Backgrounder: regenerative agriculture for soil health

Regenerative agriculture: what happened?

Indian farms have kept growing, but the soil is tiring. Years of heavy chemical use, intensive cropping and erratic rain mean higher costs for the same yield. Regenerative agriculture asks a simple question: can farming put back more into the soil than it takes out?

• PIB published a backgrounder on 23 August 2026 titled “Rebuilding Farming Systems: Regenerative Agriculture for a Resilient India”.
• It sets out the principles, the main practices and the government schemes that support them.
• It reports that agriculture and allied sectors grew at a decadal rate of 4.45 per cent during FY16-FY25, the highest in previous decades.

What is regenerative agriculture?

• A farming approach centred on restoring soil health and enhancing biodiversity, while keeping farms productive and resilient.
• Sustainable farming mainly tries to maintain existing conditions; regenerative farming tries to improve them.
• Its principles: minimise soil disturbance, protect the living roots of perennial crops, keep the soil covered, integrate livestock, limit chemical inputs and enhance biodiversity.

Which practices does it include?

What is natural farming?

• A chemical-free approach rooted in India’s traditional knowledge.
• It uses on-farm inputs such as Beejamrut, Jeevamrut, GhanJeevamrut, Neemastra and Dashparni, made with inputs from native livestock.
• It promotes traditional seeds, trees on farm boundaries, cover cropping, multi-cropping, mulching and minimal tillage.

What do the numbers show?

How does regenerative farming rebuild a field?

1. Soil is tested and a Soil Health Card gives advice
2. Chemical inputs are cut; bio-inputs and green manure are added
3. Soil is kept covered with crops or mulch
4. Water is given by drip or sprinkler
5. Trees, livestock and crops are combined on the farm

Why does regenerative agriculture matter?

What are the challenges in regenerative agriculture?

• Many soils are already tired after years of intensive cultivation and heavy chemical use.
• Small and marginal farmers face higher costs and uncertain harvests when soil declines.
• Heatwaves, dry spells and excess rain can wipe out a season’s work.
• Natural farming covers 8.80 lakh hectares, a small share of farmland so far.

What should be done next on regenerative agriculture?

• Scale up natural farming clusters and Bio-input Resource Centres.
• Use Soil Health Card advice to balance fertiliser use.
• Spread micro-irrigation, especially in rainfed areas.
• Link agroforestry to the voluntary carbon market, as the agroforestry component now allows.
• Train more Community Resource Persons and Krishi Sakhis to carry advice to farms.

What can Prelims ask on regenerative agriculture?

• NMNF (2024): ₹4,000 per acre a year for two years, up to one acre; 10,000 Bio-input Resource Centres planned.
• PKVY (2015): organic farming; ₹31,500 per ha over three years.
• Per Drop More Crop (2015-16): 55% aid for small and marginal farmers, 45% for others.
• Soil Health Card (2015): 12 parameters; issued every 2 years.
• Agroforestry: now a component under PM-RKVY from 2023-24.

How to write about regenerative agriculture in Mains

Practice question (15 marks, 250 words): What is regenerative agriculture? Discuss how it differs from sustainable agriculture and assess India’s policy support for it.

• Define: restore soil and biodiversity, not just maintain.
• Principles: minimal tillage, soil cover, livestock, fewer chemicals.
• Practices: natural farming, micro-irrigation, agroforestry, IFS.
• Schemes with data: NMNF, PKVY, PDMC, RAD, Soil Health Card.
• Challenges and way forward; SDG 13.