Sustainability Concerns in India’s Agricultural Export Growth | 15 Nov 2024

Source: TH

Why in News?

India's surge in agricultural exports, particularly tea and sugar, has significantly contributed to its economic growth. However, this rapid increase raises critical sustainability concerns regarding environmental impact, resource management, and labour conditions. 

What does Sustainability in Agriculture Mean? 

• Economic Sustainability: While exports are economically beneficial, sustainability goes beyond profitability. It involves maintaining long-term productivity without depleting resources. 
• Ecological Sustainability: Protecting natural ecosystems, minimising chemical use, and managing water resources effectively are crucial to ensuring that agricultural systems do not harm the environment. 
• Social Sustainability: Addressing issues such as labour rights, fair wages, and safe working conditions is essential for creating equitable and sustainable agricultural systems. 
• The Lifecycle Approach: Sustainability must be considered throughout the entire lifecycle of a commodity, from pre-sowing to post-harvest stages, not just during production. 

How do the Tea and Sugar Industries Impact Sustainability? 

• Tea:  
  • Export Growth: India is the world’s fourth-largest tea exporter, with exports valued at USD 793.78 million in 2022-2023, primarily to destinations like the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Iran, United States, and United Kingdom. 
  • Sustainability Concerns in Tea Production: 
    • Human-Wildlife Conflicts: 70% of tea plantations are near forests, resulting in frequent conflicts with wildlife, such as elephants, causing damage to crops and plantations. 
    • Chemical Use: The widespread use of synthetic pesticides in tea cultivation, including harmful chemicals like Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and Endosulfan, poses health risks and increases chemical residue in the final product. 
    • Labour Issues: With women constituting over half of tea plantation workers, low wages, hazardous working conditions, and inadequate enforcement of labour laws remain significant challenges. 
      • The Plantations Labour Act, 1951, mandates worker safety, but its provisions are rarely fully enforced. 
• Sugar: 
  • Export Growth: India, the world's second-largest sugar producer, accounts for about 20% of global production.  
  • Sugar exports grew from USD 1,177 million in FY 2013-14 to USD 4,600 million in FY 2021-22, marking a 64.90% increase. It exports to 121 countries. 
  • Economic Impact: Employs about 50 million farmers and an additional 500,000 workers in sugar factories. The industry has an annual turnover of approximately Rs 1 lakh crore, according to NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India). 
  • Sustainability Concerns in Sugar Industry: 
    • Water Management: Sugarcane, requiring 1,500 to 2,000 litres of water per kg of sugar, strains India's water resources. Despite covering 25% of the cropped area, sugarcane and paddy consume 60% of irrigation water, limiting availability for other crops. 
    • Impact on Biodiversity: Expansive sugarcane cultivation in Karnataka and Maharashtra has replaced grasslands and savannahs, causing biodiversity loss and disrupting wildlife habitats. 
    • Labour and Working Conditions: Sugar industry workers, often trapped in debt cycles, face long working hours in harsh conditions. Rising temperatures further exacerbate their physical and mental well-being. 

What Needs to Be Done to Address Sustainability Challenges? 

• Sustainability in Tea Industry: Use climate-resilient tea varieties and implement agroforestry practices to mitigate climate risks.  
  • Ensure farmers receive a fair share of profits through direct market access and premiums for certified products. 
  • Improved practices to manage human-wildlife interactions around plantations. And stricter monitoring of maximum residue limits for safer tea production is needed. 
  • Integrate sustainable farming techniques such as precision agriculture, agroforestry, and integrated pest management (IPM) to improve yield and minimise environmental harm. 
• Sustainability in Sugar Industry: Transitioning to sustainable irrigation methods like drip irrigation to conserve water. 
  • Adopting drip irrigation can reduce water usage by 40–50%, making cultivation more resource-efficient. 
  • Using sugarcane by-products like bagasse (for bioenergy), vinasse (as fertilizer), and cane trash (for biomass or animal feed) reduces waste and improves resource efficiency, thereby promoting a circular economy. 
  • Sugar mills can transition to biorefineries, where waste products are used for energy generation, making the industry more self-sufficient and reducing reliance on non-renewable energy sources. 
  • Ensuring better working conditions, fair wages, access to healthcare, education, and social safety nets for farm labourers and mill workers. 

What can be Done to Achieve Sustainable Agricultural Economic Growth? 

• Encourage Sustainable Crop Selection: Promote resilient crops like  millets, a sustainable choice for boosting domestic use and exports, thriving in harsh conditions, enhancing soil health, and ensuring nutritional security with minimal inputs.  
  • India's millet exports grew from USD 26.97 million in 2020-21 to USD 75.45 million in 2022-23, underscoring their value as an eco-friendly crop that supports economic growth. 
• Dual Demand Base Management: India’s agricultural sector supports a large domestic market and a growing export market, driving economic growth. Balance exports with domestic needs to avoid stressing natural resources or over-reliance on specific commodities. 
• Strengthen Supply Chain Dependencies: Address supply chain dependencies impacting sustainability. Foster collaboration and transparency to integrate sustainability goals across the chain. 
• Environmental Safeguards: Emphasise environmental conservation to maintain sustainable production levels without exhausting natural resources. 
  • Implement eco-friendly practices such as reduced water usage, organic farming methods, and soil health preservation.