Growing climate crisis, continuous cropping tends to deplete soil nutrient reserves that requires replenishment with essential macro and micronutrients along with nutrient recycling of livestock-based systems to enhance plant nutrition while promoting environmental stewardship. In addition, the extinction of agro-biodiversity and highly volatile markets have raised stern fears for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially related to agriculture. Consequently, it has become prudent to engage in sustainable farming systems that address both increased productivity for enhanced food and nutrition security while addressing environmental degradation in India and several other countries that face similar challenges. Various farming methods aim to reduce the dependence on external inputs, adopt diverse practices such as no-till/minimum till, use natural inputs such as inoculation of soils with composts or compost extracts to restore soil microbial community, and planting multiple crop inter-crop plantings, multispecies cover crops, and borders planted for bees and other beneficial insects are interchangeably known as regenerative agriculture, conservation agriculture, sustainable agriculture, natural farming, among others. Such practices aim to improve soil health, primarily through the practices that increase soil organic matter.

Like in many other countries, stakeholders in India including civil society, agribusiness, farmers, NGOs, researchers, and policy planners are debating the pros and cons of regenerative agriculture in the context of its sustainability among other economic, environmental, and food safety parameters. In line with this, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India (GoI) is organizing a Consultative National Workshop on “Harnessing the Potential of Natural Farming (Regenerative Agriculture) as a Low-Emission Development Pathway for Improved Resilience, Soil Health, Livelihoods and Nutrition in India” for the period 15-17^th September 2022 at ICRISAT Campus, Patancheru, Hyderabad.

The overall objectives of the workshop are: 

(1) Take stock of the current knowledge, feasibility, and policy between natural farming/regenerative agriculture vis-à-vis conventional farming in India;

(2) Understanding the pros and cons of regenerative agriculture in the context of its sustainability among other economic, environmental, and food safety parameters;  

(3) Identification of lessons learned, key challenges, and knowledge gaps in regenerative agriculture and its implications on national food and nutritional security in India; and

(4) Deliberate on and solicit inputs and a roadmap to develop realistic and outcome-oriented project interventions to facilitate large-scale adoption of regenerative agriculture via national and multi-region approaches.