Zero-budget natural farming is a form of agricultural system redesign being practised at scale in India, particularly in the state of Andhra Pradesh. It is an emerging set of agricultural practices designed dramatically to reduce farmers’ direct costs (hence “zero-budget”) while boosting yields and farm health through the use of non-synthetic inputs sourced locally ("natural farming”).
Salman Hussain, the coordinator of this United Nations Environment Programme’s The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity initiative, says: “The principles of zero-budget natural farming are aligned with the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity for Agriculture and Food’s own principles, as they seek to steer away from the prevailing focus on per hectare productivity, and instead focus on a holistic approach that also values human, social and environmental benefits and costs from agriculture.”
See full story and a UN News in Hindi version.
Nature-based solutions offer the best way to achieve human well-being, tackle climate change and protect our living planet. Yet nature is in crisis, as we are losing species at a rate 1,000 times greater than at any other time in recorded human history and one million species face extinction. In addition to important moments for decision makers, including the COP 15 on Biodiversity, the 2020 “super year” is a major opportunity to bring nature back from the brink. The future of humanity depends on action now.
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030, led by the United Nations Environment Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and partners such as the Africa Restoration 100 initiative, the Global Landscapes Forum and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, covers terrestrial as well as coastal and marine ecosystems. A global call to action, it will draw together political support, scientific research and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration. Help us shape the Decade.
