From Green Revolution to Natural Farming: India's Agricultural Journey
In 1947, newly independent India faced a daunting challenge: feeding a population of over 300 million with food availability of merely 417 grams per person per day. The country needed a dramatic intervention—and it got one. The Green Revolution transformed India from a food-deficit nation into a grain-surplus one. But decades later, we're learning that this transformation came with hidden costs.
The Birth of the Green Revolution
The term "Green Revolution" describes the rapid adoption of high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and modern irrigation methods that swept through agriculture during the mid-20th century. Dr. Norman Ernest Borlaug is credited as the Father of the Green Revolution, while M.S. Swaminathan championed it in India.
Starting in Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh, the new farming methods spread rapidly. Production of cereal crops tripled with only a 30% increase in cultivated land. India achieved food self-sufficiency and escaped the threat of recurring famines.
The Four Pillars of Change
The Green Revolution rested on four key interventions:
High-Yielding Varieties (HYV): Scientists bred new seed varieties producing significantly more grain per plant.
Chemical Inputs: Synthetic fertilizers boosted yields dramatically. Pesticides and herbicides controlled pests and weeds.
Irrigation Infrastructure: Canal systems expanded, and tubewells proliferated to meet the water demands of HYV seeds.
Mechanization: Tractors and harvesters replaced traditional animal and human labor.
When Success Becomes a Problem
By the 1990s, cracks were appearing in this agricultural miracle.
Environmental Damage
India now uses 91% of its water resources in agriculture. Water-intensive crops promoted by the Green Revolution have depleted aquifers across northern India. In Punjab, water tables are falling by nearly a meter every year in some districts.
Heavy pesticide use has contaminated freshwater sources. An estimated one lakh (100,000) indigenous rice varieties have been lost as farmers switched to a handful of high-yielding varieties.
Soil Degradation
Decades of intensive chemical farming have depleted soil organic matter, exhausted micronutrients, and accumulated heavy metals like cadmium, lead, and arsenic. Many soils have become either too acidic or too alkaline, less productive without even more chemical intervention.
Health Concerns
Research indicates that food consumption exposes people to pesticide residues at levels 103 to 105 times higher than exposure through water or air. These chemicals have been linked to effects on the nervous system, endocrine disruption, and compromised immune function.
Economic Unsustainability
Input costs have risen steadily while crop prices have stagnated. Soil degradation means farmers need more fertilizer to achieve the same yields. Fertilizer use increased from 12.4 kg/ha in 1969 to 137 kg/ha in 2021—an 11-fold increase.
The Turn Toward Natural Farming
Against this backdrop, natural farming has emerged as a pragmatic response. Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), developed by Subhash Palekar, has gained significant traction.
Results from states implementing these practices are encouraging:
- In Andhra Pradesh: 9% yield increase for paddy, 40% for ragi
- Net farm incomes improved 25% to 135% depending on the crop
- These gains come from dramatically lower input costs
Looking Forward
India's agricultural journey from the Green Revolution to natural farming represents an ongoing conversation about sustainable food production. The Green Revolution achieved its goal of feeding a hungry nation, but we're now learning that agricultural systems must be judged by their long-term sustainability—for the soil, water resources, farmer livelihoods, and human health.
Natural farming demonstrates that reducing chemical inputs need not mean accepting lower yields or impoverishing farmers. As India's experience matures, the lessons learned will be relevant for agricultural systems worldwide facing similar challenges.
