Zeroing in on budgets or zero budget natural farming? A perspective from India

I ssue N o. 37 Nandula Raghuram

1 Zeroing in on farm budgets or zero budget natural farming? A perspective from India

Nandula Raghuram

The recent growth in traction for zero budget natural farming (ZBNF) in India should be considered within the context of the growing agrarian crisis, as the gap worsens between input costs (including , , agrichemicals, , water, electricity, labour and farm loans) and the final prices that (especially small-scale farmers) receive for their produce. This provided the ground for the ideological polarization of farmers against moneylenders and sellers of

Disclaimer fertilizers, pesticides, seeds and other inputs on the one hand, and against the alleged scientific apologists of and

A United Nations Environment the status quo on the other hand. The moot question therefore Programme (UNEP) publication not only addresses which farming method is superior (if there series that presents views from major groups and stakeholders of even is a universal solution), but also what combination of civil society or about issues that scientific (including scientifically sound traditional practices) are relevant for them. PERSPECTIVES is coordinated and socioeconomic solutions are required and whether they by UNEP’s Civil Society Unit. are customizable for different farming situations to end India’s The presented views are entirely those of the authors and do not current crop farming crisis. This article puts into perspective necessarily reflect the views the debate on ZBNF and affords readers the opportunity to of UNEP. determine their own answer to the question posed.

Contact address The critique of the status quo has Council of Agricultural Research resulted in many (ICAR) and a brainstorming session Civil Society Unit models that have grown in size and organized by the National Academy Governance Affairs Office United Nations Environment popularity in different parts of India of Agricultural Sciences in August Programme (UNEP) without causing any major rift with 2019,1 the President of the Academy [email protected] modern agricultural scientists and wrote a sharp-worded letter to https://www.unenvironment.org/ policymakers and even garnering the Prime Minister of India on 2 civil-society-engagement their support in many cases. September 2019, stating: However, ZBNF has rejected all such models and is seeking to replace “The Academy is of the considered them entirely with the support of the opinion that there is no scope Indian Government and international for an incremental value gained organizations. This binary by the or the consumer approach has worried both organic through ZBNF that represents one farming enthusiasts and green of the many practices followed revolutionists alike. Based on the in India prior to the 1950s when surveys on ZBNF by government- no more than 60 million tons funded agricultural universities of food grains were produced, Cover Photo: and institutions of the Indian making ZBNF a technology that Wikipedia Commons

2 ©Neil Palmer

A farmer harvests this season’s cauliflower crop near Kullu town, Himachal Pradesh, India.

lacks rationale or acceptability for production – has declined by exploitative moneylenders who as a production technology. around 1.5 per cent, though the humiliate and violently intimidate Therefore, it is recommended proportion of women farmers has those impoverished by crop that the Government of India increased, indicating the growing failures. Since the mid-1990s, should not needlessly invest importance of family . 0.25 to 0.3 million farmers are capital, efforts, time and human More than three fourths of Indian estimated to have committed resources towards promoting agricultural land is rain-fed and suicide in India, though the ZBNF on the grounds of technical remains unreached or underserved Government does not keep any infeasibility for India to explore by the , producing official records of farmer suicides.2 this unproven and unscientifically one or, in some rare cases, two According to Palagummi Sainath, a proposed technology.” food crops per year. Crop losses Ramon Magsaysay Award-winning often occur, even in river-irrigated journalist and founding editor of Agrarian crisis as the root cause: states due to flooding (especially is very important in eastern India), increasingly for the Indian economy and an shifting the entire burden of the agrarian crisis has been building country’s food security to very few Since the mid-1990s, 0.25 for the last two decades. In riverine districts in northern and to 0.3 million farmers are addition to sustaining food southern states. However, these security, agriculture provides direct states also face issues, as cereal estimated to have committed and indirect employment to up to cultivation is often supported suicide in India. two thirds of India’s workers and by groundwater irrigation, with contributes about 10 per cent of intensive cereal-cereal rotation the country’s export earnings. practices using fertilizers and the People’s Archive of Rural India Most Indian farmers are poor; pesticides in an unbalanced (PARI),3 farmer suicides are highly according to the last agricultural manner, leading to groundwater underreported. The United Nations census, small and marginal depletion, soil health deterioration Development Programme (UNDP) holdings (below two hectares) and chemical residues in is supporting PARI in documenting constituted 86.21 per cent of the groundwater and crop produce. how climate change is affecting total land holdings in 2015–2016, people’s lives, including its which represented an increase The various input subsidies, farm contribution to the agrarian crisis. of 1.2 per cent since 2010–2011. loans and government-supported Over 40,000 farmers marched 182 However, the area in use – which prices do not reach most farmers kilometres from Nashik to Mumbai includes any agricultural land, of small and marginal holdings, in March 2018, with a similar provided that part of it is used forcing them to borrow cash from protest taking place in November

