“Last year the rains came late. Then they stopped when my paddy needed water the most. This year they say El Niño is coming. I don’t know what El Niño means, but I know farming is becoming harder every year.” This simple observation from a smallholder farmer captures a reality confronting millions across India.

El Niño, caused by the periodic warming of surface waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, often weakens the Indian monsoon, resulting in below-normal rainfall, prolonged dry spells and higher temperatures across many parts of the country. Yet we should not mistake El Niño for the real crisis.

The unfortunate reality is that agriculture has gradually lost much of its natural resilience.

Over decades, excessive dependence on synthetic inputs, repeated tillage, monocropping and declining organic matter have degraded soils, depleted biodiversity and weakened the ecological processes that once protected farms from climatic shocks.

The challenge before us is therefore not to climate-proof individual crops, but to climate-proof the entire farming ecosystem. The answer lies in regenerating the natural systems that sustain agriculture.

Rich in organic matter and biological life, it healthy soil acts as a sponge that absorbs rainfall, stores moisture, supplies nutrients and protects crops during both droughts and heavy rains.

Restoring soil through compost, mulching, crop residues, cover crops and biological inputs should become the foundation of climate-resilient agriculture. A healthy soil protects crops not only during El Niño but during almost every climatic stress.

Nature survives through diversity, while agriculture has increasingly depended on monocultures. Intercropping, mixed farming, agroforestry, multilayer systems and climate-resilient crops such as millets, sorghum and pulses spread climatic risk, improve resource use and make farms far less vulnerable to drought, heat and pest outbreaks.

India receives nearly 4,000 billion cubic metres of rainfall every year, yet only a small fraction is effectively stored and utilised.

The future challenge is not simply less rainfall but increasingly erratic rainfall. Farm ponds, rainwater harvesting, contour bunds, improved soil organic matter and efficient irrigation methods such as drip irrigation must work together to capture, store and use every possible drop of rain.

Healthy crops depend upon healthy soil biology. Excessive use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides gradually weakens this natural system while increasing farmers’ dependence on costly external inputs.

Regenerative practices that restore microbial life, recycle nutrients and promote locally produced bio-inputs help rebuild soil health and reduce production risks.

Community-based Bio-input Resource Centres can become important rural institutions for producing quality bio-inputs, strengthening local enterprises and supporting large-scale adoption of regenerative agriculture.

Climate change cannot be addressed by individual farmers alone. Water conservation, seed systems, farmer learning and market access all require collective action.

Strong institutions such as Self-Help Groups, Farmer Producer Organisations, watershed committees and community resource centres enable farmers to share knowledge, reduce costs and respond more effectively to climate shocks. Building resilient communities is as important as building resilient farms.

Agriculture must move beyond simply adapting to climate change and begin contributing to its solution.

Healthy soils store carbon, biodiversity strengthens ecological balance, trees moderate local climates and efficient water management reduces pressure on natural resources.

Regenerative Agriculture therefore offers an opportunity to achieve adaptation, climate mitigation and improved farmer livelihoods simultaneously.

The coming El Niño should serve as a national wake-up call. India now needs a much larger mission, one that restores soils, conserves water, revitalises biodiversity and rebuilds the ecological foundations of agriculture.

The author is , CoE Lead- Sustainable Agriculture, PRADAN

Published on July 18, 2026