Science & Technology
Agricultural Science
Organic and Natural Farming
Organic farming vs natural farming (ZBNF): principles, Jeevamrit, certification (NPOP, PGS-India), PKVY, NMNF 2024, Sikkim and Dantewada, with a Mains evaluation.
Prerequisites
- Soil Fertility, Fertilisers and Manures: manures, biofertilisers and why chemical fertilisers are used at all
- Crop Science and Cropping Systems: crop rotation, intercropping and conservation agriculture
- Green Revolution: the input-intensive model that organic and natural farming react against
The Hook: Bastar Was “Organic by Default”
Connect
In much of the Bastar plateau, farmers have long grown kodo, kutki, paddy and pulses with almost no chemical fertiliser or pesticide. Not because of a philosophy, but because they could not get or afford them. In the early 2020s, the government certified a large block of villages in Dantewada as organic under a scheme meant for precisely such “traditionally organic” land.
Is “organic by default” the same as organic farming? How is organic farming different from the natural farming now promoted by a national mission? And can India feed 140 crore people without chemical inputs? These are three of the most-asked agriculture questions in Mains and interviews.
Why it matters: Mains GS-II asks you to compare organic and natural farming and to evaluate them; GS-III and the Essay paper use the same material. Interview boards in Chhattisgarh often ask about organic farming in Bastar and about cow-dung-based schemes.
Three Terms, Three Meanings
| Feature | Organic farming (जैविक खेती) | Natural farming (प्राकृतिक खेती) | Conventional (chemical) farming |
|---|---|---|---|
| Synthetic fertilisers and pesticides | Prohibited | Prohibited | Used |
| External inputs | Allowed if organic: bought compost, vermicompost, biofertilisers, approved biopesticides | Minimal: inputs made on the farm, mainly from local cow dung and urine | Bought seeds, fertilisers, pesticides |
| Soil fertility source | Bulky manures, compost, green manure, rotation | Soil microbes stimulated by on-farm preparations; mulching; no bulky manure needed | Chemical NPK |
| Certification | Required to sell as “organic” (NPOP or PGS-India) | No separate certification system of its own; produce may be certified under PGS | None |
| Cost | Can be high (compost in bulk, certification) | Very low (“zero budget” claim) | High input cost |
| Key idea | Replace chemicals with organic inputs | Activate the soil’s own biology with tiny on-farm inputs | Supply nutrients directly |
Organic is a standard; natural is a method
Organic farming is defined by standards and certification: what may and may not be used, verified by an inspector or a peer group. Natural farming is a farming method built on on-farm preparations and mulching. Natural farming produce can also be certified organic, but organic farming does not have to be natural farming.
Organic Farming: Principles and Practices
The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) describes four principles: health, ecology, fairness and care.
Practices:
- Nutrients: FYM, compost, vermicompost, green manure, oilcakes, biofertilisers, legume rotation
- Pest management: crop rotation, resistant varieties, botanical pesticides (neem), biocontrol agents (Trichoderma, Beauveria, NPV), pheromone traps
- Weeds: mulching, mechanical weeding, cover crops
- Conversion period: land must be managed organically for a set conversion period (typically two to three years, depending on the crop) before produce can be sold as certified organic
Certification systems in India
| System | Run by | Type | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| NPOP (National Programme for Organic Production) | APEDA, Ministry of Commerce (launched 2001) | Third-party certification by accredited bodies | Required for export; also domestic |
| PGS-India (Participatory Guarantee System) | Ministry of Agriculture | Participatory: farmers in a local group inspect and vouch for each other | Domestic market; cheap and suited to small farmers |
| Large Area Certification (LAC) | Under PGS-India, Ministry of Agriculture (from 2020–21) | Certifies large contiguous areas with a known history of no chemical use (islands, hills, tribal belts) | Lets traditionally organic areas skip the long conversion period |
| Jaivik Bharat logo | FSSAI under the Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Regulations, 2017 | Labelling | Identifies authentic organic food in the domestic market |
Organic farming schemes
| Scheme | Year | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) (परम्परागत कृषि विकास योजना) | 2015 | Cluster-based organic farming with PGS certification; part of the soil health mission |
| Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER) | 2015–16 | Organic value chains in the north-eastern states |
| Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP) | 2020–21 | Sub-scheme of PKVY to promote traditional and natural farming |
Sikkim and Dantewada
- Sikkim was declared India’s first fully organic state in January 2016, after phasing out chemical fertilisers and pesticides over more than a decade.