3 2018 when farmers from all over others say that futures trading the country marched into Delhi in agricommodities is playing to demand a three-week special havoc with the prices that farmers Various organic farming session of parliament on the receive for their produce, as models have gained agrarian crisis, the efforts of which government procurement pricing considerable traction in were in vain. is not yet a good enough deterrent India over the last few against it. As a result, large-scale Even the National Academy of farmers and traders are benefiting decades, with several states Agricultural Sciences, a product the most. The recommendations declaring themselves as of India’s Green Revolution, of the Swaminathan Commission exclusively committed to acknowledges the agrarian crisis appointed by the then Indian organic farming. and the Government’s attention Government to address the to it, stating in a policy paper agrarian crisis are yet to be fully that “food production records implemented, which has been or without specific incentives have been broken year after the case since 2006. The recent attached. However, such models year with the net cultivated area demonetization of Indian currency remain affected by other policies, remaining 140 ± 2 million hectares is said to have squeezed the including those previously (Mha) since 1972. However, cash out of the rural economy, mentioned, though their impact despite impressive gains in farm lowering consumer demand and may vary depending on model, productivity, farmers’ income decelerating the entire national crop, place or time, meaning that remained low in comparison economy by about 3 per cent limited successes or failures can to those working in non-farm in terms of gross domestic be easily cited either to promote sectors. The liberalization of the product (GDP). or deride any model in the short Indian economy further led to an term. Some of these models may agrarian crisis that made small However, the narratives of overcome initial problems or policy and marginal farms unviable. alternative farming methods are hurdles in the medium to long In the meantime, realizing the increasingly being built around the term and become established as declining total factor productivity critiques of the Green Revolution true alternatives to the dominant and profitability of the farmers or ‘chemicalized agriculture’. model in line with the preferences in general, and small and These often do not distinguish of farmers and consumers. At marginal farmers in particular, the between critiquing its practices present, it seems premature to Government of India, particularly from policies that go well beyond claim that one of these particular NITI Ayog (formerly Planning agronomic practices and affect models can offer a complete Commission), has been looking agriculture and farmers’ incomes comprehensive solution replacing for alternative farming systems as a whole. Various organic most, if not all the other models, that could be more profitable with farming models have gained as ZBNF seems to attempt. The reduced input and cost”.4 considerable traction in India over bigger question is whether it is the last few decades, with several possible or necessary to have a Are Green Revolution practices states declaring themselves as single pan-India model or to take to blame?: While criticism of the exclusively committed to organic a more inclusive approach that Green Revolution for its uneven farming. In practical terms, these celebrates diversity. reach and impact is not new5 and models vary from little or no use of the concerns on its environmental fertilizers and pesticides to more Zero budget natural farming: This and integrated approaches that rely on is the latest and largest alternative are indeed legitimate,6 there are mixed cropping or inter-cropping farming method, which includes many other factors that have with or to others such as Vedic farming, contributed to the agrarian including farming and Agnihotra farming, Amrutpani crisis, including the policies of forage crops as part of the overall farming and Homoeo farming. successive governments. For farming system. While these ZBNF was pioneered by Subhash example, according to the Indian approaches may not always boost Palekar, a graduate in modern economist Ashok Gulati, direct yields, they promise better or more agriculture who introduced the and indirect taxes take away consistent margins for farmers practice in his father’s traditional whatever benefits the Government as well as better quality produce farm after six years of ‘research’, offers farmers. According to for consumers. Such approaches following a decline in agricultural Sainath, , including are also more sustainable and are production due to ‘chemical’ big retailers, receive most farm therefore certainly welcome to farming. Palekar estimated loans and loan waivers meant for that extent. that over 3 million farmers distressed farmers, which only throughout India practice ZBNF in adds to the stress of government Governments at the state and Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra banks, as evidenced in the case of national levels have not taken any Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Kerala, Mumbai City and its suburbs, from action to stifle these models and Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, where 53 per cent of agricultural have even encouraged them in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, credits were disbursed. Some different states with Jharkhand, Bengal, Rajasthan and

