SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURE IN INDIA – NEED FOR ORGANIC FARMING

Agriculture is the prime activity of the Indian economy for a long time. This sector provides livelihood for the rural mass. For the development of agriculture the government of India has enacted several schemes and programmes ever since Independence. Despite the various programmes and policies, in these days, the agricultural sector is confronting with several problems, and the contribution of agriculture to the national GDP had shown decreasing trend. Further, the increased population demands more food and other articles. Hence to fulfill the demand for the growing population, sustainable development of agriculture is the need for the hour. Organic farming plays a pivotal role in sustainable development of agriculture in India by the way of increased agricultural production and productivity, minimizing poverty, improved soil fertility, improved quality of food and conservation of biodiversity.. The objectives of this paper are to study the present status of organic farming and organic agricultural production by major states in India and to analyze the contribution of organic farming on sustainable agriculture development in India. The intended study is descriptive and analytical, and is based on secondary data such as books, journal articles, and e-sources. The study found that organic farming helps the sustainable agriculture by environmental protection, improved agricultural production and, minimized environmental degradation, conserved the biodiversity, improved the environmental quality and improved the standard of living of the people in India. The study concludes that, government should create more awareness and provide more incentives to the farmers those who practiced organic farming for the sustainable development of agriculture in the future India.