Empowering farmers with natural farming techniques
Preserving soil quality, protecting biodiversity, and uplifting farmers of India.
![icon](https://www.artofliving.org/in-en/app/uploads/2023/11/icon-social-farmers.png)
Strategy
Training and hand-holding farmers in natural farming techniques
![icon](https://www.artofliving.org/in-en/app/uploads/2023/11/icon-social-tree-plantation.png)
Impact
High yield production at low cost
![icon](https://www.artofliving.org/in-en/app/uploads/2023/11/icon-social-people.png)
Outreach
22 lakh+ farmers trained in natural farming techniques
Overview
Debt, crop failure, and social pressure plague the anna daata – the farmers of India. Farmers take loans from banks and moneylenders to buy expensive chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and seeds. If the rains fail, farmers lose their produce and are left with no way to repay the loans.
Sri Sri Natural Farming Project, initiated by The Art of Living, is promoting natural farming techniques across India, which promises low expenditure and improved productivity and profits for the farmers.
The current widespread use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and hybrid seeds not only forces farmers to take out large loans to purchase them, but it also pollutes the water and depletes the soil of nutrients, damaging the ecosystem. The natural farming techniques promoted by The Art of Living are also environmental-friendly and sustainable in nature apart from having low investment cost.
These techniques were predominantly used in early times when India’s economy was primarily agrarian. But the Green Revolution in the 60s prompted rampant fertilizer and hybrid seed usage that buried Indian farmers under heavy debts and negatively impacted the ecosystem. Current times call for another agriculture revolution that can help farmers, preserve soil quality, and save the ecosystem.
Sri Sri Natural Farming Project has begun this revolution.
I harvested 16 tons of green chilli in a month in mere 1.5 acres of farmland. When my district was hit by drought, all the farmers received drought compensation while…
![social impact - organic farming - m.basha chilli farmer kurnool AP](https://www.artofliving.org/in-en/app/uploads/bis-images/23360/2023/09/social-impact-organic-farming-m.basha-chilli-farmer-kurnool-AP-60x60-f50_50.jpg)
M. Basha
Lakshmapuram, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh
Strategy
Multipronged efforts by The Art of Living Yuvacharyas, agricultural trainers, and several government authorities are helping farmers across the nation. The Art of Living conducts training programs on natural farming in all states.
Along with theoretical input on indigenous seeds, indigenous cows, natural fertilizers and pesticides, trainers also conduct practical demonstration.
The program trains farms in the following:
- Methods of preparing different organic fertilizers
- Method of appropriately applying fertilizers in the field
- Ways to maintain the field organically
- Procedures to maintain / handle the post-harvest product naturally
After the completion of the training, the team put together by the Art of Living hand-holds the farmers in making a switch to natural farming.
The Art of Living has further provided a platform called Kissan Manch to address farmers’ problems through collective effort.
To ensure farmers get the best rates for their produce, we also provide them with a direct market.
3-day Training
Basics of natural farming
Mentorship
by providing personalized inputs based on region and season
Hand-holding
Yuvacharyas enable farmers to sustain natural farming
Kissan Manch
Farmers meet and discuss problems and ideas
Direct market
Eliminating the middle-man and ensuring farmers sell their produce at best rates
Agriculture is the backbone of human existence. For any civilization to prosper, agriculture has to be healthy and sustainable. We need to get our focus back on agriculture which is the primary industry.
- Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Join the revolution
With your support we can achieve a lot more. Help farmers produce high yield at low cost with environment-friendly methods.
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