Farmers’ Knowledge and Constraints for Moving Towards Organic Agriculture

Abstract

Organic farming is a process of crop and livestock production without using pesticides, fertilizers, and genetically modified organisms. Organic farming is a holistic system intended to optimize the productivity and maintain ecosystem balance. The major aim of organic production is to develop enterprises that are sustainable with the environment. Developed countries are practicing organic farming in large scales though Sri Lankan farmers are not practicing it prominently. Sri Lankan farmers show bit reluctant to change their traditional cropping methods and fear to adopt new organic farming practices especially in rural areas. This is mainly due to lack of experience in thinking within the context of organic agriculture. In fact, lack of knowledge may inhibits this movement. Therefore, this study presents views of farmers about organic farming in Mirissa Agrarian Service division in Southern Sri Lanka.