- In Dantewada (Chhattisgarh), about 110 villages covering some 65,000 hectares were certified organic under Large Area Certification in the early 2020s (reports date the certification to 2022–23 and 2023–24). It was reported as the first mainland area certified under LAC. District-level organic efforts there date from about 2013.
Natural Farming and ZBNF
Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) was developed and popularised by Subhash Palekar (सुभाष पालेकर), an agriculturist from Maharashtra (awarded the Padma Shri in 2016). “Zero budget” means that the main inputs are made on the farm, so the farmer spends almost nothing on them, and intercrops are meant to recover the cost of the main crop.
The four wheels of ZBNF
| Component | What it is | Scientific logic claimed |
|---|---|---|
| Beejamrit (बीजामृत) | Seed treatment with cow dung, cow urine, lime and soil | Protects young roots from soil- and seed-borne disease |
| Jeevamrit (जीवामृत) | A fermented mixture of cow dung, cow urine, jaggery, pulse flour and a handful of soil, applied to the soil or through irrigation | A microbial inoculant: adds and multiplies soil microbes that mobilise nutrients already in the soil |
| Achhadana (आच्छादन): mulching | Covering the soil with crop residue, a cover crop or loose topsoil | Conserves moisture, adds organic matter, encourages earthworms, suppresses weeds |
| Whapasa (वापसा) | A soil condition with a balance of air and water in the pore spaces, achieved by reduced irrigation | Roots need air as well as water; saves irrigation water |
Plant protection uses on-farm botanical brews such as Neemastra, Brahmastra and Agniastra (made from neem, other bitter leaves, chilli and garlic with cow urine). Intercropping, contour bunds and local seed are also part of the system.
State programmes: Andhra Pradesh runs the largest state programme, Andhra Pradesh Community-managed Natural Farming (APCNF), begun in 2016. Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and others also promote natural farming.
National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Approved | Union Cabinet, November 2024 |
| Type | Standalone Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare |
| Outlay | ₹2,481 crore (Centre ₹1,584 crore; states ₹897 crore) up to 2025–26 (15th Finance Commission period) |
| Reach | 15,000 clusters in willing gram panchayats; 1 crore farmers; natural farming on 7.5 lakh hectares |
| Support | 10,000 Bio-input Resource Centres (BRCs) to make natural farming inputs locally available; trained Krishi Sakhis (community resource persons) and model demonstration farms |
Evaluating Organic and Natural Farming (Mains Core)
| Arguments for | Arguments against or concerns |
|---|---|
| Lower input costs and less debt, especially in natural farming | Yield penalty: many studies find lower yields, especially in the first years after conversion and for nutrient-hungry crops |
| Soil health: more organic carbon, more soil life, better structure and water holding | Nutrient budget: a farm exports nutrients in its harvest; critics argue microbes cannot create nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that are not in the soil |
| Less pollution: no nitrate leaching from synthetic N, no pesticide residues | Bulk manure for organic farming may not be available; natural farming depends on livestock |
| Premium prices for certified produce; export markets | Certification costs and weak market linkages for small farmers |
| Climate: lower emissions from fertiliser manufacture and N₂O | Food security risk if adopted abruptly at national scale |
| Fits rainfed, tribal and hill areas already using few chemicals | Limited long-term, peer-reviewed evidence on ZBNF yields; results vary widely by region |
The Sri Lanka lesson
In April 2021, Sri Lanka banned the import of chemical fertilisers and pesticides to switch the whole country to organic farming at once. Rice and tea output fell sharply, and the ban was reversed within months (late 2021). The lesson for Mains: a sudden, nationwide, compulsory switch is risky. A phased, voluntary, region-specific transition with research support (as in Sikkim, or in rainfed tribal belts) is the defensible position.
A balanced conclusion for Mains: Organic and natural farming suit rainfed, low-input regions (Bastar, Surguja, the north-east, hills) and high-value crops with premium markets. In intensive irrigated grain belts, Integrated Nutrient Management and IPM are the realistic way to cut chemical use without risking food security.
The Chhattisgarh angle
- Large parts of the Bastar plateau and northern hills use few chemicals, giving the state a natural base for organic and natural farming, especially for millets, forest produce and traditional rices.
- Dantewada’s Large Area Certification is a ready example in any Mains answer.
