SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE - THE INDIAN WAY Naachimuthu K.P. Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, PSG College of Arts and Science Civil Aerodrome Post, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. Email: naachimuthu@psgcas.ac.in Abstract If soil is dried so one ounce become one-quarter ounce, Abundant yields will not require a single handful of fertilizer. Thirukkural (Verse 1037) The ive natural elements (earth, water, ire, air, and sky), the sun and the moon, plants, trees, birds, and animals, came into existence much ahead of the human beings. In fact, man, as a part of nature, was the last creation in the universe. Though, we (human beings) have been created with the superlative degree of intellect, there is so much that can be learnt from nature; traditions of wisdom from the world teach us that a divine essence lows through all creations. Together with nature, man can co-create groundbreaking ideas that would help create wealth and well-being, for nature offers solutions for inclusive growth and sustainable development. Food scarcity is the major issue concerning the developing countries these days; one out of every 8 person in the world goes to bed without food (FAO, 2012). Of the several hundred million hungry people in the world, 98 percent are in developing countries. There were several things done to alleviate this problem, but the consequences of those actions are even more costly. Usage of heavy machines, pesticides and chemical fertilisers in the soil created a lasting impact causing imbalance in ecosystem, degradation of soil, soil erosion and land degradation. Natural farming is an ancient form of agriculture which follows the principles of nature to develop systems for raising crops, and livestock that are self-sustaining. The present paper attempts to explicate the sustainable nature of natural farming, as against the quick ix solution agriculture of using fertilisers, and chemicals. This holistic learning outlook also tries to bring out the role of farm animals (and remain of farm animals, and farm produces), microorganisms in the soil, in creating food abundance, concerns about food loss and food wastage and its global impact. Keywords: Natural Farming, Inclusive growth, Sustainable Development, Ecosystem, Food Wastage Introduction For centuries, human lived with nature and learnt a good deal about it for his sustenance. The knowledge he obtained from the plants and animals facilitated him to learn ways to approach them, and live with them. Even in this highly socialised and urbanised world, the behavior of plants, trees, birds and animals provide us a signiicant learning. The irst instance of using animals, birds, plants and trees for the teaching-learning purpose is evident in ‘Panchatantra’ written by Acharya Vishnu Sharma and the ‘Jataka tales’, the Indian folktales that are infused with moralistic values. Understanding the cognition, communication or the characteristics of nature might sound archetypal, but in its core, it can make man, an architect of the entire world, or if not, at least of his own. The instinctive and learned response of the animal and the plant kingdom encompasses their dynamic ability to adapt to various/ varying situations, relex activities, directed movements or to frame action patterns. Nature of the Nature Being a part of the natural environment, the plants, birds and animals are linked to one another, and leaving behind one, in trying to understand the other, would not give a holistic understanding. The relationship between different species forms an integral part of ecology (the study of organisms and their interactions with the environment). The fundamental Law of Ecology (L ≥ C) drives a crucial lesson to all constituents of the natural environment (i.e.) for any organism to survive, its rate of learning must be equal to or greater than the rate of change in its environment (Garrath, 1987). Over the years, there has been a drastic change in the growth pace and dwelling pattern of the world. Though, its population Article can be accessed online at http://www.publishingindia.com