches soil with good water holding capacity
• It balances ecosystem
• All nutrients required for plant growth are provided
• Don’t have negative effect on consuming organic food like inorganic, consuming food produced using chemicals will have remained traces of chemical in our body due to which in long run causes different non-communicable diseases like kidney stone, cancer etc.
• Insect and pest don’t build resistant but in case of inorganic after excessive use insect and pest will build resistant in long run which may bursts serious disease outbreak in future
• Helps in promotion of tourism because nowadays people are attracted towards organic food and wants to be away from modern feeding habits
• It helps to combat with changing climate
• It helps to reduce pollution like use of pair of bullocks for ploughing don’t produces any harmful gases like power teller operated using petrol, use of sickle for harvesting don’t produce any pollutants, winnowing using winnower etc.
• Improve soil chemical and physical properties

Tourism, organic farming and possibilities in Nepal

Tourism is the activity that we want for the purpose of entertainment, research, adventure and for many other events. It the way where people get refresh from their daily activities.

We have historical things, landscapes etc. for promotion of tourism but we should not forget that most of our land produces organic food and our life style is also organic. Very recently one of the district of our country has been declared as organic and other can also be declared as organic if we work out for making our field organic that have been used with chemical fertilizers.

Organic food like sisno, dindo, neuro, gundruk etc whatever we are consuming are organic and if we feed them to our tourist then it will add organic food to tourism. We have been rearing goat in free range grazing system which consume medicinal plants will provide disease resistant power in our body. We have local variety of hen, ducks, wild hen etc. we have to promote these things. We have a lot of local varieties of maize, wheat, paddy, millet etc. which are produced using organic manure are good for different diseased patients. We have good resource of wild fruits, medicinal plants and vegetables that can be organic cure for our tourist. We shouldn’t forget about our local tribes Magar and Gurung community who would contribute to make local organic drinks made from millet and barley. We have organic land, farming, food and people so why we don’t make our village organic and help in declaration our village organic. Let’s connect our organic feeding habits to our tourists and be economically strong.

Why organic food for tourism?

Because

• Due to importance of organic food that have been mentioned earlier
• Employment opportunities
• Attractive way to attract tourist
• Today’s people’s interest
• Promotion of local products

Talking about possibilities we have so much of things but only thing is that to know ourselves and our qualities. It has become like deer searching for own aroma. There is a lot of possibilities only we need to grab them. Let’s unite to grab them.

Writer: Agni kandel (Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Lamjung Campus)