Chemical-free Natural Farming
- February 2, 2022
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Chemical-free Natural Farming
Context: In her budget speech, FM said that chemical-free farming will be promoted throughout the country, starting with fields within a 5-km wide corridor along the Ganga River.
Natural vs Organic Farming
| Natural Farming | Organic Framing |
| In natural farming, neither chemical nor organic fertilizers are added to the soil. In fact, no external fertilizers are added to soil or given to plants whatsoever | In organic farming, organic fertilizers and manures like compost, vermicomposting, cow dung manure, etc. are used and added to farmlands from external sources |
| In natural farming, decomposition of organic matter by microbes and earthworms is encouraged right on the soil surface itself, which gradually adds nutrition in the soil, over the period. n natural farming there no plowing, no tilting of soil and no fertilizers, and no weeding is done just the way it would be in natural ecosystem | Organic farming still requires basic agro practices like plowing, tilting, mixing of manures, weeding, etc. to be performed |
Advantages of Natural Farming
- Protect soil and environmental quality.
- Natural farming has a smaller carbon footprint.
- Conserves and builds soil health.
- Replenishes natural ecosystems for cleaner water and air, all without toxic pesticide residues. Advantages of organic farming
- Reduces pesticide and chemical residues in soil.
- Efficient use of resources.
- Minimizes the external cost of farming.
- More nutritional value compared to conventionally grown products.
- Tastes better than non-organic food.
- Healthier animals
- Safe guard’s natural flora, fauna and natural habitat.
- Soil and the environment is a public good