Climate change is causing frequent and intense natural calamities affecting farming and farmers across the 1️⃣ globe. Human-induced climate change is causing detrimental impacts on crops, making them more vulnerable when extreme weather hits. However, farmers 1️⃣ who practice natural farming methods seem to be an exception as their crops appear to withstand extreme weather conditions better.
Cyclone 1️⃣ Michaung, a storm that brought heavy rainfall across India's southeastern coast, destroying 600,000 acres of crops in Andhra Pradesh state. 1️⃣ However, Ratna Raju, a natural farmer who grows paddy, found that the rainwater on his natural farm seeped into the 1️⃣ ground in just one day, unlike the flooded fields of his neighboring farmers.
Local and federal government initiatives have resulted in 1️⃣ an estimated 700,000 farmers shifting to natural farming in the state, with a goal of inspiring all of its six 1️⃣ million farmers to take up natural farming by the end of the decade. The Indian federal government has also allocated 1️⃣ funds to promote natural farming and encourages farmers in India to adopt the practice.
However, activists and farmers claim that skepticism 1️⃣ about natural farming among political leaders, government bureaucrats and scientists is still high due to trust in the existing chemical-based 1️⃣ farming models for maximum productivity. More support, subsidies, and standards need to be in place to encourage farmers to shift 1️⃣ to natural farming, advocates say.