Context

• The Green Revolution of the1960s pulled India from the brink of starvation, and turned it into a big food exporter, but the revolution also made India the world’s biggest extractor of groundwater. In recent times, regenerative agriculture can help solve the water crisis.

Regenerative Agriculture

• Regenerative agriculture is a system of farming principles and practices that seeks to rehabilitate farm ecosystem by placing a heavy premium on soil health, biodiversity improvement, water and air quality.
• It includes practices like use of natural inputs, minimum-till, mulching, multicropping and sowing of diverse and native varieties.

Principles 

• Regenerative agriculture adheres to the following principles: 
  • Minimize soil distribution through conservation tillage;
  • Diversify crops to replenish nutrients; 
  • Retain soil cover using cover crops;  
  • Integrate livestock, which adds manure to the soil and serves as a source of carbon sinks. 

Types of Regenerative Agriculture

Findings

• The “State of Bio Fertilizers and Organic Fertilizers in India”, reveals severe and widespread deficiency of organic carbon and micronutrients in Indian soils.
• Studies have established that 1 per cent increase in soil organic matter per 0.4 ha increases water storage potential by more than 75,000 litres.
• Trials of regenerative agriculture in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have saved 14.5 billion litres of water.

Role of civil society organisations

• Rythu Sadhikara Samstha, a non-profit set up by the Andhra Pradesh government aims to promote zero-budget natural farming against by using inputs made from crop residue, cow dung , urine, fruits, etc to improve crop productivity and soil fertility.
• Samaj Pragati Sahyog in Madhya Pradesh promotes sustainable agricultural practices like changing crop systems, soil fertility interventions and micro-irrigation technologies, composting and recycling of crop residues, etc 

Significance

• Regenerative farming can reduce emissions from agriculture and convert croplands and pastures, into carbon sinks.
• It improves crop yield and promotes the growth of nutrient rich crops.
• It facilitates soil aggregation and nutrient cycling.
• Other benefits of regenerative agriculture include more efficient water use and fewer pests.

Conclusion

• Indeed, Regenerative agriculture practices increase soil biodiversity and organic matter, leading to more resilient soils that can better withstand climate change impacts like flooding and drought.