4 Gujarat.7 While these figures need Since 2015, the State Government to move towards the adoption verification, it is widely agreed that of Andhra Pradesh has been of agroecology to meet the twin ZBNF has been mostly adopted implementing a ZBNF programme goals of global food security and in Maharashtra, Karnataka and through Rythu Sadhikara Samstha environmental conservation.10 Andhra Pradesh. (RySS), a non-profit organization established by the state’s National and international support According to Palekar, the Green Department of Agriculture. The for ZBNF: An important factor Revolution has forced farmers programme aims to conserve the in the growth of ZBNF has been to purchase all inputs and has environment, while enhancing political support from the Indian completely destroyed nature’s self- farmer and consumer welfare. Government and some state reliant and self-developing system Andhra Pradesh has been receiving governments ruled by the same due to the use of ‘chemical’ and federal grants worth hundreds of party or allies. The Prime Minister organic farming practices. Such millions of dollars and has been and several union ministers have practices, in his opinion, should negotiating even higher amounts expressed support for ZBNF at therefore be abandoned in favour as loans from foreign banks to various occasions, including of ZBNF. conduct large-scale training of international events such as farmers in ZBNF methods.9 The World Environment Day (2018) How does it work?: According to state’s ZBNF programme claims and the fourteenth session of the Palekar, ZBNF requires no inputs to have reached around 1 million Conference of the Parties (COP14) (farmyard manure, ‘chemical’ farmers and is aiming for the entire of the United Nations Convention or organic fertilizers, etc.) to be state to adopt ZBNF practices to Combat Desertification purchased, as everything needed within five years. Although not (UNCCD) (2019). There has also for the plant’s growth is available officially verified, it is widely agreed been growing interest in and even from the root area of the plant. that most of the recent growth in recognition of ZBNF abroad, with The method involves strictly ZBNF has occurred in this state. the practice mentioned in the following four processes (referred new report on agroecological and to as the four wheels of ZBNF): According to the ZBNF other innovative approaches by bijamrita, jiwamrita, mulching and programme, the practice is a the High Level Panel of Experts on waaphasa. Bijamrita is a microbial holistic alternative to the high Food Security and Nutrition, which treatment formula made from costs of ‘chemical’ inputs-based was prepared for the Committee cow urine and cow dung, while agriculture and addresses the on Food Security.11 FAO has been jiwamrita is a soil enhancement negative and uncertain impacts of supporting the key promoter of the treatment made from a mix of climate change. ZBNF principles ZBNF programme, Vijay Kumar, cow urine, cow dung and jaggery. are aligned with the principles and his farmer field school (FFS) These mixtures should be prepared of agroecology, with the practice development team as part of the following the ZBNF protocols. rooted in Indian tradition, while mechanism for sharing knowledge Mulching is the well-known incorporating the latest scientific on ZBNF in order to scale up practice of covering soil with discoveries in agriculture. In April agroecology.12 According to FAO’s crops or crop residues. Waaphasa 2018, the Food and Agriculture common vision for sustainable is the process of building up soil Organization of the United Nations food and agriculture13 and save humus to increase soil aeration. (FAO) urged all countries and grow guide,14 ZBNF can be For and pest management, ZBNF recommends three methods – agniastra, bramhastra and neemastra – which involve preparing different mixtures using cow urine, cow dung, tobacco, fruit, green chilli, garlic and neem. The main message that ZBNF Cow dung should only be used from local cows and not Jersey promotes is that it saves the input or Holstein breeds, which is costs of farmers and improves their considered ineffective. If there is limited local cow dung available to margins, while sparing them from farmers, it can be mixed half and exploitative loans and the adverse half with local bullock or buffalo dung.8 The main message that impacts of ‘chemical’ farming. ZBNF promotes is that it saves the input costs of farmers and improves their margins, while sparing them from exploitative loans and the adverse impacts of ‘chemical’ farming.

