Alternative Agriculture

Alternative agriculture is defined as production systems that do not use conventional methods. These kinds of systems seek sustainable performances while optimizing all agroecosystem resources. Alternative agriculture gathers a lot of different systems (organic agriculture, sustainable agriculture, integrated agriculture, agroforestry, permanent agriculture, etc.). Despite their differences, these systems share common values. Their technical itineraries were actually firstly thought as ways to preserve the environment and more precisely soil and water. They also seek to reduce or suppress the use of chemicals and mineral fertilizers, thanks to, respectively, biological control and organic fertilizers and amendments. (Source - Sub-chapter 6.1.1 - Alternative agriculture from the book Sustainable Resource Management by Vladimír Š. Kremsa published in 2021.)

Short descriptions of the systems not mentioned above are given below:

Natural Farming is a chemical-free alias traditional farming method. It is considered as agroecology based diversified farming system which integrates crops, trees and livestock with functional biodiversity. (Source - NITI Aayog Webpage)

The term Regenerative Agriculture is often used to describe practices aimed at promoting soil health by restoring soil’s organic carbon. (Source - WRI Webpage)

“Low Input Farming Systems seek to optimise the management and use of internal production inputs (i.e., on-farm resources) ... and to minimise the use of production inputs (i.e., off-farm resources), such as purchased fertilisers and pesticides, wherever and whenever feasible and practicable, to lower production costs, to avoid pollution of surface and groundwater, to reduce pesticide residues in food, to reduce a farmer’s overall risk, and to increase both short- and long- term farm profitability” (Parr et al. 1990). (Source - Solagro Webpage)

On this platform, we have outlined different schools of alternative agriculture, success stories and playbooks on its various methods and components. At this stage, most resources are in English but you will find some resources in regional languages too.

This article from Down to Earth explains the various types of regenerative farming and looks at what really makes agriculture circular -- layering crops, making one's own inputs, harvesting water on farm, soil testing and collectivising farmers into FPOs, etc.