The need to transform agri-food systems

Subject : Environment

Section: Agri & SD

Context:

UN-FAO Report highlighted that the hidden costs of our global agri-food systems has surpassed an astonishing $10 trillion.

Details:

In middle-income countries like India, these costs constitute nearly 11% of the GDP, which manifests as higher poverty, environmental harm, and health-related impacts, including undernourishment and unhealthy dietary patterns.
The report blames “unsustainable business-as-usual activities and practices” for these escalating costs.
There is a need to transform agri-food systems via shift to multi-cropping systems that have the potential to protect farmers’ well-being, improve nutritional outcomes for our communities, and positively impact ecological health.

What are the impacts of intensive agriculture?

Technological improvements in agriculture in India has led to mono-cropping and chemical intensive farming systems.
HYV seeds of wheat and paddy constitute more than 70% of India’s agricultural production. These seeds and fertilizers undermined seed sovereignty, dismantled Indigenous knowledge systems, compromise the nutritional needs, bring ecological disasters like excessive groundwater extraction, increase the debt burden among agricultural households and fuelled a shift from diverse crop varieties and staples such as pulses and millets to monoculture plantations.

Which are the crops being favoured?

Rice and wheat are heavily favoured due to it being included under the PDS scheme of central government. The area under rice and wheat increased by nearly 20% and 56% respectively between 1966-67 and 2017-18.
Other crops that are favoured by the government- Sugarcane (water-intensive), arecanut,
Jowar, bajra, ragi, maize, and barley are not paid much attention as they constitute less than 1% of total foodgrain procurement.

How can crop diversification help?

It will revitalise degraded land and soil.
Millets, whose yield per hectare is comparable to those of rice and wheat, are also more nutritious, grow in semi-arid conditions without burdening groundwater tables, require minimal input, and provide a diversified food basket.
Diversified multi-cropping system-
- Known as ‘akkadi saalu’ in Karnataka, involve intercropping with a combination of legumes, pulses, oilseeds, trees, shrubs, and

How can farmers transition?

Gradual shift from chemical-intensive practices to non-pesticide management, then adopting natural farming practices, can reduce input costs.
Diversification by including livestock and poultry.