Subhash Palekar is an Indian agriculturist who practiced and has written many books about Subhash Palekar Natural Farming (SPNF), formerly known as ZBNF (Zero Budget Natural Farming).^[1][2] Subhash Palekar was born in 1949^[3] in a small village Belora in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra in India, and he has an agricultural background. He practised Zero Budget Natural Farming^[4] without using chemical fertilizers or pesticides to cultivate. He conducts many workshops all over India. He was awarded India’s fourth highest civilian award the Padmashri in 2016^[5]

He was attracted to the philosophy (Indian ancient thinking) of the Vedas, Upanishads, and all ancient Granthas. His Spiritual background was inspired by Saint Dhnyaneshwar, Saint Tukaram and Saint Kabir. Searching for truth, he studied Gandhi and Karl Marx comparatively. Gandhiji’s philosophy of non-violence appealed to him more. Great Indian personalities like Gandhiji, Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Jyotiba Phule, Vivekananda and Tagore helped reinforce his belief in absolute natural truth and nonviolence (Satya & Ahimsa). From 1972-1985, while farming with Green Revolution chemical inputs, his agricultural production increased. But after this date, yields started declining. After searching the causes for three years he concluded agricultural science was inferior to natural farming methods.^[3][7]