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Natural Farming: a Game Changer in the Era of Social, Economical and Ecological Crisis

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Natural Farming: a Game Changer in the Era of Social, Economical and Ecological Crisis Natural Farming: A Game Changer in the Era of Social, Economical and Ecological Crisis Discussion Paper 11 MANAGE- Centre for Agricultural Extension Innovations, Reforms, and Agripreneurship (CAEIRA) National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) (An organisation of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Govt. of India) Rajendranagar, Hyderabad – 500 030, Telangana State, India www.manage.gov.in 1 Published by National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) (An organisation of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Govt. of India) Rajendranagar, Hyderabad – 500 030, Telangana State, India ©MANAGE, 2020 About the Publication The research report is based on the research conducted by Ms. Aakanksha Tiwari as MANAGE intern under the MANAGE internship programme for Post Graduate students. Authors Ms. Aakanksha Tiwari MANAGE intern and M.Sc. student Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India e-mail: [email protected] Dr. Saravanan Raj Director (Agricultural Extension) National Institute of Agricultural Extension and Management (MANAGE) Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, Telangana, India e-mail: [email protected] Layout Design Ms. Niharika Lenka Disclaimer The views expressed in the document are not necessarily those of MANAGE but are of the authors’ own. MANAGE encourages the use, reproduction and dissemination of this publication for personal study and non-commercial purposes only with proper acknowledgement of MANAGE. Aakanksha Tiwari and Saravanan Raj (2020) Natural farming: A Game Changer in the Era of Social, Economic and Ecological Crisis, Discussion Paper 11, MANAGE – Centre for Agricultural Extension Innovations, Reforms and Agripreneurship, National Institute of Agriculture Extension and Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad, India. PREFACE The three major challenges confronted by the agriculture sector in India are, increase in productivity per unit of land, reducing rural poverty through a socially inclusive strategy and meeting food security needs. As a result of population increase, more and more marginal areas are being used for agriculture which led to rapid natural resources degradation, particularly soil degradation, which manifests itself mainly in the form of land on which the soil layer has been eroded away and nutrients have been continuously extracted with little or no any replenishment. Thus, there is need for appropriate interventions to address the prevailing constraints using suitable technologies for improved and sustainable agricultural production. Some innovative farming systems using low inputs have improved yields while safeguarding the resource base. The intern Ms. Aakanksha reviewed various national and international research reports as well as ongoing schemes and policies to support sustainability in agriculture. This study indicates need of socio-ecological development of agriculture system to enhance food security. I appreciate the work done by Ms. Aakanksha and giving recommendations to various stakeholders. Ultimately, it is crucial that agriculture development agencies utilize interdisciplinary teams to develop a complete understanding of the agronomic, ecological, and social context of a community-based project. Dr. Saravanan Raj Director (Agricultural Extension) Contents Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................................01 Objectives of study .......................................................................................................................................................01 Transforming agriculture: Snapshots from around the world ................................................................01 Sustainability as a goal in Indian agriculture development .....................................................................03 Multilateral efforts to promote sustainability in agriculture system ....................................................05 Origin and importance of natural farming .....................................................................................................09 Innovative model and strategies for agricultural sustainability .............................................................11 Global, national and local stakeholders favoring sustainable agriculture ..........................................16 Research Methodology ................................................................................................................................................27 Results and Discussion ................................................................................................................................................32 Selective Case studies ..................................................................................................................................................41 Conclusion and Future Prospects ............................................................................................................................46 References .........................................................................................................................................................................49 i List of Tables Table no. Title Page no. 1 Global priority analysis of agriculture driven impacts on environment 02 2 Multilateral efforts for agricultural sustainability 06 3 Main stakeholders of Zero Budget Natural Farming program 13 4 Global and National stakeholders of agriculture system 17 5 Local stakeholders of agriculture system 19 6 Agro-climatic conditions in the areas of study 26 7 Details of target respondents for this study 27 8 Questions asked from farmers 28 9 Questions asked from experts 29 10 Questions asked from experts 32 11 Socio-economic background of surveyed experts 32 12 Sources of information used by farmers 33 13 Different types of social media sites used by farmers 34 14 Analysis of agriculture practice in the areas of study 35 15 Awareness on environmental issues among target respondents 36 16 Participation of farmers in governmental schemes and programs 38 17 Farmers’ knowledge on good traits of sustainable agriculture practices 39 18 Attitude of farmers toward adoption of sustainable agricultural practices 40 19 Evaluation ability of farmers for agricultural sustainability 40 20 Information about the farms in case studies 43 21 Philosophy of farms in case studies 44 ii List of figuresFigures Fig. no. Title Page no. 1 Global environmental issues due to agriculture 03 2 Global difference in cereal yield in 2014 04 3 Social, ecological and economic attributes of natural farming 10 4 Four main principles of System for Crop Intensification (SCI) 11 5 Four important guidelines for Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) 13 6 District maps of areas of study 25 7 Framework representation of primary data collection for this study 29 8 Flow chart of study inclusion and exclusion for secondary data collection 30 9 A bar-graph representation of sources of information used by farmers 34 10 A bar-graph representation of different types of social media sites used 34 by farmers 11 A pie-chart representation of agriculture practice in the area of study 35 12 A bar-graph representation of awareness on environmental issues 37 13 Participation of farmers in governmental schemes and programs 38 14 A diagrammatic representation of agriculture production systems studied 41 15 Conceptual framework to summarize the research result 45 List of Plates Fig. no. Title Page no. Plate 1 Satellite view of site-I 42 Plate 2 Satellite view of site-II 42 Plate 3 Satellite view of site-III 42 Plate 4 Satellite view of site-IV 42 iii Abbreviations A AI Artificial Intelligence BNP Paribas Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas S.A. EPI Environmental Performance Index FAO Food and Agriculture Organization GPRS General Packet Radio Service GSDP Gross State Domestic Product GoI Government of India IAASTD International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development ICAR Indian Council of Agricultural Research ICT Information and Communication Technology IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development IoT Internet of Things IPM Integrated Pest Management LEISA Low External Input Sustainable Agriculture LGP Length of Growth Period MoEF& CC Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change MSSRF M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation NAPCC National Action Plan on Climate Change NARP National Agriculture Research Project NBSS&LUP National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning PPVFR Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Right Act RWCS Rice Wheat Cropping System SIFF Sustainable India Finance Facility TCS Tata Consultancy Service WAC World Agroforestry Centre WWF World Wildlife Fund WTO World Trade Organisation UNEP United Nations Environment Program UNCED United Nations Conference on Environment and Development ZBNF Zero Budget Natural farming iv Abstract Understanding the perception and awareness of farmers and other local stakeholders remains a challenge for the adoption of agricultural sustainability. It plays a key role in protecting the environment and preserving landscapes and biodiversity loss due conventional agriculture system. The present study was conducted in three states (Rajasthan, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh) situated in similar agro-ecological zone of India. The sample study comprised of a total of 150 respondents selected through simple random sampling. This study is focused on the need
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