Sustainable Agriculture refers to a method of farming that is focused on meeting the current needs for food and fiber, while ensuring the long-term viability of agricultural systems and preserving natural resources for future generations. The Indigenous Seed Festival in West Bengal recently shone a spotlight on the work being done by farmers across India to conserve native seed varieties, exchange traditional knowledge, and move towards more sustainable practices in agriculture.
Sustainable Agriculture: An Overview
Through practices such as crop switching, organic farming, and community supporting agriculture, Sustainable Agriculture focuses on three key areas: environmental stewardship, economic profitability, and social equity. Its advantages are numerous, including environmental conservation, economic viability, social equity, resilience to climate change, and biodiversity preservation.
Challenges of Sustainable Agriculture in India
Despite its numerous advantages, Sustainable Agriculture in India faces several hurdles. These include high labor demand, time consumption, limited production potential, high capital cost, and storage and marketing challenges.
Government’s Role in Promoting Sustainable Agriculture
The government has taken several initiatives related to sustainable agriculture, including the National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), Sub-mission on AgroForestry (SMAF), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, and Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER).
Path to Improved Sustainable Agriculture
To overcome the challenges facing sustainable agriculture in India, several measures can be taken. These include financial incentives for farmers to adopt sustainable practices, investment in research and development of sustainable agricultural technologies, strengthening of agricultural extension services, improvement of market access for sustainably produced food, addressing land fragmentation, strengthening of environmental regulations, and empowering women in agriculture.
UPSC Civil Services Examination Previous Year Question
Questions related to sustainable agriculture have featured in the UPSC Civil Services Examination. For instance, the 2016 Prelims paper had a question related to the ‘Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion’, and the Mains paper of 2019 contained a query on how the Integrated Farming System (IFS) helps in sustaining agricultural production.
Despite the challenges, it is evident that sustainable agriculture holds the key to ensuring food security, preserving biodiversity, and combating climate change. Through concerted efforts from all stakeholders, it is possible to make it a norm rather than an exception across India.
