Natural Farming Certification System 

Syllabus: GS3/ Environment

Context

• In a bid to boost consumer trust and farmer incomes, the central government is likely to introduce a nationwide Natural Farming Certification System (NFCS).

What is Natural Farming?

• Natural Farming is a chemical-free farming system rooted in Indian tradition enriched with modern understanding of ecology, resource recycling and on-farm resource optimization. 

Key Features of Natural Farming

• Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF): A popular model promoted by Subhash Palekar, aimed at drastically reducing input costs.
• Core practices:
  • Beejamrit: Natural seed treatment.
  • Jeevamrit: Soil inoculation using fermented cow dung and urine.
  • Mulching and Waaphasa: Moisture retention and aeration of soil.
• Low input, high sustainability: Reduces dependence on market-bought inputs.

Benefits of Natural Farming

• Lower Input Costs: Natural farming requires fewer external inputs like chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which can reduce overall production costs for farmers.
• Ensures Better Health: As Natural Farming does not use any synthetic chemicals, health risks and hazards are eliminated.
  • The food has higher nutrition density and therefore offers better health benefits.
• Environment Conservation: Natural Farming ensures better soil biology, improved agro-biodiversity and a more judicious usage of water with much smaller carbon and nitrogen footprints.
• Sustainable Farming Practices: By avoiding the overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, natural farming promotes a more sustainable and regenerative approach to agriculture.

Why is Certification Needed?

• Trust Building: It helps consumers distinguish genuine natural farm produce.
• Market Access: It enables farmers to fetch premium prices and enter niche markets (domestic and international).
• Standardisation: It brings uniformity to natural farming practices.
• Monitoring and Accountability: It ensures traceability and quality control.

Challenges in Scaling Natural Farming

• Initial Yield Reduction: During the transition from conventional to natural farming, many farmers reported a temporary decline in crop yields.
• Limited Scientific Backing: Although natural farming is promoted as environmentally sustainable, there is limited large-scale, long-term scientific research validating its productivity, resilience, and scalability across diverse agro-climatic zones.
• Inadequate Institutional Support: Coordination between agriculture departments, research bodies, and rural institutions is limited.

Source: MINT