Topic- Natural Farming | ||
Introduction | Natural Farming, an ecologically sustainable agricultural practice, has gained prominence for its holistic approach towards addressing contemporary challenges in agriculture. | |
Body | · Improved Yield: Comparable or higher yields.
· Increased Farmers’ Income: Cost reduction, risk minimization, intercropping. · Minimized Cost of Production: On-farm, natural, local inputs. · Ensures Better Health: No synthetic chemicals, nutritious produce. · Employment Generation: Input enterprises, local marketing, value addition. |
· Eliminates Chemical Inputs: No synthetic fertilizers, safeguards soil.
· Environment Conservation: Enhanced soil biology, agrobiodiversity, responsible water use. · Reduced Water Consumption: Diverse crops, ground cover, efficient water use. · Rejuvenates Soil Health: Impact on soil biology, revitalizes health. · Livestock Sustainability: Integration, eco-friendly bio-inputs, ecosystem restoration. |
Conclusion | In conclusion, Natural Farming emerges as a comprehensive solution, harmonizing agricultural productivity, environmental integrity, and rural livelihoods. |
UPSC Syllabus | Major Crops – Cropping Patterns in various parts of the country. Also the topic can appear in Environment part of Paper 3. |
Why was this question asked? | ‘Climate change’ is a global problem. How India will be affected by climate change? How Himalayan and coastal states of India will be affected by climate change? (2017) |
Introduction | Natural Farming, an ecologically sustainable agricultural practice, has gained prominence for its holistic approach towards addressing contemporary challenges in agriculture. |
Body | Advantages of Natural Farming-
· Improved Yield: Farmers adopting Natural Farming witness comparable or even higher yields than conventional farming methods, providing a robust foundation for its adoption. · Increased Farmers’ Income: Natural Farming proves instrumental in increasing farmers’ incomes by curbing costs, minimizing risks, and fostering intercropping, thereby making agriculture financially viable. · Minimized Cost of Production: This farming technique focuses on reducing production costs significantly, promoting the use of on-farm, natural, and locally-sourced biological inputs. · Ensures Better Health: The absence of synthetic chemicals in Natural Farming results in safer and nutritionally dense produce, contributing to improved health outcomes for consumers. · Employment Generation: The approach generates employment opportunities through various channels such as natural farming input enterprises, local marketing, and value addition, enhancing rural economic sustainability. · Eliminates Application of Synthetic Chemical Inputs: By eschewing synthetic fertilizers and chemicals, Natural Farming safeguards soil structure, organic carbon, and overall fertility. · Environment Conservation: Natural Farming fosters enhanced soil biology, agrobiodiversity, and responsible water use, thereby minimizing carbon and nitrogen footprints. · Reduced Water Consumption: Utilizing diverse crops and ground cover, Natural Farming optimizes water usage, ensuring efficient ‘crop per drop’ ratios. · Rejuvenates Soil Health: Natural Farming’s immediate impact on soil biology revitalizes microbial communities and essential organisms, revitalizing overall soil health. · Livestock Sustainability: Integration of livestock using eco-friendly bio-inputs from natural sources, such as cow dung and urine, enhances sustainability and ecosystem restoration. |
Conclusion | In conclusion, Natural Farming emerges as a comprehensive solution, harmonizing agricultural productivity, environmental integrity, and rural livelihoods. |