Padma shri Subhash Palekar an Indian agriculturist who practiced and has written many books about ZBNF (Zero Budget Natural Farming).Subhash Palekar was born in 1949 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 without using chemical fertilizers or pesticides to cultivate. He was awarded India’s fourth highest civilian award the Padmashri in 2016.

Zero Budget Natural Farming, as the name implies, is a method of farming where the cost of growing and harvesting plants is zero. This means that farmers need not purchase fertilizers and pesticides in order to ensure the healthy growth of crops. Shocked by the harmful effects of chemical farming, Palekar began the hunt for less-destructive alternatives. Thus began the journey of Zero Budget Natural Farming in India.