5 considered as one of the many is also against ‘chemical’ fertilizers methods that support integrated and pesticides, cross-bred cows approaches for achieving and biotechnology and tractors, Scientists have legitimate sustainable food and agriculture. all of which he terms “demonic”. questions concerning ZBNF The common vision provides five In addition, he openly criticizes on the material balance of comprehensive principles for organic farming, which he believes inputs and outputs as well ensuring sustainability in food is “more dangerous than chemical and agriculture: farming” and “worse than the as the sustainability of yields atom bomb”, as well as the and soil health. Principle 1. Improving efficiency in vermicomposting process, which the use of resources is crucial to involves redworms (Eisenia fetida) and Rudolf Steiner’s biodynamic much), they cannot obtain farming approach.15 phosphorus and potassium (which Principle 2. Sustainability requires are major inputs) in this way. About direct action to conserve, protect half of India’s soil has low levels and enhance natural resources of phosphorus and low to medium levels of potassium. It is therefore Principle 3. Agriculture that fails ZBNF rejects other models highly unlikely that the application to protect and improve rural including organic farming, of 10 kilograms of cow dung and livelihoods, equity and social well- projecting itself as the 10 litres of cow urine per acre per being is unsustainable sole alternative. month is adequate to support crop nutrition. Principle 4. Enhanced resilience of people, communities However, the scientific community and is key to Critiques of ZBNF: Scientists have has been accused of favouring sustainable agriculture legitimate questions concerning a status quo approach and ZBNF on the material balance of being unable to move away from Principle 5. Sustainable food inputs and outputs as well as the monoculture practices supported and agriculture requires sustainability of yields and soil by distorted market forces, as responsible and effective health, especially in the medium to well as failing to engage with governance mechanisms. long term.16 Independent surveys associated socioeconomic issues by Indian agricultural scientists or offering more sustainable These principles are considered have found that the zero budget alternatives, such as –non- crucial for supporting Sustainable approach is not actually zero legume rotation as the basis for Development Goal (SDG) target 2.4 budget, as farmers practising any sustainable cropping system. on sustainable food production the method tend to purchase the A widely acknowledged fall out and resilient agricultural practices various inputs needed to make of the Green Revolution was the “By 2030, ensure sustainable Palekar’s formulations and also overemphasis on and wheat food production systems and have costs related to electricity, (not even coarse cereals) and implement resilient agricultural pump sets, cow maintenance, the neglect of legumes, so much practices that increase productivity wages of hired labour, imputed so that India has of late been and production, that help maintain family labour and land rent.17 The occasionally importing pulses ecosystems, that strengthen farmers also seem to use inputs from Africa and elsewhere, while capacity for adaptation to climate that ZBNF strictly prohibits, such exporting cereals. change, extreme weather, drought, as vermicompost and manure. flooding and other disasters and The claims that yields do not Social scientists and organic that progressively improve land decline on ZBNF plots or that they farming enthusiasts have equally and soil quality”. increase are also disputed, with legitimate questions as to ZBNF officials and documents whether ZBNF is just a spiritual The above principles are applicable found to have made inconsistent or ideological rebranding and to many models of organic and claims on yield improvements for electoral appropriation of organic sustainable farming, including different crops. Some statements farming by political interests, the ZBNF, though as a practice, ZBNF made by Palekar completely defy role of government support and rejects other models including science or logic, such as that the the changing fads of international organic farming, projecting itself soil only provides 1.5–2 per cent of organizations and markets, as the sole alternative. According nutrients, with the remaining 98– which previously supported to Palekar, all knowledge created 98.5 per cent provided by the air, the Green Revolution and now by agricultural universities is false water and solar energy. Even if, for support organic farming and and soil testing is a conspiracy. example, nitrogen from the air was ZBNF. However, such individuals Palekar is critical of the nineteenth fixed by soil microbes to support have not yet considered why century German scientist Justus part of the crop requirement zero budget farming has grown von Liebig, who is known as the (though no data or microbiologists mainly in non-Green Revolution father of the industry. He have supported or confirmed how states and districts, whether it

