Even though organic food is gaining popularity primarily in urban India, a proper understanding of how it is produced, its processes, its health benefits and its major role in building a more sustainable agricultural sector The problem of shortage continues. For most consumers in this country, purchasing organic foods such as organic milk is more of an economic decision than a health or sustainability choice. This is quite understandable considering that organic milk costs nearly twice as much as regular milk. But by better understanding the value of organic milk, consumers may be able to prioritize the long-term health and environmental benefits of buying organic milk over the short-term financial pinch. .
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The technical definition of organic milk and other organic produce varies by country. In India, organic food is defined and regulated by the National Organic Production Program (NPOP) under the Agro-Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). According to NPOP, “Organic products are grown without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides and under agricultural systems that take an environmentally and socially responsible approach.”
Such a broad definition requires some unpacking. The components of a product like organic milk can be broken down into soil, farm inputs, and animals: what you feed them, and how you treat them in terms of their health and general well-being. Milk that comes from cows that are adapted to their natural behavior and raised in an environment where symbiotic relationships are not broken can be called organic. Cows are fed a diet free of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and are not given antibiotics or hormones to artificially increase milk production. Organic milk cannot be produced on an industrial scale with an industrial mindset. Among other things, this also means that the cows are left untethered and have access to feed and clean drinking water at all times.
Over the past 10 years, we have built a closed-loop system on our farms that ensures our dairy products meet the highest possible standards in India. This starts with the soil and the larger ecosystem where farmers are trained to grow organic feed for animals. It takes two to three years to convert agricultural land that uses conventional chemical fertilizers to organic farming. Typically, the organic feed grown in such soils consists of monocots (maize, ragi, local jowar) and dicots (cowpea, velvet beans) and tree feed (moringa). Cows are also fed Azolla (aquatic fern), which is rich in protein, essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals.
While what’s in it is important, organic milk is also defined by what’s not in it, or the absence of three undesirable elements: antibiotics, aflatoxins, and preservatives. Sick cows are treated without the use of any antibiotics, but farmers also ensure that naturally occurring toxins like aflatoxins (produced by molds) do not enter the animal’s food chain or feed. Masu. Finally, the milk is processed without any human contact and shipped to consumers without any chemical preservatives to extend shelf life.
The value of organic milk should also be evaluated from a larger environmental sustainability perspective. We live in an era of industrialized agriculture, which is contaminating not only our food but also the soil in which it is grown. Producing feed using organic farming methods rejuvenates the soil naturally without using any chemical fertilizers or pesticides. On organic farms, a cover or forage crop is placed between the two crops. This is a great way to not only not pollute the air, but also return nutrients to the soil. For example, alfalfa (a flowering plant in the legume family), a common cover crop, is not only feed for livestock but also a nitrogen fixer for the soil. Unlike traditional farms, organic farms suppress weeds through intercropping and multi-crop techniques. Post-harvest stumps are also plowed up as mulch for the next crop cycle, avoiding burning of polluting stumps. Additionally, standard organic farm techniques such as hedges, ties, and furrows not only provide a more efficient way to retain and use water in the soil, but also conserve soil nutrients. useful, thereby creating an endless and favorable crop cycle.
Although the premium price is a major challenge to widespread adoption of organic milk in a country like India, the long-term implications make the case for making the transition. Making this widely consumed food organic has positive consequences for the health, environment and well-being of cows.
Organic farming practices also benefit small-scale landowners and their farms and reduce carbon sequestration with the aim of reducing the effects of the climate crisis.
This article is written by Shashi Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of Akshayakalpa Organic.
