NATIONAL FRAMEWORK ON REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE

Why In News?

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and NITI Aayog have launched a comprehensive blueprint for the National Framework on Regenerative Agriculture to restore degraded soils, boost biodiversity, and build climate-resilient farming systems.

What is Regenerative Agriculture?

It is a holistic, nature-based farming methodology that restores soil health, rebuilds ecosystem functions, and enhances biodiversity while ensuring stable crop yields.

• Soil-Centred Agriculture: Focuses on soil as a living biological organism containing billions of beneficial bacteria, mycorrhizal fungi, and earthworms rather than an inert medium for chemical inputs.

• Ecosystem-Based Farming: Mimics natural ecological systems by combining multi-species planting, natural biological pest predation, and organic biomass recycling.

• Resource Conservation: Minimizes water runoff, stops topsoil erosion, and protects groundwater aquifers from chemical contamination.

• Climate-Resilient Farming: Buffers crops against extreme climatic shocks, including heatwaves, prolonged dry spells, and unseasonal cloudbursts.

What are the Core Principles of Regenerative Agriculture?

Minimum Soil Disturbance (Zero/Reduced Tillage): Protects soil physical structure, prevents soil carbon oxidation into atmospheric CO2, and preserves underground fungal networks.

Permanent Soil Cover (Mulching & Cover Crops): Keeps the ground protected at all times with crop residue mulch or cover crops, lowering soil surface temperatures by 5°C–10°C and curbing evaporation.

Continuous Living Roots in the Soil: Maintains living plant roots year-round to exude liquid carbon that feeds beneficial rhizosphere microorganisms.

Maximising Crop Diversity & Multi-Cropping: Integrates crop rotations, intercropping (cereal-legume mixtures), and cover cropping to naturally fix atmospheric nitrogen and break pest cycles.

Restoring Soil Biodiversity: Inoculates soils with fermented bio-formulations (such as Jeevamrit and Beejamrit) to stimulate native soil microbial populations.

Integrating Livestock & Reducing Chemical Dependence: Utilizes indigenous livestock manure, bio-compost, and rotational grazing to cycle nutrients naturally, eliminating synthetic chemical inputs.

Why is Regenerative Agriculture Needed in India?

Critical Soil Degradation & SOC Depletion: Over-application of chemical urea has distorted the ideal NPK ratio from 4:2:1 to over 8:3:1 in key agricultural states, depleting micronutrients (Zinc, Boron, Sulfur, Iron).

Severe Water Scarcity: Agriculture accounts for over 85% of India's total freshwater extraction; regenerative soils with high organic matter hold significantly more water, recharging depleted groundwater aquifers.

Rising Input Costs & Debt Traps: Small and marginal farmers spend escalating sums on hybrid seeds, synthetic fertilizers, and chemical pesticides, shrinking net farm incomes.

Climate Vulnerability of Indian Agriculture: Over 50% of India's net sown area remains rainfed and highly vulnerable to monsoon irregularities, droughts, and heat stress.

Ecosystem & Water Pollution: Chemical pesticide and fertilizer runoff causes widespread eutrophication of lakes and rivers, contaminating rural drinking water sources.

Existing Schemes 

National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF): Formed 18,786 farmer clusters covering 8.80 lakh hectares, enrolling 18.19 lakh farmers as of March 2026. (Source: PIB)

Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY): Covered a cumulative area of 16.90 lakh hectares to promote chemical-free organic farming clusters across states.

Soil Health Card (SHC) Scheme: Generated over 25.89 crore plot-specific Soil Health Cards assessing 12 key soil parameters; trained 70,002 Krishi Sakhis to deliver grassroots soil advisories. (Source: PIB)

Per Drop More Crop (PDMC): Scaled micro-irrigation (drip and sprinkler systems) across 109 lakh hectares since 2015-16.

Rainfed Area Development (RAD) under Integrated Farming Systems (IFS): Disbursed ₹2,251.98 crore in Central Assistance, benefiting 15.73 lakh farmers across 9.53 lakh hectares with 4,416 KVK field demonstration models.

Agroforestry Component under PM-RKVY: Established 135 new nurseries and raised 176.59 lakh quality saplings for farm bund planting and voluntary carbon projects.

What are the Major Challenges in Adoption?

Lack of Farmer Awareness & Mindset Inertia: Decades of Green Revolution conditioning make farmers hesitant to abandon chemical fertilizers.

Transition Phase Yield Fluctuations: Farms often experience a temporary yield stabilization dip during the 2 to 3-year biological transition period while the soil food web recovers.

Small and Fragmented Landholdings: Over 86% of Indian farmers are small and marginal (<2 hectares), leaving them with limited financial buffers to absorb transition risks.

Inadequate Extension Services at Grassroots: Shortage of trained agricultural extension officers and Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) personnel skilled in biological farming techniques.

Limited Availability of Specialized Machinery: Lack of affordable access to specialized zero-till seed drills (Happy Seeders), cover-crop rollers, and biomass mulchers.

Absence of Market Incentives & Certification: Lack of streamlined certification standards and dedicated supply chains that reward regenerative produce with fair price premiums.

Way Forward

Establish Community-Led Farmer Field Schools (FFS): Mobilize Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Agricultural Technology Management Agencies (ATMA), and Krishi Sakhis to demonstrate location-specific regenerative packages.

Provide Direct Transitional Income Support (Pari-Passu Subsidies): Reallocate a portion of chemical fertilizer subsidies under PM-PRANAM to provide direct per-hectare transitional financial support to farmers adopting regenerative practices.

Scale Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) for Zero-Till Equipment: Provide subsidized zero-till seed drills, multi-crop planters, and bio-input preparation units to Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).

Develop a National Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) Verification Registry: Standardize digital soil testing and remote-sensing protocols to measure carbon sequestration and connect farmers to carbon credit trading.

Establish Dedicated Regenerative Supply Chains & Branding: Formulate clear national standards and green-label certifications to ensure farmers receive a 15%–25% price premium in domestic and export markets.

Strengthen ICAR Scientific Validation & Crop Breeding: Direct the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to scientifically validate traditional bio-inputs and develop crop cultivars optimized for chemical-free soil microbiomes.

Conclusion

The National Framework on Regenerative Agriculture transitions Indian farming from input-heavy depletion to biological rejuvenation, securing soil health, climate resilience, and sustainable farm prosperity.

Source: PIB