Agriculture is the biggest sources of employment in India the main source of income for the rural population but accounts for only a minimal portion of the total GDP. Despite being the backbone of the nation, agriculture is one of the most unorganized sectors of our economy. Over the years, this sector has been plagued with problems like farmers not getting reasonable returns on their crops and the excessive use of harmful pesticides and other chemicals to boost product output.
In this situation, it is very important that we as consumers choose the right channel to procure healthy and safe food because our choice and its impact is not limited to ourselves. Here are ways in which your choice matters:
- Your choice directly uplifts the condition of an Indian farmer
The economic situation of farmers in India is, unfortunately, deplorable in most parts of the country. Farmers are often cheated by middlemen who offer them sub-par prices for their crops. Government yards are no better when it comes to offering good prices for crops. As such, a lot of farmers get minimal returns for their crops and are forced to take loans for their sustenance. This further leads them to fall into a debt trap and this vicious cycle repeats itself over and over. This has been a major reason for the massive number of farmers who commit suicide every year. Around 12,000 farmers committed suicide every year on average between 1995 and 2015. You as a consumer can choose wisely to reduce farmers’ dependence on such middlemen by providing them with a fair price for their product and being the direct link between the customer and the farmer.
2. Your choice ensures that you consume safe, healthy and affordable food:
Often consumers are under the impression that the high prices of the food are indicative of the quality of the food. However, since the excessively exorbitant prices fail to reach the farmers to even account for decent returns, the farmers are forced to use harmful pesticides and other chemicals to increase yield and curb their losses.
Jivabhumi, on the other hand, ensures transparency for consumers by eliminating middlemen altogether. Every farmer and co-operative that signs up with us enter into a long-term commitment which guarantees that all the food grown for us is done so using natural farming methods. This means that there will be no pesticides, no growth hormones and other harmful chemicals in the products that the customer purchases from us.
3. Your choice is a stand against harmful agricultural practices:
The existing patterns of consumption and production in Indian agriculture has given way to harmful and unethical practices. Adulteration of food has become very common in the Indian market. The artificial colouring of dry fruits, tampering of wheat with ergot, a dangerous fungus, adulteration of honey with molasses and turmeric with red oxide of lead which is highly carcinogenic are some examples of the disturbing state of affairs in India. As consumers, we might not be able to realize the impact of such substances in the short run but the adverse health effects that these adulterants cause will catch up to us with increased consumption and age.
4. Your choice makes an ecological difference:
As urban consumers, we might think that the damaged ecological condition is not relevant to us. Seldom do we realize that our choices are going to make a difference in the years and generations to come. If we continue to exploit nature by encouraging the existing way of farming, our future generations will be left with nothing but infertile farmlands incapable of growing nutritious or even palatable crops.
Choosing wisely is not only for a better future for us but a step for voiceless creatures that live and consume the harmful by-products of these chemicals. This step towards saving your environment by choosing sustainably grown crops today is the only way we can protect our children from suffering the consequences of our willful ignorance.
5. Your choice makes you a responsible citizen:
By choosing a transparent platform that ensures fair returns to the farmers, you not only protect yourself from harmful substances but you’re directly contributing to the improvement of the standard of living of the farmers. A mass movement like this will ensure that each of these farmers lead a life of dignity instead of having to resort to drastic measures like suicide. The improved standard of living will lead to an increase in the happiness index thus improving the economic status of our nation in the bigger picture.
With the current state that the agricultural industry is in, it is imperative that farmers have a channel through which they can get guaranteed good returns for their produce, and customers have a channel through which they can get healthy food at reasonable prices. Here at Jivabhumi, we aim to build a community of farmers and consumers to ease the process, encourage transparency and ensure that farm fresh and safe food gets delivered to one and all. So, make your next grocery purchase with us and feel content with the knowledge that you have contributed positively to the betterment of the agricultural society and the environment as a whole.
