India, with its burgeoning population of 145 crore, faces an annual increase in food demand of 2-3%, requiring a 50% rise in food production by 2050.

• Despite its self-reliance in food and nutrition, the country’s current agricultural practices are unsustainable.

What is Regenerative Farming?

• Regenerative farming is an agroecological approach designed to restore soil health, enhance biodiversity, and improve ecosystem services.
• The term “regenerative agriculture” was coined in the 1980s by the Rodale Institute, a nonprofit research institution.

Enroll now for UPSC Online Course

Unique aspects of Regenerative Agriculture

• Beyond Sustainability: Unlike sustainable farming, which maintains the status quo, regenerative agriculture focuses on improving soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem resilience.
• Soil-Centric Approach: Regenerative agriculture prioritizes soil regeneration through microbial-plant symbiosis, enhancing nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration.
• Holistic Practices: Combines principles of agroecology and conservation agriculture while remaining adaptable to local conditions.
• Dynamic and Inclusive: Allows flexibility in methods like zero tillage, crop diversification, and livestock integration, tailored to specific environments.
• Mutual Benefits: Supports healthier soils, nutrient-rich crops, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, benefiting both the environment and food systems.

Common Practices in Regenerative Agriculture

• Soil and Crop Management: Practices like no-till farming, cover cropping, crop rotation, and organic inputs improve soil fertility, reduce erosion, and enhance biodiversity.
• Integrated Systems: Methods such as silvopasture, agroforestry, permaculture, and biodynamic farming promote sustainable landscapes and ecosystem health.
• India’s Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) is a key example, emphasizing natural inputs and holistic soil regeneration to achieve sustainable agriculture.

Benefits

• Reduced Emissions: It helps mitigate emissions such as through carbon sequestration and improved crop resilience for climate shocks.
  • For Example: Regenerative farming on 40% of the world’s cropland would save around 600 million tons of emissions. This is around 2% of the total, equivalent to the footprint of Germany.
• Soil health: Regenerative agriculture improves soil health by: 
  • Recycling farm waste and adding composted material 
  • Using cover crops year-round to prevent bare soil and reduce erosion 
  • Incorporating livestock into crop production 
  • Preserving the live roots of perennial crops 
• Biodiversity: Regenerative agriculture increases biodiversity by: Using crop rotation, agroforestry, and silvopasture techniques 
• Water conservation: Regenerative agriculture conserves water by promoting judicious use of groundwater 
• Economic well-being: Regenerative agriculture improves the economic well-being of farmers by: 
  • Reducing input costs 
  • Increasing farm productivity and profits 

Need of Regenerative Agriculture

• Soil Degradation: Excessive use of synthetic fertilisers and unsustainable agricultural practices have significantly reduced soil fertility.
  • The soil organic carbon content has dropped alarmingly from 2.4% in 1947 to 0.4% today, far below the essential threshold of 1.5% required for maintaining arable soil properties.
  • This degradation has cost India approximately Rs 47.7 lakh crore ($564 billion) over the last 70 years, or Rs 68,243 crore ($8.06 billion) annually in lost carbon value.
• Water Scarcity: Over-reliance on groundwater for irrigation has led to severe depletion and quality deterioration.
• Climate Change: The increasing frequency of droughts, floods, and extreme temperature events adversely affects agricultural productivity.
  • Climate impacts, coupled with declining soil health and inefficient practices, compound the risks to food security.
• Economic Pressures: Farmers face high input costs and fluctuating market prices, straining their financial stability.
  • The current Rs 2 lakh crore ($25 billion) annual subsidy to the fertiliser industry supports the inefficient use of synthetic inputs, further harming soil health and increasing greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 25 million tonnes (CO2e) annually, at an additional cost of Rs 14,813 crore ($1.75 billion).
• Knowledge Gaps: Many rural farmers lack awareness of sustainable farming techniques.
  • Limited access to training and resources hinders the adoption of regenerative and climate-resilient practices.

Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store

Way Forward

• Policy Support: Formulate incentives for adopting sustainable practices and reducing fertiliser subsidies.
• Research and Development: Conduct intensive field studies across agro-climatic zones to generate evidence on the benefits of regenerative agriculture.
• Awareness Campaigns: Educate farmers and stakeholders about the economic, environmental, and health advantages of these practices.
• Collaborative Models: Engage local communities, non-governmental organisations, and private sectors in scaling sustainable techniques.

Conclusion

Adopting regenerative farming is crucial for India to achieve its goals of food, nutritional, and ecological security while progressing toward its vision of net-zero emissions by 2070. By reimagining agriculture through agroecological principles, India can safeguard its soil and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.

DOWNLOAD PDF