Relevance : GS Paper III
Organic farming
- Criticisms were levelled against Green Revolution for using chemicals.
- Organic farming represented non-chemical oriented methods of farming.
- In India, organic farming includes Vedic farming, Amrutpani farming, etc.
- ZBNF, popularised by Subhash Palekar, is the most recent type of organic farming.
ZBNF
- ZBNF is posed against both inorganic farming and organic farming.
- According to it, soil has all the nutrients plants need.
- To make these nutrients available to plants, “four wheels of ZBNF”- Bijamrit, Jivamrit, Mulching and Waaphasa – are required.
Analysing ZBNF
- ZBNF is hardly zero budget. Many ingredients have to be purchased.
- There are no independent studies to validate the claims that ZBNF.
- Claims of ZBNF are unscientific.
- Spiritual nature of agriculture ZBNF posits shows cultural chauvinism.
Way forward
- Improvement of soil health required
- Steps to check wind and water erosion of soils
- Innovative technologies to minimise physical degradation of soils
- Improve the fertility of saline, acidic, alkaline and toxic soil
- Location-specific interventions
- Use of chemical fertilizers where required
- a strong embrace of scientific temper
Conclusion
Lacking scientific temper, the inclusion of ZBNF into our agricultural policy by the government appears unwise.
