At the Gujarat Assembly in Gandhinagar, a landmark seminar under the National Natural Farming Mission underscored the urgent need for natural farming to preserve soil integrity, water cycles, biodiversity, and human health. Governor Acharya Devvrat, who chaired the proceedings, was flanked by top state leaders including Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary.
The event featured an engaging natural farming expo, with dignitaries inspecting innovative stalls showcasing sustainable techniques prior to the main discussions.
In his keynote, Governor Devvrat positioned natural farming as the gold standard for environmental and health protection. He praised the assembly for prioritizing this vital topic.
Clarifying key differences, he pointed out organic farming’s heavy reliance on massive quantities of cow dung—up to 300 quintals per acre—while natural farming focuses on cultivating beneficial microbes. Indigenous cow dung boasts 300 crore microbes per gram, complemented by mineral-rich cow urine.
Preparations such as Jeevamrut foster earthworm populations and helpful insects, transforming soil into a fertile ecosystem organically.
The Governor voiced alarm over rising lifestyle diseases, noting their scarcity in the past compared to today’s alarming trends even among children. Studies show pesticides infiltrating mother’s milk, posing risks to infants.
Soil health has plummeted since the Green Revolution, with organic carbon falling from 2-2.5% to under 0.5% in many regions, classifying it as infertile. Gujarat’s chemical-dependent farmlands exemplify this, leading to compacted soil and poor rainwater absorption.
He highlighted how natural farming’s earthworm activity creates vital channels for water storage, offering a pathway to rejuvenate depleted lands and secure food systems for generations.