Thimmaiah A.
Centre for Rural Development and Technology (CRDT)
Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
Hauz Khas, New Delhi, INDIA.
110016.
Tel: +91 11 6596218
Fax: 11-6862037, 6591121
E-mail: a_tims@hotmail.com

Santos, H.

The burgeoning population and diminishing natural resources worldwide are the limitations for the provision of safe, nutritious food and clean environment. Modern agriculture has caused irreparable damages at the expense of soil and human health. Balanced diet does not mean the mere presence of different nutrients in food but the vitality of food is very important. The modern food production system is not safe and sustainable and has to be changed.

A meaningful and long term solution would necessarily involve a sustainable and holistic approach for the present food production systems. Biodynamic agriculture, an enhanced organic system is based on system approach wherein a farm is viewed as a living whole in which each farm activity is interrelated to other in a mutual complimentary manner. In addition to organic agriculture biodynamic agriculture uses specific fermented herbs and minerals which are used in homeopathic doses as compost additives and field sprays to provide a balanced soil nutrition to provide safe, healthy and nutritious food. Studies also reveal that the quality of biodynamically grown wheat on storage, without using any chemical or botanical pesticides was found superior t chemically grown wheat. The paper presents the future prospectus of biodynamic agriculture as an alternative sys tem of farming to produce safe, nutritious and quality food and an important component of Low Input Sustainable Agriculture (LISA).