Ensuring Agricultural Sustainability in India

• 19 Mar 2025

For Prelims: National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), Soil Degradation, Sequester Carbon, National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), Disease-resistant Crops. 

For Mains: Need of sustainable agriculture for prevention of environmental degradation. 

Source: BL 

Why in News? 

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare highlighted the policy paper released by ICAR titled ‘A spatial assessment of sustainability in Indian agriculture’ and emphasised on the importance of  National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA). 

• It found that sustainability of India’s agriculture is under severe threat due to water scarcity, soil degradation, and socio-economic vulnerabilities.  

What are the Key Findings of the ICAR’s Policy Paper? 

• Composite Index: The national average sustainability index is 0.49, indicating a moderate level of sustainability. 
  • The index is based on 51 indicators covering environmental health, soil and water quality, and socio-economic development. 

• Performance of States: Mizoram, Kerala, MP, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, West Bengal, and Uttarakhand outperform the national average due to crop diversification, infrastructure, credit access, and sustainable inputs. 
  • Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar, Haryana, Jharkhand, and Assam face high risks due to arid conditions, climate change, and intensive farming practices. 
• Major Threats to Agriculture: 
  • Water Scarcity: Groundwater depletion has become a serious concern in Punjab, Rajasthan, and Haryana, where the extraction rate has exceeded the recharge rate by 66, 51, and 34%, respectively.
    • Water salinity is rising, majorly affecting aquifers in West Bengal,  Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat. 
  • Soil Erosion: Soil erosion from croplands is projected to reach 10 tonnes per hectare annually by 2050. 
    • Salinity-affected areas are projected to increase from 6.7 million hectares to 11 million hectares by 2030. 
  • Crop Yield Reductions: Climate change may cut rainfed rice yields by 20% by 2050 and 47% by 2080. Wheat may drop 19.3% by 2050 and 40% by 2080. 
  • Erratic Rainfall: 80% of India’s rainfall falls between June and September, causing floods and droughts, while monsoon dry spells are rising in rainfed areas. 
    • Kharif and rabi rainfall is projected to increase by 2050 leading to waterlogging, lodging (plant collapse), and pest and disease outbreaks. 

What is Sustainable Agriculture? 

• About: It is a holistic farming approach that meets current food and fiber needs while preserving resources for future generations.  
  • It includes practices like crop rotation, organic farming, and community-supported agriculture, ensuring environmental health, economic viability, and social equity. 
• Benefits: 
  • Environmental Benefits: Improves soil health, conserves water, protects biodiversity, and reduces the carbon footprint. 
  • Economic Benefits: Ensures long-term productivity, lowers costs, creates market opportunities, and enhances climate resilience. 
  • Social Benefits: Produces healthier food, generates employment, and strengthens food security. 
  • Resilience to Climate Change: Organic farming, conservation tillage, and agroforestry sequester carbon, reduce emissions, and boost climate resilience. 

What is the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)? 

• About: NMSA is a flagship initiative under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) aimed at promoting sustainable agricultural practices in India. 
• Objectives: 
  • Enhance Agricultural Productivity: Improve productivity in rainfed areas, which account for 60% of India’s net sown area and 40% of total food production. 
  • Promote Sustainable Practices: Encourage the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources like soil and water. 
  • Climate Change Adaptation: Implement adaptation measures to make agriculture resilient to climate change impacts. 
  • Livelihood Diversification: Support farmers in diversifying their income sources through integrated farming systems 
• Programmes of Action (POA): NMSA addresses ten key dimensions of Indian agriculture: 

 

• Alignment with SDGs: NMSA contributes to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 13 (Climate Action) by promoting sustainable farming practices and resilience to climate change. 

Way Forward 

• Financial Incentives for Farmers: Offer financial rewards to farmers adopting sustainable practices like organic farming, crop rotation, and agroforestry and subsidies for organic fertilizers, biopesticides, and other eco-friendly inputs. 
• Invest in Research and Development (R&D): Invest in R&D for drought, pest, and disease-resistant crops, and develop affordable organic inputs for small farmers. 
• Market Access for Sustainable Produce: Improve storage, transport, and processing to cut post-harvest losses, and enable direct farmer-to-consumer sales for sustainable produce. 
• Strengthen Environmental Regulations: Enforce strict regulations on water use, fertilizers, and pesticides to prevent overuse and pollution, with strong monitoring for compliance. 

Drishti Mains Question:

Groundwater depletion and soil degradation pose serious risks to Indian agriculture. Discuss the role of the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) in mitigating these challenges.

UPSC Civil Services Examination Previous Year Question (PYQ) 

Prelims 

Q. With reference to ‘Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion’, which of the following statements is/are correct? (2016)

1. This initiative aims to demonstrate the improved production and post-harvest technologies, and to demonstrate value addition techniques, in an integrated manner, with cluster approach. 
2. Poor, small, marginal and tribal farmers have larger stake in this scheme.
3. An important objective of the scheme is to encourage farmers of commercial crops to shift to millet cultivation by offering them free kits of critical inputs of nutrients and micro irrigation equipment.

Select the correct answer using the code given below: 

(a) 1 only 

(b) 2 and 3 only 

(c) 1 and 2 only 

(d) 1, 2 and 3 

Ans: (c)

Q. Consider the following international agreements: (2014)

1. The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
2. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
3. The World Heritage Convention

Which of the above has/have a bearing on biodiversity? 

(a) 1 and 2 only  

(b) 3 only 

(c) 1 and 3 only  

(d) 1, 2 and 3 

Ans: (d)

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Mains 

Q. How far is the Integrated Farming System (IFS) helpful in sustaining agricultural production? (2019)