- The state’s cow-dung-to-compost model, the Godhan Nyay Yojana (2020), tried to link livestock with organic inputs; see Soil Fertility, Fertilisers and Manures.
- The Millet Mission and procurement of kodo, kutki and ragi support crops that need few inputs. See Agricultural Schemes in Chhattisgarh.
Memory Tricks
ZBNF four wheels: 'Big Jeeps Avoid Water'
Beejamrit (seed) · Jeevamrit (soil microbes) · Achhadana (mulch) · Whapasa (air + water balance).
Certification: 'Commerce Exports, Agriculture Participates'
NPOP = Ministry of Commerce (APEDA), third-party, for export. PGS-India = Ministry of Agriculture, participatory, for the domestic market. FSSAI gives the Jaivik Bharat logo.
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| Organic farming: certified standard; organic inputs may be bought | vs | Natural farming: on-farm inputs, microbial activation, mulching |
| NPOP: APEDA, Commerce Ministry, 2001, third-party | vs | PGS-India: Agriculture Ministry, peer-group guarantee |
| PKVY (2015): organic clusters | vs | NMNF (2024): natural farming clusters, BRCs |
| Jeevamrit: soil inoculant | vs | Beejamrit: seed treatment |
| Sikkim: first fully organic state (2016) | vs | Dantewada: Large Area Certification of 110 villages (early 2020s) |
| Conservation agriculture: tillage, cover, rotation (may use chemicals) | vs | Organic farming: no synthetic chemicals |
Common Mistakes
MCQ and Mains traps
- “Natural farming and organic farming are the same.” False. Organic is a certified standard that allows bought organic inputs; natural farming relies on on-farm preparations.
- “NPOP is run by the Ministry of Agriculture.” False. It is run by APEDA under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- “ZBNF was developed by M.S. Swaminathan.” False. It was popularised by Subhash Palekar. Swaminathan is linked to the Green Revolution and the “evergreen revolution”.
- “Organic farming always gives higher yields.” Not supported. Present yields as context-dependent, often lower at first.
- “Sri Lanka’s organic switch succeeded.” False. It was reversed within the same year after output fell.
Practice
All questions below are original practice questions written in CGPSC style. They are not previous-year questions.
Level 1: Foundation
- The fermented ZBNF preparation of cow dung, cow urine, jaggery, pulse flour and soil is called ______.
- India’s first fully organic state, declared in 2016, is ______.
- The participatory organic certification system for the domestic market is called ______.
Answers
- Jeevamrit (जीवामृत).
- Sikkim.
- PGS-India (Participatory Guarantee System).
Level 2: Prelims-style MCQs
Q1. Consider the following statements:
- The National Programme for Organic Production is implemented by APEDA under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- PGS-India certification is mainly meant for export markets.
- The Jaivik Bharat logo is associated with FSSAI.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 1 and 3 only
- (c) 2 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
(b) 1 and 3 only. NPOP (2001) is run by APEDA under the Commerce Ministry and is the route for exports. PGS-India is a low-cost participatory system meant for the domestic market, so statement 2 is wrong. FSSAI’s Organic Foods Regulations (2017) introduced the Jaivik Bharat logo.
Q2. Match List I (ZBNF component) with List II (Purpose):
| List I | List II |
|---|---|
| A. Beejamrit | 1. Covering the soil surface with residues |
| B. Jeevamrit | 2. Seed treatment |
| C. Achhadana | 3. Balance of air and water in soil pores |
| D. Whapasa | 4. Microbial inoculant for the soil |
- (a) A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3
- (b) A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3
- (c) A-2, B-4, C-3, D-1
- (d) A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
Answer and explanation
(a) A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3. Beejamrit treats seed; Jeevamrit multiplies soil microbes; Achhadana is mulching; Whapasa is the air–water balance in the soil achieved by limiting irrigation.
Q3. Which of the following correctly describes the National Mission on Natural Farming approved in November 2024?
- (a) A Central Sector Scheme run by the Ministry of Environment
- (b) A Centrally Sponsored Scheme targeting 1 crore farmers and 7.5 lakh hectares through 15,000 clusters
- (c) A scheme to certify all natural farming produce under NPOP
- (d) A sub-scheme of PM-KISAN providing cash for natural farming
Answer and explanation
(b). NMNF is a standalone Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Agriculture Ministry, with an outlay of ₹2,481 crore up to 2025–26, 15,000 clusters, 1 crore farmers, 7.5 lakh hectares and 10,000 Bio-input Resource Centres.
