The Impact of Chemicals Used in Farming on Our Life and Ecosystem

The Indian agricultural sector is heavily industrialized. As a result, it has also raised the use of chemicals, pesticides, and other agriculture-based chemicals, in the natural ecosystem. The impact of farm chemicals used on farm lands was introduced to protect plants and humans from diseases. However, they also have many hazardous effects on the health and life of both humans and the environment. Hence, there is a dire need for implementing a more ecological approach to decrease such health risk factors.

Girveda aims to change this dynamic through its Cow Based Natural Farming (CBNF). CBNF is a sustainable alternative to bring back the natural qualities of Indian soil and discover its lost fertility. The land which became barren and lost its gold through the dangerous use of farm chemicals can be made self-sufficient again with organic manure and pest killers. Girveda ensures that the farmers can access everything needed to cultivate the land by ploughing and threshing grains with the help of cows.

Impact of Chemicals on the Ecosystem

Chemical fertilizers have a major hazardous consequence on the soil when they seep through it to the groundwater. Eventually, this contaminates the water resources, leading to a chain reaction that imbalances nature and, hence, human health. The cumulative effect of such an imbalance on the health of people can be extremely dangerous. Food grown by chemical fertilizers is not always regulated, healthy, and consumable. Artificial fertilizers can only enhance the harvesting, but it loses all their nutritional value. Moreover, they also produce lesser quantities of essential nutrients for humans like calcium, iron, and zinc.

Impact of Farm Chemical Fertilizers on Human Consumption

Plants are at the first position in the food chain, which can easily absorb all the harmful contaminants from the soil. It contaminates not only the fruits and vegetables but the seafood and the soil environment. Pesticides sprayed on the crops for their protection can also enter the chain and human exposure, leading to many immune system problems.

The additives mixed with the ingredients are extremely dangerous and often even fatal for the health. Such food additives don’t have any nutritional value and are added solely to increase the shelf life of products.

Why CBNF is a Better Alternative?

Even though the interaction of chemicals is a cost-effective solution for commercial crops, the fertilizers can contaminate the groundwater. Moreover, the excessive amount of Nitrogen through these fertilizers in the soil can also kill the aquatic life of water bodies.

How do CBNF fertilizers impact the growth of crops?

Organic fertilizers increase the nutrients in the soil for enriching soil fertility and making it growth-friendly for plants. These fertilizers contain macronutrients like Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium. Crops need these three nutrients to grow faster.

Chemical Fertilizers Deteriorate the Soil

Chemical fertilizers undergo many treatments and come from inorganic materials. While they can be cost-effective, it would be wrong to think that they give the farmers control over crop production. The production of high-quality crops is only for the short term, and it can lead to poor quality in the long term. The poor quality of crops in the long-term is that the soil loses its natural fertility and deteriorates.

Using Cow Manure for Fertilizers is a Better Option

India is an agriculture-based country, with so many livelihoods primarily dependent on farming. Chemical fertilizers have already led today’s farmers to face low yield, high production costs, and crop failure problems. CBNF is a farmer-friendly and environment-resilient cropping method to produce healthy food through natural sources. The traditional way of natural farming is constructive because it’s easily adaptable and reduces costs too.

It not only supports plant health but also helps maintain the farm, ecosystem, and health of the consumers. Natural farming uses cow dung, urine, jaggery, flour made from pulses, and plant leaves already available on the farm.

What Makes CBNF Standout?

CBNF stands on four strong pillars: Bijamrit, Jivamrut, Wafasa, and Mulching.

• Bijamrit helps in the protection of young roots from fungus and other diseases borne from soil and seed.
• Jivamrut is a nutrient-providing agent for promoting soil activity through microorganisms.
• Mulching is the process of providing the climatic conditions necessary for promoting the growth of microbes.
• Wafasa helps in retaining the moisture level required for stimulating the proper plant growth.

CBNF Improves Soil Health and Keeps Pests at Bay

The significant indicator for assessing the health of the soil is the organic matter present in it. The ideal percentage for it is 2.5% to 3% of the weight of soil adjacent to its roots. In India, it has gone down to 0.5% in the Northern and North-western regions. Consequently, it affects the yield quantity and quality. Moreover, Indian farmers lose around 20-25% of their crops to pests.

The plants also lose their own phytochemicals to protect themselves from pests due to the use of pesticides. CBNF has proven that the cow urine used for manure can kill germs and bacteria and keep crops away from fungus. Consequently, it keeps the insects and pests steer clear of the produce.

Girveda’s Aim to Build the Broken Ecological Balance

When we look at the environment today, we are wasting nutrients without finding any replacement. The link between using the nutrients from the soil to grow food and giving it back to the earth for compost is broken. Girveda aims to build that link with the traditional methods of ancient India to replenish the soil nutrients. The monotony of chemical fertilizers has resulted in a colossal depletion of essential nutrients, affecting soil health and, eventually, our health. Moreover, the depletion of soil health due to the culture of growing only one crop is the primary reason farmers have to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Humans form the top of the food chain, but the chain starts with plants. With CBNF, we can bring back the goodness of natural farming and transform the way of practising agriculture in India and around the world.

Take the initiative today, and shop fresh, healthy, and natural products from Girveda!