The Indian Council of Agricultural Research has expanded evidence on natural farming through its All India Network Programme on Natural Farming. The programme matters for UPSC because it connects agricultural sustainability, farm profitability, and soil health in a single policy discussion.
The network study began in 2020-21 and works through 20 cooperating centres across 16 States. It covers 8 major cropping systems and also aims to develop package of practices for natural farming while evaluating cropping systems under organic farming.
Background and earlier position
Natural farming is part of the broader search for lower-input and ecologically resilient agriculture. In Indian policy debates, it is often discussed alongside organic farming, integrated crop management, and climate-resilient agriculture because it seeks to reduce chemical dependence, improve soil biology, and lower cultivation costs.
The network programme was earlier known as AINP-Organic Farming. The current ICAR effort extends that research base to natural farming and crop-system packages suited to different agro-climatic regions.
What the ICAR study found
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