Q4. “Large Area Certification” under PGS-India is designed for:
- (a) Large corporate farms seeking export certification
- (b) Contiguous areas with a known history of no chemical use, allowing them to skip the conversion period
- (c) Areas that have used chemicals heavily and need remediation
- (d) Urban kitchen gardens
Answer and explanation
(b). LAC certifies traditionally chemical-free areas, such as islands, hills and tribal belts, without the usual multi-year conversion period. About 110 villages of Dantewada in Chhattisgarh were certified under it.
Level 3: Mains Answer Writing
Q1. (60 words) Distinguish organic farming from natural farming.
Model answer outline
- Both exclude synthetic fertilisers and pesticides.
- Organic: a certified standard (NPOP, PGS-India); bought organic inputs such as compost, vermicompost and biofertilisers are allowed.
- Natural (ZBNF, Palekar): on-farm inputs (Jeevamrit, Beejamrit), mulching and whapasa; aims to activate soil microbes at near-zero cost; no separate certification of its own.
Q2. (150–200 words) “Natural farming can reduce costs, but can it feed India?” Critically examine, with reference to Chhattisgarh.
Model answer outline
- Intro: Natural farming (ZBNF) and the National Mission on Natural Farming (November 2024; 1 crore farmers, 7.5 lakh ha) aim to cut chemical inputs and farm costs.
- Promise: near-zero input costs, better soil organic carbon and moisture through mulching, less pollution and N₂O, resilience in rainfed areas; Andhra Pradesh’s APCNF as a large-scale model.
- Concerns: yield penalties in some studies; nutrient balance (microbes cannot create N, P and K absent from soil); dependence on livestock; limited long-term peer-reviewed evidence; Sri Lanka’s 2021 abrupt ban and reversal as a warning.
- Chhattisgarh angle: Bastar and the northern hills already use few chemicals; Dantewada’s ~110 villages certified under Large Area Certification; millets and minor forest produce suit natural farming; but the irrigated paddy plains depend on fertiliser for procurement-linked yields.
- Way forward: phased, region-specific adoption (rainfed and tribal areas first), research trials by IGKV and ICAR, Bio-input Resource Centres, market premiums, INM and IPM in intensive belts.
- Conclusion: Natural farming can cut costs and restore soils where yields are already low; feeding India needs a mosaic, not a single model.
Quick Revision Table
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| ZBNF | Subhash Palekar (Padma Shri 2016); Beejamrit, Jeevamrit, Achhadana, Whapasa |
| Jeevamrit | Cow dung + cow urine + jaggery + pulse flour + soil; microbial inoculant |
| Botanical sprays | Neemastra, Brahmastra, Agniastra |
| NPOP | 2001; APEDA, Commerce Ministry; third-party; exports |
| PGS-India | Agriculture Ministry; participatory; domestic |
| Large Area Certification | From 2020–21; traditionally organic areas |
| Jaivik Bharat | FSSAI; Organic Foods Regulations 2017 |
| PKVY | 2015; organic clusters |
| MOVCDNER | 2015–16; north-east |
| BPKP | 2020–21; sub-scheme of PKVY |
| NMNF | Nov 2024; ₹2,481 crore; 15,000 clusters; 1 crore farmers; 7.5 lakh ha; 10,000 BRCs |
| Sikkim | First fully organic state, Jan 2016 |
| Dantewada | ~110 villages, ~65,000 ha under LAC (early 2020s) |
| APCNF | Andhra Pradesh, 2016 |
| Sri Lanka | Chemical fertiliser ban April 2021; reversed late 2021 |
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
- Organic farming is a certified standard; natural farming is an on-farm method relying on soil biology and mulching.
- NPOP (Commerce, exports) and PGS-India (Agriculture, domestic) are the two certification routes; LAC fast-tracks traditionally organic areas like Dantewada.
- NMNF (November 2024) is the first standalone national mission for natural farming.
- Benefits are real for soil, costs and the environment; yield and nutrient-balance concerns mean a phased, region-specific approach.
- Chhattisgarh’s rainfed tribal belts are natural candidates; its irrigated paddy plains need INM and IPM.
What’s Next
- Pest Management and IPM: controlling pests with fewer chemicals
- Agricultural Science — Quick Revision: the whole chapter on one page
- Environment and Ecology: soil, climate and ecosystem links
- Agriculture and Irrigation in Chhattisgarh: the state’s farming context
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