Since ancient times, the agricultural industry has been crucial to the nation’s economic growth and has helped to shape its identity. Agriculture has always been a key component of the Indian economy. Currently, the agriculture industry provides a living for more than 50% of the country’s inhabitants. According to Economic Survey-2020-21, the agricultural industry would contribute 18.8% of the country’s Gross Value Added (GAV) in 2020-21, up from roughly 16.8% in 2010-11. Indian agriculture has advanced to the point that it has started both exporting food grains abroad and reducing the nation’s reliance on foreign sources of food grains. According to this sequence, commercial farming in India replaced subsistence farming in the agricultural sector
(Tripathi, 2018).
To increase food production, the nation followed the Green Revolution paradigm in the 1960s. This strategy required a lot of input and chemicals and it was heavily focused on creating new varieties of seeds and fertilizers
(Rena, 2004). In order to enhance food production, this also led to more irrigation infrastructure. The Green Revolution in India significantly increased self-reliance and provided a solid foundation for food security. But since the Green Revolution, Indian agriculture has become incredibly dependent on imported, privatized inputs like pesticides and artificial fertilizers
(Gupta, 2020). This resulted in sustainability issues and had a negative impact on natural resources, such as declining soil quality, water scarcity, biodiversity loss and worries about human and animal health
(Kumar, 2021). Unexpected consequences such as loss of soil fertility, merciless use of chemical fertilizers and excessive water use were caused by careless use of privatized agriculture inputs.
Suri (2006) all of this led to rising cultivation costs, falling farm product prices, and eventually smaller land holdings, all of which had a significant negative impact on the Indian agriculture industry.
The Indian agricultural industry is currently experiencing an existential, economic and ecological crisis. The National Crime Record Bureau estimates that 0.29 million farmers killed themselves between 2000 and 2018. One of the key factors contributing to farmer suicide in this nation is debt. According to the 2013 National Sample poll Organization (NSSO) poll, 52% of farm households nationwide were in debt. Farm earnings and non-farm incomes differ significantly from one another. The price of farming products has increased significantly while the expense of cultivation has increased much more. Similar to this, they end themselves in debt since their expenses exceed their income. However, climatic crises like harsh weather conditions worsened crop losses and made the already precarious situation of farmers much worse.
These negative effects on the agricultural industry led to a global quest for sustainable agriculture alternatives to address issues including the extensive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, high production costs, poor returns, and climate change. There are a number of agro-ecological practices, such as organic farming, agroforestry, the System of Rice Intensification, and natural farming, among others. However, natural farming is distinct because it: a) discourages the use of any synthetic pesticides or fertilizers; b) uses only locally available natural inputs and c) preserves the soil’s fertility while yielding abundant, nutrient-dense food. According to several researchers, using natural farming methods is similar to using conventional farming methods in this situation.
Meaning and definitions of natural farming
There have been several definitions of natural farming in recent years. Regarding holistic agroecological practices, the validity of these concepts differs depending on the authors and organizations. One thing unites all of these definitions: they all emphasize the need to advance sustainable agriculture.
The Union Government has urged every stakeholder to support a significant mass movement for chemical-free agriculture. In her budget address at the time, the then-Union Finance Minister emphasised the value and necessity of “going back to the roots” farming. Later, the NITI Aayog backed the development of natural farming and urged that other states implement the ZBNF across the nation. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is focusing more and more on natural agricultural methods. And the Ministry had defined the natural farming on the 10
th December, 2019 as follows:
“Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) is a chemical free natural farming system wherein use of low-cost inputs (cow dung/urine and plant extract based) coupled with recommended agronomic practices like mulching, intercropping is promoted. Organic farming promotes all kinds of chemical free farming systems including ZBNF that benefits soil, environmental and human health”.
The NITI Aayog is collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to exchange information on potential barriers to the adoption of natural farming in different Indian states. The NITI Aayog started taking action to advance natural farming, including gathering empirical facts and scientific validations for scaling up natural farming in India for the development of sustainable agriculture.
“Natural Farming is a chemical-free alias traditional farming method. It is considered as agro-ecology based diversified farming system which integrates crops, trees and livestock with functional biodiversity”.
In his book “The One-Straw Revolutions” (1975), Japanese philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka introduced Natural Farming as an agro-ecological method. The following is how
Fukuoka (1985), explained natural farming in his own words.
