Lalitha Adiga, Pioneer of natural farming Lalitha was inspired by noted Japanese farmer M Fakuoka's book, The One-Straw Revolution, to start organic farming. She has trained more than 100 farmers in Kundapura block in Udupi district to practise organic farming. Today, she has also adopted natural farming in which she does not use any manure but only natural compost like dead leaves. Her crops include arecanut and coconut.
Karnataka was the first state to adopt a policy on organic farming in 2004. Since then, several initiatives have helped farmers fight drought, but costly certification is discouraging poor farmers from taking it up