There is a growing call to promote alternative agricultural practices that are sustainable yet fiscally sound. One such farming practice—zero budget natural farming (ZBNF)—which advocates the use of natural fertilisers and pesticides in lieu of external synthetic chemical inputs has been gaining momentum in certain regions, and in Andhra Pradesh in particular. ZBNF prescribes the 100 per cent elimination of synthetic chemical inputs (fertilisers and pesticides) and encourages the use of locally sourced inputs, such as natural concoctions and inoculums prepared with cow dung, cow urine, jaggery, green chillies, neem paste, etc. Tripathi et al. (2018) list various natural fertilisers and pesticides encouraged under ZBNF, and the potential for ZBNF to address the social, economic, and environmental challenges faced by Indian agriculture today. Based on crop-cutting experiment data, the 2018 report maps the possible impact of the ZBNF programme in meeting the sustainable development goal targets and concludes that ZBNF could help India make significant progress towards almost a quarter of the 169 SDG targets, including strengthening resilience against climate- related hazards such as drought risks; minimising and reducing marine pollution and the impacts of ocean acidification by eliminating the use of chemical fertilisers and biocides; promoting tree-based agroforestry models to improve the productivity of the land; and also ensuring landscape restoration and prevention of biodiversity loss. In addition, the report discussed that ZBNF holds the potential to reinvigorate rural economies, reduce credit risks for farmers, and help agricultural families allocate greater amounts of resources towards education, health, and financial security (Tripathi, et al. 2018). These ZBNF findings, collectively, could potentially contribute to meeting the 2030 Agenda goals along with supporting the achievement of the Global Nutrition Target 2025 of access to affordable and safe food.. Read Full Report here…
Originally Published by CEEW