Research paper warns against nationwide switch to natural farming without proper studies

It can hamper national food production, say authors, who cite contrasting results from two studies

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An academic paper published by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) has cautioned the Centre against “a complete switch” to natural farming, on the ground that it can hamper national food production.

The paper is titled ‘Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF): Implications for Sustainability, Profitability, and Food Security’.

The paper found “sheer disparity” in the two studies on ZBNF conducted by the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS) and the Institute for Development Studies Andhra Pradesh (IDSAP), as well as by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research (IIFSR). It has hence recommended long-term experimentation before declaring ZBNF a nationwide agriculture practice.

Niche markets

The paper said that while organic farming and related practices like natural farming are successful in niche markets where a premium price can compensate for the returns from lower yields, a complete switch to organic mode can hamper national food production. “Resilient supply chain networks for the farm inputs required in natural farming are a prerequisite to transitioning towards natural farming,” said the paper, authored by Sandip Das, Mahima Khurana and Ashok Gulati.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and several other Ministers had spoken in favour of ZBNF, which is done using cow dung, cow urine and leaves.

The paper noted that in Andhra Pradesh, the study by the CESS and the IDSAP on six main crops of the State (paddy, groundnut, cotton, Bengal gram, black gram, and maize) suggested low expenditure on biological inputs and lower paid-out costs for the ZBNF farmers in comparison with non-ZBNF farmers. “The expenditure on inputs for ZBNF practitioners was 3.54% to 74.63% lower than the non-ZBNF practitioners, and the paid-out costs were 9.08% to 35.97% lower than non-ZBNF, for a majority of ZBNF crops, indicating higher savings in the ZBNF method. “Interestingly, the yield was also higher in most ZBNF crops than the non-ZBNF crops, ranging between 0.94% and 23.4%,” the paper said.

The findings of ICAR-IIFSR, on the other hand, were in complete contrast with the CESS-IDSAP results. ICAR-IIFSR tested ZBNF over basmati rice-wheat cropping system at Pantnagar (Uttarakhand), Ludhiana (Punjab), Kurukshetra (Haryana), and Modipuram (Uttar Pradesh) for three years. “The study revealed that despite the low input cost, returns for ZBNF farmers could not improve due to low yields under the ZBNF system. The rice had 22.6% and wheat had 18.2% lower cost of cultivation in ZBNF than integrated crop management (ICM); the returns fetched were also 58% lower in ZBNF,” the paper said. “The yield outcomes for basmati were 37% and for wheat were 53.9% lower than ICM after the second year. The study also predicted a 32% decline in basmati rice yields and a 59% decline in wheat yields from the current levels if ZBNF is adopted on a large scale.

Lesson from Sri Lanka

The paper said since scientists are apprehensive of the impact ZBNF concoctions can pose on the environment and output sustainability, long-term research and third-party surveillance are needed on the methodology adopted in Andhra Pradesh before amplifying that experiment across all the States. “Moreover, the Sri Lankan crisis [food shortage] acts as a lesson for the entire world to take preparatory actions like educating the farmers and consumers about the likely impact of the switch: creating adequate infrastructure such as availability of inputs for the new farming method and maintenance of supply chains before banning the utilisation of inorganic fertilizers; and spreading awareness among the populace about the potential benefits,” it added.

• An academic paper has cautioned the Centre against “a complete switch” to natural farming, on the ground that it can hamper national food production.
• The paper is titled ‘Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF): Implications for Sustainability, Profitability, and Food Security’.
• It has hence recommended long-term experimentation before declaring ZBNF a nationwide agriculture practice.