Contents: Preface v List of Contributors xi 1. Introduction 1 2. History of Organic Farming: Return to Right 19 3. Components of Organic Farming 35 4. Vermicompost: A Viable Resource in Organic Farming 61 5. Utilization of Locally Available Resources for Nutrient Management in Organic Farming 89 6. Microbial Resources: An Important Component of Organic Farming 113 7. Weed Management in Organic Crop Production 137 8. Management of Insect-Pests in Organic Crop Production 151 9. Non-Pesticidal Management: An Experience 175 10. Management of Diseases in Organic Crop Production 195 11. Eco-Friendly Management of Vertebrates in Agriculture 217 12. Non-Chemical Management of Insect-Pests of Stored Products 237 13. Organic Farming in Rainfed Areas 255 14. Organic Farming in Hill and Mountain Areas 275 15. Organic Farming in Coastal Ecosystems of India: Present Status and Future Prospects 293 16. Relevance of Agroforestry Systems in Organic Farming 311 17. Organic Livestock Production: Present Status and Future Prospects in India 335 18. Integrated Farming Systems for Sustainable Organic Farming 359 19. Organic Processing of Meat and Meat Products in India 369 20. Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Potential of Organic Farming 389 21. Nutritional Quality of Organically Grown Food Crops 401 22. Economics and Other Dimensions of Organic Farming in India 411 23. Participatory Organic Guarantee System for India 427 24. Biodynamic Farming 437 25. Organic Farming with Cosmic Energy: Rishi-Krishi, Deshpande Farming Technique 457 26. Natural Farming 467 27. Indigenous Technologies of Organic Agriculture 479 28. Perpetual Yogic Agriculture Technology 497 29. The Market for Organic Food in India: Present Status and Future Potential 513 30. Policy and Institutional Environment for Promotion of Organic Farming in India 535 Index 557 The practice of farming described as ‘organic’ is being promoted under many names including natural farming, biological farming, Agnihotra farming, ecological farming, homa farming etc. Organic farming offers an opportunity for smallholders to improve their production without relying on external capital and inputs and to gain premium prices using organic production methods. In India, there has been significant increase in the area under certified organic farming during the last 13 years. Presently, about 1.44 million ha area is under certified organic cultivation and India ranks 9th in terms of total land under organic cultivation. Further, India has the largest number of certified organic producers (about 0.84 million) and accounted for 1.18 million tons of certified organic produce. This book has 30 chapters and provides a comprehensive coverage of diverse topics of organic farming including history, concept and principles, nutrient management, pest management, nutritional quality of organic produce, organic livestock production management, organic processing of meat, other forms of organic farming, economics, case studies, certification, market, and policy issues. The extensive coverage of topics is complemented with suitable references, making this an essential reading particularly for students of agricultural sciences. This book will be a valuable resource for students, teachers, researchers and extension personnel interested in organic farming.