6 ©Neil Palmer

Himachal Pradesh, India.

can be scaled up to the state and Sustainability issues: The most fertilizer application used across national levels and sustained attractive aspects of ZBNF are its India, according to a paper by (despite government support), low cost (even if this is not zero), Smith et al.18 Using nitrogen, whether it should be considered low level of inputs and limited which is quantitatively the largest the only national alternative in reliance on externally purchased external nutrient required by crops, a binary policy framework and inputs, which are all critical for the paper further estimates that whether it can coexist with other farmers of small and marginal ZBNF systems are more likely socioeconomic models on its own holdings or family-run farms. The to be nitrogen deficient than merits, as well as its suitability to importance of family-run farms for conventional farming systems, an specific agrarian contexts. sustainable global food security issue that can only be addressed is well recognized by the United by using up to 5 tons of additional Nations. The compatibility of ZBNF manure per hectare.19 In addition, with this, aside from agroecology the ZBNF manure system is considerations, may explain the only likely to be beneficial when interest of governmental and introduced in farming systems intergovernmental agencies that already have low inputs, Social scientists and organic towards the practice. Considering whereas replacing high-input farming enthusiasts have that most farmers of small and farming systems with ZBNF could equally legitimate questions marginal holdings in semi-arid limit the supply of nutrients, thus as to whether ZBNF is just zones have remained untouched or resulting in yield losses. Replacing a spiritual or ideological underserved by Green Revolution, all farming in India with strict ZBNF could not offer a sustainable ZBNF practices (without any rebranding and electoral solution in its original form, as is additional manure) could decrease appropriation of organic evident from farmers’ practices. crop production by up to half of farming by political interests. Many farmers who adopted national average production under ZBNF have been reported as a business-as-usual scenario, using a lot more manure than is severely affecting food security recommended under ZBNF to at a time when food demand is protect their crop yields. Adhering rising.20 While the scenario needs strictly to ZBNF practices is to be examined with respect to estimated to provide only 52–80 other nutrients, Smith et al. note per cent of the average nitrogen that if ZBNF has to be relevant

7 and sustainable even for farmers merit or are simply more favoured unrest and the changing electoral of small and marginal holdings as a result of this support. For futures of political parties due to and low-input farming systems, desperate farmers whose lives famers’ votes. A more optimistic it will need improvements and depend on season-to-season view would be that political additional inputs. This may lead to cycles, aligning with government- attention to the agrarian crisis is ZBNF evolving differently across backed methods is the simplest long overdue and that farmers’ states and no longer reflecting the and most logical solution, even if agitations on the one hand and practice as originally developed by it means applying them to only a interventions, such as ZBNF, that Palekar, with many hybrid models part of their farm. rely on rejecting green revolution involving organic or even ‘chemical’ and even organic farming on farming possibly emerging. A cynical view could be that ZBNF the other hand are pushing is not necessarily a scientific these issues to the forefront. The Government’s support was key challenge to the status quo, All farming models, including in the growth of Green Revolution but largely a political one, by ZBNF, need enabling policies that practices 50 years ago, as is polarizing farmers against Green address the related underlying currently the case for zero budget Revolution practices and parties socioeconomic and environmental farming, so it is unclear whether that supported them in an era that sustainability concerns. either of these models has any is increasingly witnessing farmers’

8 Endnotes

1. Bhatia, V.K. and Sharma, K. (eds.) (2019). Brain storming session (BSS) on “zero budget natural farming – myth or reality”. NAAS Research Education and Technology Policy Forum News, 19(3), 3–4. http://naasindia.org/page_details.php?pid=7. Accessed 8 January 2020.

