Note4Students:
For UPSC aspirants, Integrated Farming Systems (IFS) and Natural Farming are not just buzzwords but critical tools for sustainable agricultural development. Many candidates focus narrowly on the definition and benefits of IFS or Natural Farming but miss the systemic challenges—like scalability, scientific validation, and policy gaps. This article delves into the ground realities of implementing Natural Farming, such as the Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh models, and highlights systemic bottlenecks like funding and inclusivity. The distinction between Natural and Organic Farming offers a conceptual clarity that can sharpen answer writing.
PYQ Anchoring and Microthemes:
- GS 3: How far is the Integrated Farming System (IFS) helpful in sustaining agricultural production? [2019]
- GS 3: What is Integrated Farming System ? How is it helpful to small and marginal farmers in India ? [2022]
- GS 3: Sikkim is the first ‘Organic State’ in India. What are the ecological and economical benefits of Organic State? [2018]
Microthemes: Organic Farming, Integrated Farming System
The government has introduced the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) to promote eco-friendly, chemical-free agriculture. It’s a nationwide initiative under the Ministry of Agriculture aimed at encouraging farmers to adopt natural methods of cultivation. The mission focuses on reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, lowering farming costs, improving soil health, and boosting sustainable farming practices. This shift is expected to benefit both farmers and the environment by promoting healthier produce and long-term agricultural sustainability.
What is Natural Farming?
Natural Farming is a farming approach where farmers use only natural and locally sourced inputs, avoiding chemical fertilizers and pesticides entirely.
Why Natural Farming is Gaining Attention Now ?
India’s Green Revolution in the 1960s helped boost food production using chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and hybrid seeds. While effective initially, it has led to several long-term issues:
- Productivity stagnation due to overuse of chemicals.
- High input costs forcing farmers into debt.
- Groundwater depletion from excessive water use.
- Loss of biodiversity as traditional crops were replaced.
The high costs of seeds and chemicals have left many farmers in financial distress, contributing to increased farmer suicides. For example, over 12,000 farmer suicides were reported in Maharashtra from 2015 to 2018.
Natural Farming offers a solution by drastically cutting costs through natural methods, promoting sustainable farming. Subash Palekar, a pioneer of NATURAL FARMING, popularized this practice in India.
Natural Farming vs. Organic Farming
While organic farming also avoids chemicals, it often requires expensive inputs like organic fertilizers and vermicompost. NATURAL FARMING, on the other hand, relies solely on local resources, making it more affordable for farmers.
FOUR PILLARS OF NATURAL FARMING :
| 1 | Jeevamrutha | It is a fermented microbial culture. It is made from cow dung, urine, jaggery, pulse flour and soil.It promotes microbial activities to generate nutrients and protects against pathogens. |
| 2 | Beejamrita(Seed Treatment) | It is microbial coating for seeds. The coating is made from cow dung, urine, lime and soil.It protects young plant roots from fungus and seed-borne or soil-borne diseases. |
| 3 | Acchadana(Mulching) | It refers to covering the top soil with dead matters of any living organism (plants, animals, etc). It produces humus, conserves top-soil, increases water retention, encourages soil fauna and prevents the growth of weeds. |
| 4 | Waaphasa(Soil aeration) | Waaphasa means the mixture of 50 % air and 50 % water vapour in the cavities between two soil particles.It helps in reducing the amount of water that needs to be provided through irrigation. |
THE PROS & CONS
Pros of natural farming are as follows :
| ECONOMIC | ||
| 1 | Improve farmer’s income | Natural Farming encourages the use of locally available inputs and eliminates the need for buying pesticides. Thus, it reduces the input costs which leads to an increase in disposable income of the farmer. |
| 2 | Energy security | Natural Farming eliminates the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. It reduces the demand for fertilizers. Thus, it helps in reducing the energy demand utilised in fertilizer production.Natural Farming ensures improved water efficiency. Thus, it reduces the energy used in pump-sets used for groundwater extraction. This would also help the government reduce outlay on subsidies for electricity in agriculture. |
| 3 | Rural employment | Natural Farming provides the scope of employment opportunities across the agricultural value chain(for example – production of natural fertilizers, maintenance of local water bodies etc.) |
| 4 | Food and nutritional security | Small farmers can earn more due to the improvements in yield. It also ensures increasing the amount of food available for their families. Thus, it provides them with food & nutritional security. |
| 5 | Reducing reliance on loans | Natural Farming helps in improving the farmers income and reduce input costs. This would help in reducing the reliance of farmers on loans. Thus, it breaks their debt cycle and reduces dependence on informal moneylenders. |
| ECOLOGICAL | ||
| 1 | Water security | Natural Farming can help prevent over extraction of groundwater, enable aquifer recharge and eventually contribute to increasing water table levels.Natural Farming eliminates the use of inorganic chemical inputs and thus improve the quality of groundwater.The use of natural fertilizers in Natural Farming will help to reduce the contamination of rivers and oceans. It would help reduce ocean acidification and marine pollution from land based activities. |