“Natural farming is a Buddhist way of farming that originates in the philosophy of nothingness, and returns to a “do-nothing” nature.” This method of “do-nothing” farming is based on four major principles:
1. No cultivation
2. No fertilizer
3. No weeding
4. No pesticides
The Andhra Pradesh government founded Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), a non-profit organization, in 2013. This organization started the state-wide Natural Farming project. Prior to being renamed Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF), this scheme was known as A. P. Zero Budget Natural Farming. Numerous case studies are taken on by this organization and research is being done in this area. RySS defined the natural farming as follows
“‘Zero-Budget’ Natural Farming (ZBNF) is a holistic agroecological alternative to high-cost chemical inputs-based agriculture that addresses the impacts of climate change, reduces input costs and creates sustainable farming livelihoods in ways that are rooted both in science and Indian tradition”.
The concept of organic farming was established by the General Assembly of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). The agroecological practices, such Natural Farming, are reflected in this term. Here is the definition.
“Organic Agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation, and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and good quality of life for all involved”.
Origin of natural farming
For a civilization based on agriculture like India, agro-ecological practices are nothing new. But the scientific community has known since the 1920s that this practice was part of the grassroots social movement of family farmers for the establishment of sustainable agriculture and global economies. Natural farming is a traditional alternative to the present chemical farming techniques with high cultivation costs. The natural farming approach has historically been referred to as traditional agriculture or agroecology in various regions of the world
(Kumar, 2022). Beyond the farm field, natural farming has grown in popularity in recent years. This strategy, which targets the agricultural system, strives to discover the underlying causes of issues and offer comprehensive, long-term solutions to overcome the agrarian crisis.
Masanobu Fukuoka, a Japanese scientist, developed natural farming by eschewing contemporary agricultural methods. He promoted natural farming as a philosophy in his book, “The One Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming,” which is about seeing oneself as an integral part of nature. The “Fukuoka Method,” “the natural way of farming,” or “do-nothing farming” are common names for it. While this farming method makes an attempt, it rejects artificial agricultural inputs.
From 2002 to 2015, ZBNF began as a social movement in India. The movement was first started in Karnataka and soon spread to other Indian states, notably those in the south
(Khadse et al., 2019). As of right now, Andhra Pradesh is in charge of state-led initiatives to expand ZBNF throughout the state. It’s interesting to note that the ZBNF techniques were developed and became popular in recent years as a result of farmers who are heavily in debt owing to the high costs of seeds, herbicides, fertilizers, and other inputs. The ZBNF farming practices, which dramatically lowers production costs, promises to relieve the tremendous debt load that farmers now experience
(HLPE, 2019).
Natural Farming in the Way of Sustainable Agriculture in India
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), established by the United Nations, have been embraced by all of its members. According to
Suresh (2019), the SDGs place a strong emphasis on using agricultural techniques that provide higher yields while causing the least amount of environmental harm. Environmental, social, and economic goals are the three fundamental objectives of sustainable agriculture, a farming technique based on ecological principles. An agroecological farming method known as sustainable agriculture uses ecological principles and practices to maintain an agricultural system that is both economically and environmentally sound.
The self-sufficiency of food grains has long been a priority for the Indian government, who does not place much emphasis on the sustainability of agriculture. Agriculture productivity and output rose throughout the 1970s and 1980s, but later growth slowed down in the 1990s
(Janaiah et al., 2006). Since 2000, there has been a decline in agricultural productivity growth and production. This decrease in the agricultural industry poses a significant threat to environmental sustainability, human livelihood, and food security. India must now implement a sustainable agricultural growth strategy. In India, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) and other middle-class activists have historically spearheaded the sustainable agriculture movement rather than peasant movements
(Khadse et al., 2019).
Objective of the study
The overall goal of this research is to contribute to the understanding and promotion of sustainable agricultural practices, specifically natural farming, as a means to address the challenges faced by the Indian agricultural industry and promote environmental and economic sustainability. To examine how conventional and natural farmers comprehend natural farming methods, particularly how they view the viability, complexity, scalability, difficulty of preparing inputs, and difficulties in acquiring and maintaining Desi cows. to evaluate farmers’ attitudes towards natural farming, including their perceptions of its viability, complexity, scalability and the difficulties involved in the processing of inputs and the upkeep of Desi Cows. In order to encourage and support the adoption and expansion of natural farming practices in India, policy suggestions should be made to the national and state governments, as well as non-governmental organizations. These suggestions can include public relations efforts, educational activities, funding, market assistance, research and development projects and policy integration.