2. Suvi, A. (2018). Farmer suicides and the function of death in neoliberal biopolitics. International Political Sociology 13(1), 37–52. https://doi.org/10.1093/ips/ oly024.

3. People's Archive of Rural India (n.d.). https://ruralindiaonline.org/.

4. National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (2019). Zero budget natural farming – a myth or reality? Policy Paper No. 90. New Delhi.

5. Stone, G.D. (2019). Commentary: New histories of the Indian Green Revolution. Royal Geographical Journal 185(2), 243–250. https://doi.org/10.1111/geoj.12297.

6. High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (2019). Agroecological and Other Innovative Approaches for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems that Enhance Food Security and Nutrition. Rome. http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/hlpe/hlpe_documents/HLPE_Reports/HLPE-Report-14_EN.pdf

7. Zero Budget Spiritual Farming (n.d.). http://palekarzerobudgetspiritualfarming.org/Home.aspx. Accessed 3 January 2020.

8. Ibid.

9. Somasekhar, M. (2020). Zero budget natural farming: Andhra Pradesh Government signs MoU with German firm KFW, 9 January. https://www. thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/zero-budget-natural-farming-andhra-pradesh-government-signs-mou-with-german-firm-kfw/article30523190.ece.

10. Zero Budget Natural Farming (n.d.). http://apzbnf.in/about-zbnf/. Accessed 3 January 2020.

11. High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (2019). Agroecological and Other Innovative Approaches for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems that Enhance Food Security and Nutrition. Rome. http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/hlpe/hlpe_documents/HLPE_Reports/HLPE-Report-14_EN.pdf

12. Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (n.d.). http://fao.adobeconnect.com/paexkec6lomk/. Accessed 3 January 2020.

13. Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (2014). Building a Common Vision for Sustainable Food and Agriculture. Principles and Approaches. Rome. http://www.fao.org/3/a-i3940e.pdf.

14. Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (2011). Save and Grow. A Policymaker’s Guide to the Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Crop Production. Rome. http://www.fao.org/3/a-i2215e.pdf.

15. Ramakumar, R. and Arjun, S.V. (2019). Stirring up the truth about zero budget natural farming. 9 October. https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/stirring-up- the-truth-about-zbnf/article29620843.ece.

16. Smith, J., Yeluripati, J., Smith, P. and Nayak, D. (2020). Potential yield challenges to scale-up of zero budget natural farming. Nature Sustainability. https://doi. org/10.1038/s41893-019-0469-x.

17. Ramakumar, R. and Arjun, S.V. (2019). Stirring up the truth about zero budget natural farming. 9 October. https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/stirring-up- the-truth-about-zbnf/article29620843.ece.

18. Smith, J., Yeluripati, J., Smith, P. and Nayak, D. (2020). Potential yield challenges to scale-up of zero budget natural farming. Nature Sustainability. https://doi. org/10.1038/s41893-019-0469-x.

19. Ibid.

20. Ibid.

About the Author:

Dr. N. Raghuram is a professor and former Dean of the School of Biotechnology of the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University in New Delhi. He is currently also the Chair of the International Nitrogen Initiative, Steering Committee member of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Global Partnership on Nutrient Management (GPNM), President of the Society for Conservation of Nature and the Indian Nitrogen Group, Trustee of the Sustainable India Trust, Vice-President of the Prof. H.S. Srivastava Foundation for Science and Society and Editor-in-Chief of the Springer journal, Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants. His main interests include crop nitrogen use efficiency, nitrogen assessments and policy research. He co-led the Indian Nitrogen Assessment (2017) and is co-leading the South Asia Nitrogen Hub of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), the International Nitrogen Management System of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and UNEP. He also facilitated the first India-led United Nations resolution on sustainable nitrogen management (United Nations Environment Assembly, 2019).

9