Regenerative Agriculture: Building India's Farming Resilience

What is Regenerative Agriculture?

Regenerative agriculture is a holistic farming approach focused on:

• Restoring soil health
• Enhancing biodiversity
• Improving ecosystem functions
• Ensuring long-term agricultural productivity and resilience

Difference from Sustainable Agriculture

Why India Needs Regenerative Agriculture

1. Hidden Costs of High Growth

• Agriculture and allied sectors recorded 4.45% growth rate during FY16–FY25
• Intensive cultivation and excessive chemical usage have created underlying vulnerabilities

2. Declining Soil Health

• Excessive use of chemical inputs and monocropping
• Soil degradation, nutrient depletion, reduced productivity

3. Rising Input Costs

• Degraded soils require higher dependence on fertilizers and pesticides
• Increased financial burden on small and marginal farmers

4. Climate Change Vulnerability

• Increasing frequency of heatwaves, droughts, floods, and irregular rainfall
• Need for farming systems with greater resilience

5. SDG Alignment

• Aligns with SDG 13 (Climate Action), particularly Target 13.1
• Focuses on strengthening resilience against climate-related risks

Key Practices Under Regenerative Agriculture

Water and Resource Efficiency

Micro-irrigation:

• Drip, sprinkler, and fogger irrigation systems
• Delivers water directly to plant roots
• Reduces wastage and improves water-use efficiency
• Increases resilience against drought

Farm Mechanization:

• Enables timely and precise farm operations
• Optimizes use of water, fuel, and fertilizers
• Reduces carbon footprint

Soil and Nutrient Management

Nitrogen Fertilizer Management:

• Right fertilizer, right dose, right timing
• Deep placement of urea, leaf colour charts
• Cyanobacteria and legume intercropping
• Reduces nitrous oxide emissions

Natural Farming:

• Chemical-free approach using biological inputs:
• Beejamrut - Seed treatment
• Jeevamrut - Soil amendment
• GhanJeevamrut - Solid formulation
• Neemastra - Pest control
• Dashparni - Insect repellent
• Promotes traditional seeds, mulching, multi-cropping
• Livestock integration

Soil Health Management:

• Green manuring
• Cover cropping
• Mulching
• Enhances organic matter and moisture retention
• Supports carbon sequestration

Integrated and Climate-Resilient Farming Systems

Integrated Farming Systems (IFS):

• Combines crops with:
• Livestock
• Fisheries
• Horticulture
• Agroforestry
• Apiculture
• Maximizes resource use
• Diversifies farmer income

Agroforestry:

• Integrates trees with crops
• Improves soil moisture
• Regulates temperature
• Stores carbon
• Restores degraded land

Climate-Resilient Agriculture (CRA):

• Balanced nutrient management
• Efficient water use
• Pest management
• Soil moisture conservation
• Community nurseries
• Collective marketing

Government Initiatives Promoting Regenerative Agriculture

1. National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF)

• Launched: 2024
• Output-based incentive: ₹4,000 per acre per year for two years (up to 1 acre per farmer)
• Bio-input Resource Centres: 10,000 to be established
• Natural Farming Clusters: Supported by Community Resource Persons (CRPs)

Progress (as of March 2026):

2. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)

• Launched: 2015
• Financial assistance: ₹31,500 per hectare over 3 years
• Promotes organic farming with certification and market linkages
• Coverage: 16.90 lakh hectares (as of October 2025)

3. Per Drop More Crop (PDMC)

• Implemented since: 2015-16
• Promotes micro-irrigation systems
• Financial assistance:
• 55% to small and marginal farmers
• 45% to other farmers

Progress (as of May 2026):

4. Rainfed Area Development Programme (RAD)

• Implemented since: 2014-15
• Promotes IFS through area-based cluster approach
• Combines crops with horticulture, livestock, fisheries, apiculture
• Encourages multi-cropping, crop rotation, intercropping, mixed farming

Financial Support:

• ₹30,000 per family for adopting IFS
• ₹10,000 per cluster for training

Progress:

5. Agroforestry Component under PM-RKVY

• Restructured from SMAF in 2023-24
• Supports:
• Agroforestry nurseries
• Quality Planting Material (QPM)
• Tissue culture units
• Research and development
• Carbon market initiatives

Financial Assistance:

• 100% to government agencies
• 50% back-ended credit-linked to private beneficiaries

Progress (2025-26):

6. Soil Health Card (SHC) Scheme

• Launched: 2015
• Provides scientific soil test reports
• Assesses 12 parameters including macronutrients, micronutrients
• Crop-specific nutrient recommendations

Progress (as of March 2026):

Conclusion

Regenerative agriculture represents a paradigm shift from merely sustaining agricultural production to restoring the ecological foundations of farming systems. Through practices such as:

• Natural farming
• Agroforestry
• Integrated farming systems
• Micro-irrigation
• Scientific soil management

India is moving towards a more resilient agricultural future. By improving soil health, conserving resources, and enhancing farmer resilience, regenerative agriculture plays a crucial role in achieving:

• Sustainable food security
• Climate resilience
• Vision of Viksit Bharat@2047

Constitutional and Policy Framework

• SDG 13 (Climate Action) - Target 13.1 focuses on strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity
• Integration of environmental protection with economic viability
• Support for sustainable food systems and long-term agricultural resilience