Dear HLPE Steering Committee,
In addition, please see below comments specifically in relation to the case study of ZBNF.
Re: the potential policy pathways forward section 4.1 Availability – focuses initiatives
The government of India in its recently presented Union budget for the year 2020-2021 has recommended adoption of ZBNF as one of the practices for sustainable cropping. So, this is being promoted not just in few states of India but nationwide. Research evidence suggests that ZBNF reduces the cost of inputs (biological) when compared to inputs (chemical) under non-ZBNF for paddy, maize, groundnut, cotton, tomato and Bengal gram. Annual subsidy savings from adoption of ZBNF varies from USD 72 million to UD 290 million depending on the total cropped area in Andhra Pradesh shifting to ZBNF (25% of total cropped area in the former and 100% area in the latter)
Government of India Union Budget 2020-2021 [Internet]. Ministry of Finance, New Delhi, India. [cited 2020 Feb 20]. Available from: https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/doc/Budget_Speech.pdf
Galab S, Prudhvikar Reddy P, Sree Rama Raju D, Ravi C and Rajani A. 2019. Impact Assessment of Zero Budget Natural Farming in Andhra Pradesh – Kharif 2018-19. A comprehensive Approach using Crop Cutting Experiments. Hyderabad: Centre for Economic and Social Studies
Niti Gupta, Saurabh Tripathi, and Hem Himanshu Dholakia. 2020. Can Zero Budget Natural Farming Save Input Costs and Fertiliser Subsidies? Evidence from Andhra Pradesh. New Delhi: Council on Energy, Environment and Water
Smith et al. (2020) Potential yield challenges to scale-up of zero budget natural farming. Nature Sustainability Jan 2020. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-019-0469-x
All the best,
Kerry, on behalf of the SHEFS consortium Indian partners: Dr Nikhil Srinivasapura Venkateshmurthy and Dr Sailesh Mohan, Public Health Foundation of India & Centre for Chronic Conditions and Injuries, India
Kerry Ann Brown
PhD, ANutr, FHEA
Assistant Professor
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Kerry Ann Brown