a combination of high-yielding seed varieties, fertilisers and state-of-art production practices has resulted in an increases in agricultural productivity in India over the last few decades. However, there is growing realisation that over-dependence on chemicals to boost food output has an alarming, and wholly unwelcome, effect: deterioration of soil health. Excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides has also led to an increase in pollution level. Not surprisingly, there is a renewed interest the world over on recycling organic materials to ensure sustainability in crop production. Among the handful of successful organic farmers in the country is Captain G R Gopinath of Karnataka whose techniques gained international recognition when he was awarded the Rolex Award for Enterprise (Associate Laureate) for 1996.

Gopinath, who retired from the Army to take up farming in Javagal has developed natural farming techniques for mulberry production and silkworm with an eye to the environment, output and cost. India is the world's second largest silk producer, after China, and the three southern states