Case study #08: India – Farming & land-use practices effect on soil health, including minimal tillage and the natural farming movement in Ananthapur
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This case study analyzes how agricultural and land-use practices in Ananthapur, India, have led to severe soil health degradation due to monoculture, intensive tillage, excessive use of chemical fertilizers, and poor water management in a semi-arid context highly vulnerable to climate change. The paper documents critical declines in soil organic carbon, loss of microbial biodiversity, salinization, and a sustained reduction in agricultural productivity. Based on a comprehensive review and empirical evidence, the study identifies effective solutions such as minimum tillage, conservation agriculture, multicropping systems, zero-budget natural farming (ZBNF), the use of phosphorus-solubilizing microorganisms, and efficient irrigation technologies. The case demonstrates that regenerative agriculture, supported by public policies, green finance, and local governance, can reverse soil degradation, strengthen climate resilience, and improve rural livelihoods in semi-arid regions of the Global South.
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soil quality, conservation agriculture, minimum tillage, agroecology, soil organic carbon