Peepalbaba of GiveMeTrees trust recently highlighted an interesting point, asserting that the primary distinction between Organic Farming and Natural Farming lies in certification requirements. While this holds true, the intricacies of the comparison warrant further exploration.
1. In contrast to Organic Farming certification, which lacks explicit recommendations on reducing tillage, Natural Farming advocates stress the importance of minimal tillage to foster a thriving ecosystem of bacteria, fungi, earthworms, and other critters in the soil.
2. While Organic Farming leans towards lab-made bio-pesticides, Natural Farming proponents endorse diverse cropping and crop rotation strategies to mitigate the impact of pests.
3. While Organic Farming endorses store-bought bio-fertilizers like Pseudomonas , Trichoderma V erde, Natural Farming champions fermented mixtures like jeevamruth and panchagavya, utilizing locally available materials instead of external inputs.
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Subhash Palekar, Bhaskar Save, Nammazhvaar are few of the popular proponents of Natural Farming methods.
Natural Farming can be seen as a more untamed variant of organic farming, akin to the concept of regenerative farming in the Western context. Regenerative Farming promotes diversity of cropping and zero-tillage using crimper-roller.
Natural Farmers often critique Organic Farming proponents, asserting that organic farming certification standards lack the necessary rigor to address climate change, the high carbon footprint of society, and farmers’ reliance on external input sources. It’s argued that even Organic Farming can contribute to a substantial carbon footprint if non-local inputs are utilized and strategies to minimize tillage are overlooked.
Conclusion
Farmers employ all sorts of strategies in the entire spectrum from conventional industrial methods to the local low carbon footprint natural farming. Visiting the farm and meeting your farmer are sure shot ways to ensure that your food philosophies align with your farming philosophies.
Amidst the complexity of labels, as consumers, it’s crucial not to feel overwhelmed by definitions. The key is to support trusted local organic small-scale farmers whenever possible. 🙂
Regards
Sudhakar