Natural Farming and India's Food Security

Why Going Back to Roots is the Way Forward

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The article highlights natural farming as a sustainable solution to India's food security and climate challenges. Unlike chemical-based agriculture, natural farming works with ecological systems, regenerating soil health, conserving water, and reducing pollution. It lowers farmers' dependence on costly inputs, improves resilience to droughts, and yields more nutritious food. While scaling up demands policy support, training, and market incentives, combining traditional knowledge with modern science can make natural farming a mainstream, eco-friendly path for India's agricultural future.

As India works to feed a growing population in a world shaped by climate change, it has become more important than ever to rethink how we approach farming. Food security today is not just about growing enough; it also means doing it in a way that's sustainable, nutritious, affordable, and better for the environment. In this situation, natural farming is proving to be a strong way forward. It's not about holding on to the past; it’s a practical and thoughtful approach that can help fix the growing problems in our current food system.

The Current Crossroads

The Green Revolution in the 1960s helped India overcome a time when food was scarce. It increased crop production and made the country more self-reliant. However, over the years, the use of chemical-based farming has started to create serious problems. Soil quality has gone down, water levels are falling, and many useful plants and insects have disappeared. There is also rising concern about the health effects of chemical traces left in food. Many small farmers now rely on expensive fertilizers and pesticides, which often puts them in debt.