With the introduction of green revolution technologies, the food grain production has gone up manifold. Modern, high yielding varieties supported by technologies such as fertilizers, pesticides, mechanization, irrigation, etc have contributed to the magnificent increase in the production. Many developing countries like India have become self sufficient in food production.
On the flip side, modern farming has affected ecology and led to degradation of natural resources particularly soil and water. Moreover, under fragile ecosystem, the crop production is becoming stagnant and showing the signs of decline. The additional technological introduction is not contributing to any further increase in the production and a point of diminishing marginal returns is looming large over production front in agriculture.
Due to degrading environment and natural resources, no modern technology can assure indefinite increase in production. But the population is growing at an alarming rate, which is the potential cause for food crisis in the future.
In this backdrop, sustainable agriculture is considered a new road ahead by development visionaries. The agricultural community has no dispute over the idealness of the sustainable practices. But the real issue is about production potential to meet the food demand. No doubt that sustainable practices cannot yield to the same measure as modern practices in the initial stages of farming, but over the years, it can ensure similar and stable yields.
What are the key aspects to make it successful !
Eating junk food : We are eating more because we eat junk food. Modern practices have been harping on production in terms of quantity but not quality. Various researches have conclusively proved beyond doubt that food produced under sustainable or organic farming are better in nutritional quality. It has direct bearing on consumption. For example, farmers themselves have experienced that some traditional varieties of rice and finger millet can cook well and the quantity of grain or floor required for a family is 30-35% less compared to modern varieties under chemical farming. This is due to rich mineral content in those grains. Traditional varieties, evolved over thousands of years, under a particular agro climatic condition, adapt well and produce superior quality grains than the externally introduced ones. The milk of local animal breeds has more fat and proteins than the exotics. Sustainable agricultural practices produce better quality produce than the modern practices. Traditional or indigenous varieties adapt and produce better quality produce. Therefore, identification and introduction of superior local genetic resources in breeding process is an important scientific approach in sustainable agriculture to meet food demand in the changed scenario.
Post harvest management : The losses in transit, storage and distribution are too significant to ignore. Food Corporation of India has recorded 25-30% loss of food grains in storages, quite often. Sustainable agriculture can achieve a yield of 75-80% under conventional agriculture within a reasonable period of 2-3 years. Streamlining of post-harvest operations and minimizing the losses is a very important strategy to meet the food demand under sustainable agriculture. Creating decentralized infrastructure and distribution can have great impact on post-harvest management and reducing the losses.
Eco-friendly practices : Innovative practices have proved successful in obtaining yields comparable in some cases and much higher in some others. SRI (system of rice intensification) in rice, for example, with 30-40% less water consumption using semi-aerated soil condition can give additional yield of 50%, on an average. Similarly, mulching and other in-situ moisture conservation practices can improve yield under sustainable practices particularly under rain fed farming.
Food and crop diversity : Mono cropping, as a natural consequence of modern agriculture, tends to erode diversity in food and cropping systems. Out of known 4500 crop species in the world, hardly 20 are adding to 90% of our food requirement. Again, few varieties in each crop account for more than 90% of the production. Diversified food, due to rich nutritional value, has great potential to reduce consumption. Reinventing multi-cropping and species diversity in farming systems is central to sustainable agriculture.
Land diversion : Considerable land is being diverted every year through policies of the state. In 1970’s, large area under food grains was diverted to silkworm rearing in south India by establishing silk industry and motivating the farmers. Similarly, cotton is being promoted on large scale to boost export economy. Urbanization and industrial development policies are diverting areas under food grains and horticulture. This has to stop somewhere to ensure food production for the growing population. Increasing pressure on land through reducing the cultivable area pushes us to chemical and intensive farming, which is not ecologically sustainable.
Sustainable marketing : Promoting decentralized, local marketing processes gives stability to agricultural production. Cropping system determined by an agro climatic situation has to dictate agricultural market. This stabilizes the demand-supply chain. This, in turn, scales down unorganized production by the farmers dictated by fluctuating distant market, which is also a source of post harvest losses. Sustainable marketing and sustainable farming always go together.
Agro eco system : Reviving agro ecology is the sure way of increasing productivity and sustaining it. It enriches the soil through biomass, conserves other natural resources (water, insect and microbial environments) and creates microclimate. It creates pivotal role in recycling of nutrients to sustain soil productivity thus contributing to production.
Development policies : Achieving food production through sustainable practices needs teeth to state policies. Balancing export and domestic economies, putting a lid to urbanization and diversion of land, post harvest management and distribution, interventions in institutional research, etc can make it happen. Phase wise transition to sustainable agriculture and a meticulous plan for the future can take it forward.
