Aatmanirbharta In Farms : Regenerative Agriculture
Why in the News?
On OCTOBER 16, World Food Day was observed under the theme “Hand in Hand for Better Food and a Better Future,”. The theme calls for the collective responsibility to transform our food systems through collaboration between nations, businesses, farmers, policymakers, and scientists. Central to this transformation is regenerative agriculture – a holistic approach that restores soil health, enhances biodiversity, builds climate resilience, and promotes nutritional security.
UPSC Relevance
GS3, Major Crops – Cropping Patterns in various parts of the country, – Different Types of Irrigation and Irrigation Systems; Storage, Transport and Marketing of Agricultural Produce and Issues and Related Constraints; E-technology in the aid of farmers.
Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.
PYQ
2022 – What is Integrated Farming System? How is it helpful to small and marginal farmers in India?
Challenges to Sustainable Agriculture in Present Times – highlighted in article
The world, and India in particular, faces several critical challenges stemming from rapid population growth and the unintended consequences of past agricultural successes.
- Immense Strain on Finite Global Resources:
- The global population has dramatically increased, multiplying four times in under 100 years to reach 8.2 billion today.
- This rapid expansion places immense strain on finite resources like land (only 29% of Earth’s surface) and the mere 10.7% of land that is farmed.
- Environmental Degradation and Resource Depletion:
- Soil, water, and ecosystems worldwide are under mounting pressure due to overuse, pollution, and climate change.
- In India, despite having 52% arable land, the rising population has led to the depletion of natural resources and environmental degradation, threatening the long-term sustainability of the agriculture sector, which employs nearly 46% of the workforce.
- Soil Distress from Past Innovations (Green Revolution):
- Innovations like the Haber-Bosch process for synthetic fertilisers, while averting mass starvation, created new challenges.
- In India, excessive and unbalanced use of fertilisers (primarily due to distorted pricing of N, P, and K ) has degraded soils, increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and contaminated groundwater.
- India’s actual NPK usage ratio (9.8:3.7:1 in Kharif 2024) deviates heavily from the recommended 4:2:1 ratio.
- Critically Low Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) Levels:
- India’s average SOC level is below 0.3%, which is far short of the 1% threshold recommended by experts.
- Soil quality depletion is particularly severe in states like Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.
- Water Scarcity and Depletion: Agriculture is the largest consumer of freshwater in India. The over-extraction of groundwater, especially in states like Punjab and Haryana due to the heavy reliance on water-intensive crops (rice and wheat), has led to alarmingly low water tables. Inefficient flood irrigation practices worsen water wastage.
- Loss of Biodiversity: The promotion of monoculture (growing a single crop like wheat, rice, sugarcane etc.) and the heavy use of chemicals have reduced the biodiversity of both crops and ecosystems, making the agricultural system less resilient.
- Lagging Public Sector Innovation:
- Flagship public innovation initiatives like the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) are still evolving, with substantial breakthroughs yet to fully materialise.
Reforms and Path to a Better Future
The systemic challenges demand systemic solutions, focusing on innovation, collaboration, and a shift to regenerative practices.
- Adopting Regenerative Agriculture:
- It is a holistic approach that aims to restore soil health, enhance biodiversity, build climate resilience, and promote nutritional security. Restoring soil vitality is described as an ecological and economic need.
| Steps to promote Regenerative Agriculture | Key Practices in India | Benefits |
| Embrace Natural/Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) | Promote Jeevamrit (cow dung/urine-based microbial culture) and Beejamrit (seed treatment) to reduce reliance on external chemical inputs. | Low-cost and indigenous inputs make it accessible to India’s small and marginal farmers (86% of the farming community). |
| Minimize Tillage | Encourage the use of no-till drills and machinery to directly sow seeds into the residue of the previous crop. | Saves fuel, labor, and soil structure, and helps with crop residue management (reducing the need for burning). |
| Promote Crop Diversity & Rotation | Reintroduce and rotate pulses (like moong or tur), oilseeds, and coarse cereals in the crop cycle, especially in the dominant rice-wheat regions. | Naturally fixes nitrogen in the soil, reduces pest pressure, and improves farmers’ nutritional security and income diversification. |
| Agroforestry and Intercropping | Integrate native trees (like Neem, Amla, or Tamarind) or plant cash crops alongside cover crops. | Provides shade, acts as windbreaks, conserves water, sequesters carbon, and offers farmers supplementary income from timber or fruit. |
| Strengthen Farmer Knowledge & Training | Utilize Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) for peer-to-peer training and sharing of success stories. | Overcomes the initial knowledge gap and resistance to change by building collective community support and capacity. |
- Leveraging the “4 Ps” (Policies, Products, Practices, and Partnerships):
- The text advocates for transformation through the alignment of policies, products, practices, and partnerships.
- Policies: Set the regulatory environment and provide incentives (subsidies, market access rules) to guide the entire sector toward sustainable goals.
- Products: Include the innovative goods (e.g., high-yield seeds, soil sensors) that are essential to enhance productivity and sustainability on the farm.
- Practices: Refer to the on-farm methods (e.g., precision farming, crop rotation) used by farmers to implement efficiency and environmental protection.
- Partnerships: Facilitate collaboration between the government, private sector, and farmers, enabling technology transfer and investment in infrastructure.
- Innovation generates new products/practices, while collaboration (partnerships) ensures they are scaled and adopted effectively.
- India’s successful journey from a food-deficient nation to the world’s largest rice exporter (the Green Revolution) is cited as a powerful example of what the 4 Ps can achieve.
- The text advocates for transformation through the alignment of policies, products, practices, and partnerships.
- Prioritizing Nutritional Security with Pulses and Oilseeds:
- As nutrition is central to regenerative agriculture, India must prioritize its production of pulses and oilseeds, which naturally fix nitrogen and require fewer inputs.
- The government has launched the Rs 11,440 crore ‘Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses’ (2025-26 to 2030-31) to scale up domestic pulse production to 350 lakh tonnes.
- Need for Crop-Neutral Incentives:
- To achieve self-sufficiency in pulses and oilseeds, there is a critical need for innovative policies that promote crop-neutral incentives.
- It is stated that unless pulses and oilseeds receive incentives and market support similar to rice and wheat, the goal of Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) will be difficult to achieve.
- Fostering Innovation and Global Collaboration:
- The private sector is already taking steps, exemplified by a recent seminar on “Innovations for Regenerative Agriculture” co-hosted by AgVaya and BioSTL.
- The launch of the Global AgXelerate platform aims to connect agricultural innovators with global markets, demonstrating a spirit of innovation that can stem from modest beginnings.
- The ultimate success hinges on effective implementation, substantial R&D investment, and active participation from all stakeholders.