Anwar Sadat, MLA, inaugurated the eighth national convention of Organic Farmers’ Association of India at U.C. College, Aluva, on Thursday.
The three-day convention has brought together eminent personalities from farmers’ groups and advocacy groups that are calling for organic farming in the country. The speakers at the inaugural session emphasised the need for creating awareness among farmers to switch to more sustainable practices and to turn away from chemical fertiliser-based agriculture to organic farming.
The Organic Farmers’ Association has an India-wide network engaged in promoting organic agriculture and creating awareness among farmers, organisations and government departments. The association sustains itself on subscriptions by members, who include traditional organic farmers, farmers who depend solely on rain for farming activities, organisations engaged in spreading the culture of organic farming as well as farm-based entrepreneurs.
Organisers said a festival of local specialty seeds, organic cotton and fashion show, an exhibition of agriculture-based enterprises, enterprises and farming activities by women, training programmes for youth, seminars and discussions will be part of the convention.
Those who spoke at the inauguration of the national convention included M.O. John, chairman of Aluva municipality; K.P. Illyas, convenor of the organising committee; M. I. Punnos, chairman of the organising committee; Karen Mapusua and Claude Alvares, former director of OFAI.
The convention is held once in two years in different parts of the country. The first meet was held in Maharashtra in 2006. It is expected that around 20,000 people will visit the venue of the exhibition daily.
