Facing food insecurity, India eyes sustainable agriculture

"Water scarcity has led to increased numbers of migrations in my town," Shankar, a farmer in Rajasthan, told FairPlanet. "Scarce rainfall [has led to a] loss of farming prospects, and youth are leaving for towns and bigger cities and do not wish to continue with farming, which their communities have been doing since ages."

"[But] the problem of scanty rainfall is [one of many] challenges, like scarcity of fertilizers in some places and manpower in others, which are already staring at the farmers," Shankar added. "The issues also depend on the scale of farming land."

Among the top hurdles facing farmers, according to Shankar, is the reduction of crop production due to unpredictable climate patterns; to him - the future on ground appears bleak.

With changes in traditional seasons and unprecedented climate conditions, farmers in India see the impact reflected on their gross income from produce, in addition to unsatisfactory production.

Unpredictable climate means less food

Drought and floods are two extremes borne by farmers across India, which negatively impact their livestock, fisheries and, in turn, damage international markets as a result of reduced production. Reports of massive loss of livestock have been noted in serious cases of flood, as India is the second-most flood-prone nation, after Bangladesh. Reduced food availability, crop resilience and degradation of food quality are imminent risks in the country.

With 46.3 degrees Celsius reported in Shri Ganganagar, Rajasthan last June - the highest temperature recorded in India in 2022 - farmers are already looking grimly towards the summer of 2023, voicing concerns of droughts in parts of the country as a result of a delayed monsoon season triggered by rising temperatures.

And while the Indian government issues warnings ahead of monsoons and informs the public about possible adaptation measures it will take throughout the season, the eccentricity of storms in recent years means that farmers nonetheless have to bear losses like damaged crops and soil depletion.

Additionally, the nature of India’s monsoons leads to the overflowing of rivers and subsequent floods, which affect farmers and fishermen the hardest. Staple crops like rice, wheat and sugar, which make up the bulk of India's agricultural export and constitute a major driver of its economy, suffer under the favourable conditions for their cultivation.

Farmers also have to grapple with increased costs involved with growing these crops - a direct result of rising fertilizer prices and frequent crop failures; this, in turn, increases the price of the produce. And as the demand for staple crops typically remains steady, prices tend to soar, and low-income families and individuals find themselves incapable of affording basic staple foods like rice and wheat.

According to a report on climate risk management, families at the brink of poverty are known to cut down on food and nutrients. As of 2022, India has ranked 68 out of 113 countries in the Food Security Index, and is, according to UNO, home to 195 million undernourished people, out of which 43 percent are children. 

"I usually rely on government subsidised rice, but even that seems to be a struggle to get when there are floods," Alimuddin, a farmer in West Bengal, told FairPlanet.

A bumpy road towards sustainable agriculture

Under such circumstances, families with fewer means adopt sustainable farming methods that respond to the present climate calamity.

According to a 2021 report by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water, the Indian government officially identifies 16 sustainable agricultural practices - including agroforestry, crop rotation, rainwater harvesting, organic farming and natural farming - that are used by farmers to reduce their reliance on pesticides and the excessive use of water. Based on the report, however, sustainable agriculture is far from being mainstream in India.

"A simple decision and an informed choice of growing plants that produce their own nutrients is an act of good, sustainable farming method," said Shankar from Rajasthan. 

Gaurav Tikait, the Nation Youth President of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, told Fair Planet that lack of information and awareness is impeding farmers' adoption of sustainable agriculture practices. "A primary task taken up by the union is to educate farmers more on the benefits of sustainable farming, in order to increasing their produce and [making them] wary of soil depletion," he said.

The central and state governments, as well as organisations like the Bharatiya Kisan Union, encourage farmers to adopt integrated, sustainable farming methods like sericulture, cultivation of silkworm to produce silk, agroforestry - a land use management system whereby trees are grown around crops, and organic farming - a technique that uses ecological derivatives.

Crop rotation, for instance, is employed by roughly 15 million farmers in India, while practices like agroforestry and rainwater harvesting are used in larger fields and by bigger producers who amount to less than 1 percent of the total number farmers.

The National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) is one of eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) that "[seek] to address issues regarding sustainable agriculture in context with risks associated with climate change by devising appropriate adaptation and mitigation strategies for ensuring food security, equitable access to food resources, enhancing livelihood opportunities and contributing to economic stability at the national level."

NMSA has identified 16 practices, out of which, organic farming has achieved maximum attention, both in terms of policy and implementation by states, according to the National Action Plan on Climate Change.

This National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, however, receives only 0.8 percent (28 million or Rs. 2.8 crore) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare’s total budget of Rs. 124,000 crore (35 billion USD), which excludes farmer subsidies for fertilizers. 

Numerous NGOs, farmer’s associations and local chapters are attempting to fill this gap by training, educating farmers on the benefits of sustainable agriculture. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, for instance, is a scheme launched and sponsored by the central government which involves working with third-party entities to provide farmers with information and expertise on sustainable farming practices. So far, however, its impact on the ground has been negligible. 

"Government and farmers need to work together [...] towards a sustainable society, as climate change affects every human on earth," said Tikait of the Bharatiya Kisan Union. "Only cooperation and understanding can be a way forward in this age of global climate crisis."

Picuture by Vishnu Vardhan