Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Appendix
Some minor edits to spelling and grammar have been made to improve
the readability of this legal document; these are unmarked. Where de-
letions have been made, ellipses appear; where words have been added,
they appear in brackets.
2010 Kerala State Organic Farming Policy,
Strategy and Action Plan
Vision
Make Kerala's farming sustainable, rewarding, and competitive, ensuring
poison-free water, soil, and food to every citizen.
Background
India has a glorious history of farming, starting probably from the 6th millen-
nium BC in the Indus Valley [with the] harnessing [of] annual floods and the
subsequent alluvial deposits. The Indus Valley Civilization was founded on
sustainable farming practices. Subsequently, our culture and ethos became re-
flections of the agricultural practices and it became mutually inseparable until
recently. Harvest of the main crops is celebrated throughout the country.
[Farmers] in Kerala . . . went to the extent of identifying the farmland with
Mother God or a female. Just as the female has to take rest after delivery, the
farm land has also to be given rest for three months after the harvest; tilling
is strictly prohibited during this period. Although [this practice] may look
[merely] superstitious, the ecological reason behind this ritual is that tilling
during monsoon leads to severe soil erosion, and thus is an unsustainable prac-
tice. Therefore, sustainability has been the hallmark of our farming system from
time immemorial, growing the time-tested, weather-suited, traditional crops
with or without additional organic input, but deeply interwoven with the eco-
logical systems and climatic conditions.
