- India’s ranking of 105th out of 127 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2024, with a score of 27.3, highlights the urgent need for improved food security. Regenerative agriculture can play a pivotal role in addressing this challenge by enhancing soil health, promoting sustainable agricultural practices, and boosting long-term food production to reduce hunger and malnutrition.
About Regenerative Agriculture
- The World Economic Forum defines regenerative agriculture as: “An approach to farming that uses soil conservation as the entry point to regenerate and contribute to multiple provisioning, regulating, and supporting services, with the objective that this will enhance not only the environmental but also the social and economic dimensions of sustainable food production.”
- Regenerative argiculture, encouraged by the Indian government, focuses on natural inputs, minimal tillage, mulching, multi-cropping, and diverse native varieties to improve soil health, reduce irrigation frequency, conserve energy, and decrease reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, thereby lowering input costs.
Source: universalinstitutions.com
Types of Regenerative Agriculture
- No-Till and Pasture Cropping: This method minimizes soil disturbance by using specialised drillers for planting while leaving grasses for livestock grazing. It prevents soil erosion & preserves soil structure.
- Annual Organic Cropping: Organic methods are used for crop cultivation without synthetic chemicals. Though more labor-intensive & costly, it is gaining popularity as awareness of sustainable farming grows.
- Compost Tea and Compost: Compost tea enriches the soil with beneficial microorganisms, increasing organic matter in the topsoil, essential for soil regeneration and plant health.
- Biochar and Terra Preta: Biochar, a form of black carbon, enhances soil fertility and microbial diversity, improving soil retention and carbon sequestration by up to 70 times.
- Perennial Cropping: Perennial crops, which don’t need replanting every year, reduce soil disturbance, conserve water, and prevent soil erosion through deep-rooted plants.
- Ecological Aquaculture: This practice integrates healthy aquatic ecosystems with farming by nurturing aquatic life with organic matter & trees, promoting biodiversity & supporting sustainable food chain.
- Regenerative Agriculture vs Organic Farming: Regenerative agriculture goes beyond organic farming by not only restoring soil health but also enhancing the overall ecosystem, addressing broader environmental and food security challenges, whereas organic farming mainly focuses on soil restoration and reducing chemical inputs.
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Need for Regenerative Agriculture
- Restoring Soil Health: Over 33% of global soil is degraded, including 96.4 million hectares in India affected by overuse of fertilizers, deforestation, and unsustainable irrigation (NRSC). Regenerative practices restore nutrients and improve soil structure for long-term productivity.
- Enhancing Food Security: With current trends, there may not be enough arable soil to feed the global population within the next 50 years. Regenerative agriculture ensures sustainable food production by maintaining soil health and resilience.
- Improving Water Efficiency: Practices like cover cropping and no-till farming enhance soil’s water retention capacity, reducing irrigation needs by 20–30% & making agriculture more resilient to droughts.
- Mitigating Climate Change: Agriculture accounts for 25% of global GHG emissions. Regenerative methods sequester up to 1.85 gigatons of CO₂ per year, playing a critical role in combating climate change.
- Preventing Soil Erosion: Intensive farming causes severe soil erosion, with topsoil loss ranging from 50–90% in many regions. Regenerative agriculture builds soil aggregation and reduces erosion, preserving soil for future generations.
- Boosting Biodiversity: By reducing chemical inputs and fostering natural ecosystems, regenerative practices enhance microbial diversity, support pollinators, and create habitats for various species.
- Reducing Economic Costs: Farmers can save up to 20–40% on chemical fertilizers and pesticides by adopting regenerative techniques, improving profitability while promoting sustainability.
Benefits of Regenerative Agriculture
- Enhancing Soil Fertility: Practices increase organic matter by 3–5%, improving soil structure and water retention. Cover cropping replenishes nutrients and prevents erosion.
- Building Climate Resilience: Healthy soils sequester 1.85 gigatons of CO₂ annually and retain 20–30% more water, improving crop resilience to droughts and floods.
- Conserving Biodiversity: Agroforestry and crop diversification boost 30% more biodiversity, supporting pollinators and beneficial insects. For example, Brazilian agroforestry enhances species richness.
- Reducing Input Costs: Reduces reliance on fertilizers and pesticides by 40–60%, saving $60 per acre. U.S. farmers report cost savings through organic methods.