On the flip side, modern farming has affected ecology and led to degradation of natural resources particularly soil and water. Moreover, under fragile ecosystem, the crop production is becoming stagnant and showing the signs of decline. The additional technological introduction is not contributing to any further increase in the production and a point of diminishing marginal returns is looming large over production front in agriculture.
Due to degrading environment and natural resources, no modern technology can assure indefinite increase in production. But the population is growing at an alarming rate, which is the potential cause for food crisis in the future.
In this backdrop, sustainable agriculture is considered a new road ahead by development visionaries. The agricultural community has no dispute over the idealness of the sustainable practices. But the real issue is about production potential to meet the food demand. No doubt that sustainable practices cannot yield to the same measure as modern practices in the initial stages of farming, but over the years, it can ensure similar and stable yields.
What are the key aspects to make it successful !
Eating junk food : We are eating more because we eat junk food. Modern practices have been harping on production in terms of quantity but not quality. Various researches have conclusively proved beyond doubt that food produced under sustainable or organic farming are better in nutritional quality. It has direct bearing on consumption. For example, farmers themselves have experienced that some traditional varieties of rice and finger millet can cook well and the quantity of grain or floor required for a family is 30-35% less compared to modern varieties under chemical farming. This is due to rich mineral content in those grains. Traditional varieties, evolved over thousands of years, under a particular agro climatic condition, adapt well and produce superior quality grains than the externally introduced ones. The milk of local animal breeds has more fat and proteins than the exotics. Sustainable agricultural practices produce better quality produce than the modern practices. Traditional or indigenous varieties adapt and produce better quality produce. Therefore, identification and introduction of superior local genetic resources in breeding process is an important scientific approach in sustainable agriculture to meet food demand in the changed scenario.
Post harvest management : The losses in transit, storage and distribution are too significant to ignore. Food Corporation of India has recorded 25-30% loss of food grains in storages, quite often. Sustainable agriculture can achieve a yield of 75-80% under conventional agriculture within a reasonable period of 2-3 years. Streamlining of post-harvest operations and minimizing the losses is a very important strategy to meet the food demand under sustainable agriculture. Creating decentralized infrastructure and distribution can have great impact on post-harvest management and reducing the losses.
Eco-friendly practices : Innovative practices have proved successful in obtaining yields comparable in some cases and much higher in some others. SRI (system of rice intensification) in rice, for example, with 30-40% less water consumption using semi-aerated soil condition can give additional yield of 50%, on an average. Similarly, mulching and other in-situ moisture conservation practices can improve yield under sustainable practices particularly under rain fed farming.
Food and crop diversity : Mono cropping, as a natural consequence of modern agriculture, tends to erode diversity in food and cropping systems. Out of known 4500 crop species in the world, hardly 20 are adding to 90% of our food requirement. Again, few varieties in each crop account for more than 90% of the production. Diversified food, due to rich nutritional value, has great potential to reduce consumption. Reinventing multi-cropping and species diversity in farming systems is central to sustainable agriculture.
Land diversion : Considerable land is being diverted every year through policies of the state. In 1970’s, large area under food grains was diverted to silkworm rearing in south India by establishing silk industry and motivating the farmers. Similarly, cotton is being promoted on large scale to boost export economy. Urbanization and industrial development policies are diverting areas under food grains and horticulture. This has to stop somewhere to ensure food production for the growing population. Increasing pressure on land through reducing the cultivable area pushes us to chemical and intensive farming, which is not ecologically sustainable.
Sustainable marketing : Promoting decentralized, local marketing processes gives stability to agricultural production. Cropping system determined by an agro climatic situation has to dictate agricultural market. This stabilizes the demand-supply chain. This, in turn, scales down unorganized production by the farmers dictated by fluctuating distant market, which is also a source of post harvest losses. Sustainable marketing and sustainable farming always go together.
Agro eco system : Reviving agro ecology is the sure way of increasing productivity and sustaining it. It enriches the soil through biomass, conserves other natural resources (water, insect and microbial environments) and creates microclimate. It creates pivotal role in recycling of nutrients to sustain soil productivity thus contributing to production.
Development policies : Achieving food production through sustainable practices needs teeth to state policies. Balancing export and domestic economies, putting a lid to urbanization and diversion of land, post harvest management and distribution, interventions in institutional research, etc can make it happen. Phase wise transition to sustainable agriculture and a meticulous plan for the future can take it forward.
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