| 2 | Decreased C02 emissions | Natural Farming eliminates use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. It thus reduces CO2 emissions during manufacturing of fertilizers and pesticides. |
| 3 | Makes Agriculture Climate Resilient | Natural Farming ensures water use efficiency. It thus helps vulnerable farming communities in drought prone areas.It will enable farmers to tackle the problem of climate change. |
| 4 | Environment Friendly | Natural Farming reduces the need for irrigation and eliminates external use of chemical fertilizer. It thus help reduce the release of harmful chemicals to air, water and soil.Natural Farming encourages farmers to make use of agricultural waste instead of discarding or burning it. Crop residues are reused for mulching. It may help in reducing air pollution. |
| 5 | Restores ecosystem health of farm | Natural Farming help restore degraded soil and improves fertility of drought prone land. It plays a pivotal role in landscape restoration and prevention of biodiversity loss. |
| SOCIAL | ||
| 1 | Gender empowerment | The International Food Policy Research Institute cites gender gap in access to inputs as a major constraint for women in agriculture.Natural Farming advocates natural inputs. Thus, it reduces the gender gap that exists in access to agricultural inputs(chemical fertilizers, pesticides etc). |
| 2 | Impact farmer suicides | Improved incomes due to higher yields might help farmers cope better with crop loans and the stress due to it. This would help to bring down the number of farmer suicides. |
| 3 | Improve human health | Natural Farming would help to reduce the incidence of non-communicable diseases (such as respiratory diseases and even cancer), which are associated with the use and application of inorganic chemicals in agriculture. Pesticides contain endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). EDCs enter humans through food and can have negative health impacts(such as breast cancer, reproductive disorders, etc). Thus, Natural Farming helps in preventing the intake of EDCs. |
| 4 | Preserve traditional knowledge | Natural Farming educates farmers regarding conventional farming practices. It depends upon the materials available locally. Thus, it would help in preserving the traditional knowledge of farming practices in a particular region. |
The cons of NATURAL FARMING include the following :
| 1 | Scientific Validation | NITI Aayog experts have warned that multi-location studies are needed to scientifically validate its viability. Further, no independent, detailed economic assessment of this farming model are available in the public domain. |
| 2 | Non-inclusive in nature | As per a case study conducted in 2016 by the La Via Campesina(LVC) mentioned that most of the farmers involved in Natural Farming are from the middle peasantry. This has raised concerns regarding the exclusion of small and marginal farmers. |
| 3 | Scalability | The Natural Farming model is yet to be tried out as a large-scale food production model. |
| 4 | Profitability | The sustainability of the model will depend upon the profits it is able to generate for the farmers. However, it is noticed that the yields start to drop after a few years. There have been several instances where the Natural Farming farmers have returned to input-intensive farming practices due to low profits. |
| 5 | Systemic challenges unresolved | Natural Farming doesn’t resolve issues associated with agricultural marketing, land ownership, value addition etc. |
| 6 | Not really zero input | In reality, Natural Farming is not really zero input as it assumes that the farmer has a cow and availability of water. It is not a low-cost farming system as it is claimed to be. For instance, Andhra Pradesh has provided a fund of Rs. 17,000 crore for its Climate Resilient Zero Budget Natural Farming programme. |
| 7 | Lack of a coherent policy | Absence of a comprehensive national policy to boost Natural Farming has prevented its adoption on a large scale. |
#BACK2BASICS: Basics of Natural Farming
Definition:
Natural farming is an agricultural practice that relies on working in harmony with nature rather than imposing control over it. It seeks to create a self-sustaining ecosystem for plants without relying on chemical inputs like fertilizers or pesticides.
How Natural Farming Works?
- Leave the Soil Undisturbed: No tilling; soil structure is maintained, supporting beneficial organisms like earthworms and fungi.
- Use of Mulch and Cover Crops: Mulch with organic material and cover crops helps retain moisture, improve soil health, and control weeds.
- Natural Nutrient Cycle: Enrich soil with crop residues and green manure, relying on natural decomposition.
- Pest Control Through Biodiversity: Use companion planting and crop diversity to control pests naturally.
- Seed Balls: Seeds are coated with clay and compost to protect them until germination.
Key Principles of Natural Farming
- No Tillage: Avoid plowing to maintain soil health.
- No Fertilizers: Rely on natural mulches and crop residues instead of chemical inputs.
- No Weeding: Manage weeds naturally, often using them as mulch.
- No Chemical Pesticides: Use natural pest control methods like companion planting.
- Polyculture and Crop Rotation: Grow multiple crops together or rotate to maintain soil balance and reduce pests.
Benefits:
- Soil Health: Natural farming helps in maintaining and improving soil fertility, making it rich in microorganisms and nutrients.
- Environment-Friendly: Reduces pollution by avoiding synthetic chemicals.
- Cost-Effective: Lower input costs for fertilizers, pesticides, and heavy machinery.
Challenges:
- Yield Uncertainty: Initially, yields might be lower compared to conventional farming methods.
- Labor-Intensive: It often requires more manual effort, especially in managing weeds without chemicals.
