Natural Farming

• 22 Mar 2025

Source: BL 

Why in News? 

The Green Revolution ensured food security but led to soil degradation and higher input costs, hurting small farmers. This has fueled calls for natural farming to improve soil health, farmer incomes, and environmental sustainability. 

What is Natural Farming? 

• About: Natural Farming (NF) is a chemical-free, traditional farming method that integrates crops, trees, and livestock with functional biodiversity. 
  • It emphasizes minimal human intervention, earning it the name “do-nothing farming.” 
  • It involves use of on-farm inputs like: 

• Difference from Organic Farming: Unlike organic farming, which allows external organic inputs, natural farming relies solely on on-farm inputs. E.g., mulching, crop diversity, and bio-inputs. 
• Benefits:  

• Challenges: Low crop yields, high threat of pest and disease, limited market access, rely heavily on natural inputs, lack of awareness and education among farmers. 

What are the Benefits of Natural Farming? 

Click Here to Read: Benefits of Natural Farming 

What are Challenges in Natural Farming? 

Click Here to Read: Challenges in Natural Farming 

What are Government Initiatives for Natural Farming?  

• Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP): It was launched under the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna (PKVY) and now supports over 28 lakh farmers practicing natural farming across 9.4 lakh hectares. 
• National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF): NMNF is a centrally sponsored scheme launched by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare aimed to promote sustainable, climate-resilient agriculture and safe food practices. 
  • Aims to cover 1 crore farmers and 7.5 lakh hectares in two years. 
  • Establish 10,000 bio-resource centres and deploy 30,000 krishi sakhis for grassroots-level farmer support. 
  • Develop 2,000 natural farming demonstration farms.

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question (PYQ) 

Prelims 

Q. How is permaculture farming different from conventional chemical farming? (2021)

1. Permaculture farming discourages monocultural practices but in conventional chemical farming, monoculture practices are predominant.
2. Conventional chemical farming can cause an increase in soil salinity but the occurrence of such phenomenon is not observed in permaculture farming.
3. Conventional chemical farming is easily possible in semi-arid regions but permaculture farming is not so easily possible in such regions.
4. Practice of mulching is very important in permaculture farming but not necessarily so in conventional chemical farming.

Select the correct answer using the code given below. 

(a) 1 and 3  

(b) 1, 2 and 4 

(c) 4 only  

(d) 2 and 3 

Ans: (b)  

Q. Consider the following agricultural practices: (2012)

1. Contour bunding
2. Relay cropping
3. Zero tillage

In the context of global climate change, which of the above helps/help in carbon sequestration/storage in the soil? 

(a) 1 and 2 only  

(b) 3 only 

(c) 1, 2 and 3  

(d) None of them 

Ans: (b)