Basics of conventional farming….

Are we eating right?

There are so many mornings when we start our day by reading headlines in the
newspaper about farmer’s suicide. The cause of these deaths is most of the
time shown as “debt” the farmer was carrying on his head. There are
headlines that tell us about deaths caused due to the poisoning of pesticides in
human beings. There’s always news circulating on various platforms about how
dangerous is the food that we consume every day. How much are we bothered
about all such information that comes on our screens just for a few seconds
sometimes minutes in a day.
Now, clearly, I don’t think we are eating right.

Are we bothered?

The answer to this question is “NO”.
We are not bothered about the situation in the true sense. We as social beings
definitely get concerned about what we eat, but we do not take adequate
steps to ensure that we eat the right kind of food.

Some serious questions?

The world has recently witnessed one of the most dreading pandemics in the history of humanity. The death tolls have been higher than the actual numbers being forecasted.

Was there any chance of people surviving the deadly viral infection if they ate the right food?
There has been an increasing trend in the cancer cases caused in Indian
society. Many people today are suffering from different kinds of cancers. The people who never had a history of smoking, drinking or any other sort of habit that would accelerate or cause the “deadly disease” called cancer, were seen suffering with it. Yes, there are multiple reasons behind the disease, but what must not be neglected are the “carcinogenic” effects of the residues of pesticides being sprayed or applied on vegetables or fruits or any other agronomic crop that we consume.

Is there anything that we can do to save the lives of people from such grave danger?
When we speak of cancer-causing traits of pesticides we must not forget the
cardiovascular issues that are caused by the application of agrochemicals. Development of myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, and sudden death. These are all the results of indiscriminate application of
agrochemicals. Cardiovascular diseases are one of the leading reasons for the death of many people across the globe. If a farmer’s family loses the earning member or a daily wage labour’s family loses the earning head of the family, how is the family going to survive? Can we do something to make their lives easier and keep them happier and safe?
In a recent couple of years, there has been an observation that young girls
are attaining puberty much before they are supposed to. Does it have
something to do with what we eat? Yes, it is a part of the reason. We are also
seeing many cases of male breast developments. People are spending heavy
amounts of money to get rid of those. Again, does it have anything with what
we eat? Yes, it is a part of the reason. Can we just for one think about the
mental agony that the person undergoes be it a boy or a girl who is just a
teenager with such developments happening in their body. That kind of mental
stress puts them in awkward situations and is devastating in its effects. Can we
as social beings do something for such boys and girls and ensure them safe and secure health?
Have you ever wondered about what is the percentage of women in India
suffering from at least one gynecological morbidity? It is around 44.4%. the
percentage of Indian women showing at least one gynecological symptom is
around 25.9%. I don’t say that all these percentages are just because of their
eating habits or associated with what they eat. But, I still impress upon you
that our eating habits have a lot to do with it. Again, is there something that
can be done here?
Many young people are today seen suffering from health conditions like
diabetes, obesity, asthma, joint pains are just a few to name but are all
these curable by just eating the right way?
A farmer has to buy so many pesticides and fertilizers from shops and dealers
and certainly, a huge load of debt accumulates on his head. If the crop fails he
fails to repay the debt too. If the crop succeeds he pays the debt but has
nothing left for himself. Is there something that we as people of this country
can collectively do?
All the question to which I just drew your attention is serious questions.
These questions are specifically important to a country like India, where

majority of the population is below 30 years old. We are a population of 1.35
billion people, we have a tremendous opportunity to change the very face of
this country and the way people look at it. They must be answered in a way
that is sustainable, reliable, profiting, creating a win-win situation for both
farmers and consumers.

Do we have answers?

Today’s methods of conventional farming brought a revolution with them and
changed the agroecological structure of India. We were a country, which for a
certain period of time lived on the supplies from the western countries, we fed
our populations with a great deal of difficulties. In such times the “green
revolution” and “intense agriculture” practices we see today made India not
only self-sufficient but also an export ready country. The indiscriminate usage
of those very methods has shown us this day.
Hormones are injected into poultry and livestock animals to increase their
production. Growth regulators are applied to fruits and vegetables to increase
their beauty and enhance their appearance. It is the very accumulation of
these residues that affect our health in turn.

The way ahead……

The way ahead is definitely to adopt practices that save us from the dire
consequences of conventional farming. “Organic farming”, “Organic products”,
are the lifeline the world has today. Save yourselves.