Many people choose organic products due to the health benefits, but did you know that it also contributes to earth’s health? The industry behind agriculture is responsible for nearly 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Organic farming can help to fight this issue with the potential to lower emissions immensely – It even helps farmers adapt to the effects of this global crisis. But Why are the Greenhouse Emissions so high? & How can Organic Agriculture tackle the problem? Nitrous oxide as fertiliser: The driving force behind climate change are greenhouse gases (GHG). The main GHG emitted by agriculture is nitrous oxide, a gas which has 300 times more impact on the climate than CO₂. Nitrogen is the main ingredient of artificial fertiliser used in conventional farming. Not all of the fertiliser is taken in by the soil, as about 1.6% emits in the air. Also studies show that use of nitrogen fertiliser is directly tied to the loss of carbon from the soil: The more fertiliser applied, the more carbon gets released from the soil into the atmosphere. Furthermore, nitrogen production is mostly powered by fossil fuels. So much so that 1% percent of global fossil energy is used on it. In contrast, organic agriculture does not rely on artificial fertilisers. Compensation is found in highly effective recycling and composting of livestock and crops, creating closed nutrient cycles. This also cuts the need to produce and to transport fertiliser. Carbon Sequestration: We are losing around 1% of our farmland every year through conventional farming practices with erosion or the poisoning of the soil and groundwater. To compensate for this loss, large areas of natural ecosystems are lost to deforestation. This practice releases major amounts of CO₂. Carbon sequestration will be a useful tool. As the name suggests, it can store carbon in the soil and organically treated soil has the potential to store big quantities of carbon. While conventional farming actually loses carbon through manuring or ploughing. Organic practices will also help in regaining lost farmland. Enrichment and stabilisation of the soil can minimise the effects of erosion and can support the revitalisation of the soil. In this way we get more ground to support humanity’s growing population while preserving nature and the carbon lost in deforestation. Adaptation to the effects of Climate Change: Modern agriculture will need to adapt if we want to support an exploding population under the face of global warming. This is due to the more and more unpredictable weather patterns, which will get more and more extreme as time goes on. Studies have shown that soil in organic farming can hold more water and nutrients. In this way, production losses in droughts can be compensated. By comparison, conventional farming practices are out produced by 70-90% in droughts. This also applies to other events. Organic soil can better deal with floods and helps in erosion by keeping the matter and the nutrients safer, all while having higher yields. Conclusion: We are currently battling one of the most pressing issue humanity has ever faced. In order to navigate this situation and to ensure the food supply we need to make changes to the way our crops are grown. Without the use of industrial fertiliser we could cut the emissions of nitrous oxide. Lost farm land could be regained and carbon could be trapped in the soil, all while having bigger security through a more stable yield, even in extreme weather conditions. Although more research is needed to be done on the topic, organic farming shows great potential to assist us in solving this dooming riddle called climate change.
Eat Right Basket – Organic Farming and everything around it – A Journey
Dear readers, Welcome to our very own Eat Right Basket Blog. It does not matter if you are already part of the Eat Right Basket family or not, everyone is welcome here if they have good intentions and an open heart. Let us introduce ourselves first: This is the team behind Eat Right Basket which works 6-7 days a week to provide you with the most natural, organically grown food possible. Why this blog? At Eat Right Basket we know organic farming is needed to stop the pollution of our air, water and earth. Therefore, we believe everyone should be able to afford a healthy life with organic food, not just those who have the money to pay for it. Our main goal is to establish a market for organic food which is actually affordable. After all, changing from pesticide heavy industrial farming to organic farming is a big task. Not just for farmers but for the customers as well. How do you know that food labelled as organic really is organic? Is organic farming and natural food really safer than industrial produced food? Why is organic food more expensive than industrial food? These are questions we sometimes hear from interested citizens; therefore we have set up this blog to answer them. What else will you get to know? This information is very important, but we want to share much more with you. We want to introduce all the people who are involved in allowing you to receive our organic food right at your doorstep. Show you how our organic food is produced, transported, sorted etc. Explain why sometimes the weather or the traffic can foil all the careful plans we have made. Look at our responsibility towards the earth we are living on. How is climate change affecting India and the 300 million farmers and farm workers living in rural areas. And what does that mean for us as a social enterprise and you as a consumer? Why is farming in India the way it is, what policies are behind farming developments? Finally, we also want to share our Ideas and plans for the future. What is our Vision for the Eat Right Basked family and how can you get involved?! We are excited for your Feedback. If you have Questions about this blog, about Eat Right Basket in general or anything else concerning organic food, feel free to contact us. (Some Hindi Expression blessing people or similar) Eat Right Basket Team
My First Impression Entry!
Hi, my name is Julia and I am a volunteer coming from Hamburg, Germany. I have been working with Eat Right Basket for the last 8 months. During this time, I have learned many things, especially about the importance of good and healthy food. In Germany, the awareness of how important and healthy organic food is increasing more and more. Especially over the time of the pandemic, many people focused more on eating healthy and have shifted to buying organic products. Organic products can nowadays be found in nearly every store, but online shops for organic and healthy products are not yet established. Especially none that deliver fresh fruits and vegetables as well. That’s why I am so impressed by how Eat Right Basket is managing to offer affordable and healthy organic food in such a big area like Delhi-NCR. I got to experience the positive environment this company created with its employees and how valuable their products are for them. Eat Right Basket produces their vegetables, fruit, and grains in Uttar Pradesh on their own 20 acres and works with many other farmers to spread the knowledge and value of organic farming. Food is one of the most essential needs of the human body. Not only for survival but also for wellbeing. But nowadays the food becomes less and less valuable. Organic Farming is a way to Care, Feed and Eat Right. It is important for our health but even more for our nature. With all the chemicals that get through traditional farming into the ground, the earth around it gets poisoned, which has grave effects on the health of the people as well as our earth. Therefore, Eat Right Basket has stepped away from synthetic fertilizers and instead uses environmental-friendly fertilizers like cow dung. Another way Eat Right Basket uses to naturally enrichen the soil is vermicomposting. Whereby worms compost vegetables and food waste and create a natural fertilizer. Vermicomposting is a great way to recycle and reuse food scraps. In their shop and office in Noida, the many great products are stored and sold, as well as packed for home delivery. Every day new and fresh products arrive by train and are sorted carefully to ensure the highest quality for the customers. There are many natural Indian products, which I got to explore here. Especially in comparison to Germany, I admire the variety of fruits and vegetables Eat Right Basket and India, in general, have to offer. I am very happy to have had the opportunity to work with Eat Right Basket!