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O4 - eFarm's Organic Farm Produce Unit
EFarm has launched a separate unit to exclusively handle Organic produce sourcing, distribution and retailing. O4 (pronounced as OhFore -- 'Organic Farm Produce') will be our specialized offering for our customers who prefer genuine organic produce.
How is organic different from regular vegetables and fruits ?
Conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables use variety of synthetic fertilizers , pesticides and poisons to increase the yield and destroy weeds and insects. Especially in India, since most farmers are not properly aware, they often overuse such chemicals even beyond manufacturer's recommendation. Hence such produce have high amount of residue on the surface , which when consumed can cause severe diseases.
Organic farms use natural and biologically safe fertilizers and sprays and are hence do not have such harmful side effects.
A simple analogy is conventional fertilizers are like allopathic drugs , which may be quicker & cheaper but often have critical side effects. Organic farming is like ayurveda - it may be less appealing and expensive but is more holistic in its approach.
Why should one buy organic ?
Organic food is safer for you and the environment. Organic farming
doesn’t pollute groundwater with nitrogen run-off. It also avoids
all the risks associated with genetically modified crops, which has
been shown to produce serious hormonal imbalances and deformities.
Will organic produce be more expensive ?
Most organic food costs more than conventional food products because of mismatch in supply and demand. More labour intensive farming practices, tighter government regulations and lack of proper awareness and marketing are the key reasons. Interestingly, cost of production of organic produce is much cheaper because most of the raw materials are easily available or can be produced at the farm/village itself . But, owing to lesser yield and smaller growth they don't fetch high prices at the local mandi.As very few nature food shops focus on such produce, the costs of transportation itself far outweigh the price.
If you buy locally produced, in-season items, you may find that organic items are cheaper.
Where can I purchase them ?
Refer to this article in ergo (THE HINDU's tabloid on Chennai) for details of stores currently stocking organic produce . They also ran a special cover story on O4 and eFarm. You can read the online version here. O4 (eFarm's organic outlets) locations are listed here .
Are eFarm's organic products certified ?
Organic certification is very expensive and time consuming (takes over 3 years). Most small, marginal farmers cannot afford it as they don't get to realize the benefits of this additional burden. We have identified and validated such organic farms through references from organic farmer's associations, peer groups and agencies knowledgeable in this field. We also procure from certified farms, but the prices would be higher owing to the costs associated with it.
How can one detect if the produce is organic ?
The legal requirements to call something "organic" are pretty broad and requires expensive spectral analysis devices.But for practical identification, physical appearance, taste and smell are commonly used. Organically grown produce might be smaller or duller looking than conventionally grown items, as they dont pursue overfertilization . Expect odd shapes, varying colors and even unknown varieties. You may find that organic fruits and vegetables have shorter shelf life because they aren't treated with waxes or preservatives.
If I am an organic farmer , how can i benefit from sourcing to eFarm ? eFarm provides better rates for organically grown produce than prevailing mandi rates, as we would like to recognise and promote the concept further. We also have panel of experts in this field, and successful organic farmers who would provide guidance on various topics.
I am interested to pursue organic farming in our land . Can eFarm guide us ?
Yes. We can connect you to people and agencies which can jumpstart your venture. We also can work out purchasing and marketing agreements.
More reasons why switching to organic is better ...
- Organic farming practices are designed to benefit the environment by reducing pollution and conserving water and soil.
- As more people start buying, due to economies of scale, the cost of It reduces the overall trucking / distributing would come down.
- Conventional produce is grown with petroleum-based nitrogen fertilizers, which while they help the plants grow, don't impart any 'nutrition' to the soil, or the produce. They tend to destroy the microorganisms in the soil leading to destruction of land.
- Organic soil, and therefore organic produce, is much higher in vitamins, minerals, and organic food has more antioxidants.
- No Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Hence less food allergies
You can read our blog posting on "How to make organic produce cheaper and easily available" for more details.