What is natural farming?

What is the significance of natural farming?

Natural farming is an agricultural method that relies on nature's processes, minimizing external inputs like chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and intensive tillage. It focuses on maintaining and enhancing the health of the soil, environment, and ecosystem through natural processes. This farming technique was popularized by Masanobu Fukuoka, a Japanese farmer and philosopher, and is widely practiced in India today, particularly under the Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) model.

Key Principles of Natural Farming:

• No Tillage (No Plowing): Natural farming discourages the use of heavy machinery and soil disturbance, allowing the natural ecosystem in the soil to remain intact and healthy.

• No Use of Chemical Fertilizers or Pesticides: Instead of synthetic inputs, natural farming promotes the use of organic fertilizers, like compost or manure, and relies on natural pest predators for crop protection.

• Mulching: The use of plant residues and organic material as ground cover helps conserve moisture, protect soil from erosion, and suppress weeds.

• Intercropping and Crop Diversity: Multiple crops are grown together to enhance biodiversity, improve soil fertility, and reduce pest outbreaks.

• Livestock Integration: Animals are an integral part of the system, contributing manure and enhancing nutrient cycling within the farm.

• Natural Resource Use: Emphasizes using locally available resources like indigenous seeds, and promotes minimal dependence on external inputs.

The National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) is a government initiative in India aimed at promoting and supporting natural farming practices across the country. It is part of the larger vision of sustainable agriculture, aiming to reduce dependency on chemical fertilizers and pesticides while enhancing soil health, biodiversity, and farm resilience. The mission encourages farmers to adopt natural farming techniques, which emphasize low-cost, eco-friendly, and regenerative agricultural practices.

Key Objectives of NMNF:

• Promotion of Natural Farming: Encourage farmers to switch from conventional farming methods to natural farming practices to reduce input costs and improve crop resilience.

• Environmental Sustainability: Enhance soil fertility, conserve water, reduce pollution from chemical inputs, and increase biodiversity through eco-friendly agricultural practices.

• Farmer Welfare: Improve the livelihoods of farmers by lowering the cost of cultivation and reducing their dependence on expensive external inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides.

• Climate Resilience: Build farming systems t