- Improving Food Security: Healthier soils result in 20–40% higher yields. In India, regenerative farming boosted rice yields by 30% on degraded lands.
- Revitalizing Rural Economies: Creates jobs in composting, agroforestry, and sustainable farming. In Kenya, farmers earn 25% more for organic produce.
Challenges in Adopting Regenerative Agriculture in India
- Lack of Awareness: Many farmers are unaware of regenerative practices, with conventional farming methods, promoted by agrochemical companies, being more prevalent.
- Initial Transition Costs: Transitioning to regenerative farming requires investments in training, equipment, and organic inputs, which small and marginal farmers, who make up 86% of India’s agricultural workforce, may find difficult to afford.
- Policy Gaps: India lacks a clear policy to support regenerative farming, with subsidies and incentives focused on chemical fertilisers and monoculture farming, limiting the shift toward sustainable practices.
- Knowledge and Research Deficit: There is limited research on regenerative farming tailored to India’s diverse agro-climatic zones, coupled with a lack of extension services to train farmers.
- Short-term versus Long-term Gains: Regenerative farming takes time to show visible results, and farmers focused on short-term financial gains may be reluctant to adopt these long-term practices.
- Market and Certification Challenges: Farmers struggle to access markets for organic produce due to high certification costs and limited consumer awareness of regenerative farming benefits.
Government Initiatives for Sustainable Agriculture
- Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY): Focuses on ensuring water availability to every field with the Har Khet Ko Paani initiative while promoting micro-irrigation under Per Drop More Crop to optimize water usage, reducing wastage and improving productivity.
- Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY): Promotes organic farming, particularly in the North Eastern States, and establishes an organic value chain, encouraging sustainable agricultural practices that enhance soil health and reduce dependency on chemical inputs.
- Soil Health Cards: Launched to reduce fertilizer usage by providing farmers with soil-specific recommendations, leading to more efficient nutrient management and sustainable soil health.
- Fertilizer Sector Reform (Urea): Achieved 100% Neem Coating of urea, which reduces the environmental impact of excessive fertilizer usage and prevents diversion of subsidised urea for non-agricultural purposes.
- National Agriculture Market (e-NAM): Facilitates expanded market access for farmers, promoting fair price realisation and reducing reliance on middlemen, thereby ensuring better incomes and incentivising sustainable practices.
- National Gokul Mission: Aims to improve the genetic stock and breed of indigenous cattle, boosting milk production while supporting sustainable dairy farming practices.
- SAMPADA Scheme: Focuses on reducing post-harvest losses, providing better prices to farmers, creating rural employment, and promoting the processed food industry, all while enhancing sustainability through backward and forward integration.
- PM KUSUM Scheme: Transforms farmers from “annadata” to “urjadata” by promoting solar-powered agricultural pumps, supporting clean energy adoption and reducing dependency on traditional, resource-intensive farming practices.
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Way Forward
- Harmonizing with Nature: To address India’s undernourishment crisis (224.5 million), agriculture must work with nature, as highlighted by the UN’s 2022 report. Regenerative farming can be key in shift.
- Chemical-Free Farming: Emphasising natural inputs, crop rotation, and diversification can reduce reliance on chemicals. Global efforts and local initiatives are driving this shift, making it crucial for India.
- Soil Health: Improving soil health enhances water retention, with a 1% increase in soil organic matter boosting water storage by 75,000 liters per 0.4 ha. Policies should prioritise soil health for sustainable farming.
- Global and Local Integration: Regenerative practices are already thriving in states like Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and Andhra Pradesh. This sets a strong foundation for broader adoption across India.
- Research and Policy Support: Focused research and policies, such as the National Project on Organic Farming, will help scale regenerative farming and drive sustainable agricultural practices.
Regenerative farming can address soil degradation and food security in India, enhancing productivity and climate resilience. Overcoming challenges requires collective efforts, and with the right support, it can transform India’s agriculture sustainably.
Reference: Indian Express
PMF IAS Pathfinder for Mains — Question 28
Approach
- Introduction: In introduction, briefly define regenerative farming & its relevance for Indian agriculture.
- Body: Discuss the benefits and challenges of regenerative farming.
- Conclusion: Write a way forward & conclude by highlighting the need for a robust & holistic approach.
