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Zero Budget Natural Farming: A vision towards sustainable future

Article · July 2022

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Mandakranta Chakraborty
CSK HPKV Palampur
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 Issue
Volume: 02 No: Issue
06 No: 06
Year : 2022 Mandakranta Chakraborty

ZERO BUDGET NATURAL FARMING: A VISION TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE

FUTURE

Article ID: AG-V02-I06-21

Mandakranta Chakraborty*
College of Agriculture, CSK HPKV, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh
*Corresponding Author E-mail ID: [email protected]

Abstract
Environmentally focused solutions have raised sustainable intensification and
agro-ecology. ZBNF system based on four components: Bijamrit, Jeevamrutha,
Acchadana and Whaapasa, was introduced in India during 1990s, which concentrated
on low input use technologies in agriculture obtained from available on-farm resources.
This reduces use of water and electricity, improves farmer’s health, maintain local
ecosystems and biodiversity, without leaving any toxic residue in the environment.
Thus, the social status of farmers can be improved without compromising on mother
Earth.
marginal farmer’s is in constant search
Introduction
of an alternative farming systems that
Environmentally focused
could lower the inputs and costs and
solutions have raised sustainable
alleviate profitability [1].
intensification and agro-ecology. The
advent of Green Revolution to increase ZBNF - Zero Budget Natural Farming
yield and profit have resulted into The word “zero budget” mean
intensive, high-input agriculture, “no credit or no expenses”, i.e., without
consequently, environmental any credit or spending any money on
degradation and negative health purchased agricultural inputs. Padma
impacts. Thus, there is a need of Shri Mr. Subhash Palekar 1st time
alternative approaches to agricultural adapted the ZBNF system in India
production that could align more closely during 1990s. He concentrated on low
to the UN Sustainable Development input use technologies in agriculture
Goals. NITI Ayog (Government of India), obtained from available on-farm
also realizing the dwindling productivity resources and those are beneficial for
and profitability of the small and soil health.

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Issue No: 06
Year : 2022 Mandakranta Chakraborty

Natural Farming vs ZBNF vs Organic Farming

Natural Farming Zero Budget Natural Organic Farming
Farming
M Fukuoka (Japan) Mr. Subhash Palekar Albert Howard (England)
(India)
Natural farming is a ‘Zero Budget’ refers to Organic farming is a
method of chemical-free lower use of purchased production system which
agriculture drawing from inputs, and reduced avoids or largely excludes
traditional Indian practices. involvement of the use of synthetically
agribusiness, reducing compounded fertilizers,
debt incurred by farmers pesticides, growth
regulators, genetically
modified organisms and
livestock food additives.
It is also known as “do It includes low input use It requires basic agricultural
nothing farming” because technologies in agriculture practices like ploughing,
the farmer is considered as that should be on-farm tilting, mixing of manures,
a facilitator and the real resources available within physical weed management,
work can be done by farmland and that should etc. to be performed.
nature. No-tillage, no not harmful to soil health.
chemical fertilizer, no
pesticides in this farming.
Certification is not required Certification is not Certification is mandatory
required but practices are
restricted to four pillars
Components of ZBNF besides no fertilizers and
pesticides are applied.
• Water efficient: It consumes
only 10% of water over
conventional methods.
• Higher yield: Higher significant
yield is obtained in different cash
as well as food crops.
• Drought tolerant: ZBNF farms
are able to withstand a long-term
drought and flood situations.

Benefits • Profitable: Planting more crops

and border crops on the same
• Zero cost: The cost of
piece of land provide extra
production is zero as farmers
dividend and nutrient sources.
avoid buying inputs in any form,

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Issue No: 06
Year : 2022 Mandakranta Chakraborty

Challenges Faced in its Adoption 6. Lacks regulation: Appropriate

1. Indigenous breed: Manures are to policy framework is missing, as
be collected from local desi cows there is no specific standards set for
and imported Jersey or Holstein regulation.
cannot be used, thus its availability
is a concern.
2. Lags in marketing: Weakened
agricultural market infrastructure,
since there is no value of natural
products.
3. No scientific validation: Microbial
compositions, efficacy and impact of
jeevamrutha, bijamrita, bramhastra, Fig: Assessment of ZBNF based on FAO
elements of Agroecology and Gliessman’s
dashaparni kashaya not five levels of food system change
scientifically tested and there is no
Opportunities to Adopt ZBNF
scientific data on it.
Green revolution has uplifted the
4. High feed demands: Hybrid
use of high yielding varieties, chemical
varieties are not permitted; with
fertilizers and pesticides deteriorating
continuously increasing global
soil health and population of beneficial
population food is scarce to all
microbes. These all created a negative
populations. Even by using
impact on the environment and human
chemicals, we are not reaching our
health. Concerning this with increasing
food production target, without
globalization, there is a need for
hybrids, it is impossible to reach the
environmental sustainability,
target.
maintaining the environment to the
5. Plant protection: Pest
future generation. Natural farming gives
management is difficult- different
better opportunities to solve these
crop-specific weeds, diseases,
problems by:
insects are damaging to crop
1. Conserving nature - It improves
drastically, and by using natural
microbial content and water retention
products its control is not
capacity in soils which enables drought
satisfactory at farmer's level.
prone areas to provide consistent yields.

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 Issue No: 06
Year : 2022 Mandakranta Chakraborty

2. Health risk management - Reduces References

health risks from chemicals and reduces 1. Kumar, R., Kumar, S., Yashavanth,
B. S., Meena, P. C., Indoria, A. K.,
the drudgery of women who have easier
Kundu, S. and Manjunath, M.
access to clean water and feed for 2020. Adoption of Natural
Farming and its Effect on Crop
livestock as well as reducing illnesses
Yield and Farmers' Livelihood in
caused by chemicals in food, especially India. ICAR-National Academy of
Agricultural Research
among children.
Management, Hyderabad, India.
3. Carbon sequestration - One tonne of 2. Bhuvaneshwari, S., Hettiarachchi,
H. and Meegoda, J. N. 2019. Crop
residue burning produces 400 kg of
Residue Burning in India: Policy
carbon [2], if the residues are retained Challenges and Potential
Solutions. International journal of
or incorporated into soil it will supply
environmental research and
carbon to the soil and help to produce public health. 16(5): 832.
more yield.
4. Social impact - Due to low cultivation
costs and stable yields, it enables
farmers to have consistent quantities of
crops to sell in the market so their
livelihoods secured.
5. Net economic impact - Reduced
costs of cultivation, higher yields, lower,
gained income from intercrops and a
slightly higher selling price improves
economy.

Conclusion
Overall concerning about ZBNF,
there is reduced use of water and
electricity, improved farmers health,
maintenance of local ecosystems and
biodiversity, without leaving any toxic
residue in the environment. Thus, the
social status of farmers can be improved
without compromising on mother Earth.

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