• UGI USER
  • Apr 15, 2024
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NEW GOVERNMENT MUST FIX INDIA’S FOOD SYSTEMS

Relevance: GS 3 –  Issues of buffer stocks and food security

Why in the News?

  • Despite the intense election campaign in India and predictions favoring the current government’s continuation, plans are underway for the first 100 days of their third term.
  • The upcoming government should prioritize enhancing productivity in agriculture, expanding processing and retailing capacities, and encouraging the adoption of new technologies.
    • Ministries are actively engaging with experts to develop policies aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.

Agri-Food Space Recommendations Based on ADB Forum Insights

These recommendations are informed by our discussions with experts during the four-day forum on food security amid climate change, organized by the Asian Development Bank.

Food Systems Transformation

  • Agriculture needs to undergo a comprehensive transformation to produce more food, fibre, and biofuels using fewer resources.
  • India’s population is projected to reach 1.6 billion by 2047, necessitating increased food production.
    • Enhanced efficiency in land, water, labour, and input use is crucial to improve total factor productivity.
    • Increased investment in agricultural R&D, innovations, and extension services is essential to achieve these goals.

Climate Resilience

  • Extreme weather events due to global warming threaten the agricultural production system.
  • The temperature for the last April to March period has surpassed the 5 degrees Celsius Laxman Rekha above pre-industrial levels.
  • Last year’s El Nino effect caused a sharp decline in agri-GDP growth from 7% in 2022-23 to 0.7% in 2023-24.
  • Knee-jerk reactions like export bans, stock limits, and selling government stocks below economic costs to control food inflation are not sustainable solutions.
    • The focus should be on investing in climate-resilient (smart) agriculture, including heat and flood-resistant seeds and efficient water management.
    • Technologies like drips, sprinklers, and protected cultivation should be adopted on a larger scale to achieve “more crop per drop.”
  • Efficient Water Use
    • Nearly 78% of India’s freshwater is used for agriculture, emphasizing the need for efficient water management.
    • Wise water usage is essential to prevent water shortages in cities, with Bengaluru’s water crisis serving as a warning.

Urbanization and Logistics

  • By 2047, over two-thirds of India’s population will reside in urban areas, up from the current 36%.
  • Migration to urban areas for higher productivity jobs is a natural and unavoidable process.
  • A significant logistics revolution is needed to transport, stock, process, and retail food from rural to urban areas.
  • This transformation presents opportunities for large-scale private sector investments.
    • Regulatory reforms are essential to facilitate this transition, replacing outdated laws from 1947 with market-aligned rules to build efficient value chains and reduce post-harvest losses.

Smallholder Integration

  • Despite growth in the seed industry, farm machinery, and processing and retailing sectors, farming is increasingly fragmented.
  • Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) or cooperatives, similar to the milk sector’s AMUL model, should be promoted to consolidate smallholders.
  • This institutional innovation is crucial for creating the scale demanded by processors, organized retailers, and exporters, fostering inclusive growth.

Nutritional Security

  • Beyond food security, the focus should shift to nutritional security.
  • Alarming malnutrition rates, with stunting affecting 35% of children under 5, highlight the urgency of the issue.
  • To improve nutritional outcomes, sanitation, women’s education, and immunization are essential, along with fortifying staples with micro-nutrients.
    • Despite the government’s initiative with zinc-rich rice and wheat, there is reluctance to adopt golden rice, rich in beta-carotene (Vitamin A), despite its safety approval by countries like Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the US, as well as trials in Bangladesh and the Philippines.
  • Rice, being the primary crop consumed by malnourished children, should be fortified to enhance nutritional value.

Public-Private Partnerships

  • Government intervention alone is insufficient; public-private partnerships (PPPs) are crucial for success.
  • The private sector can develop efficient value chains and produce climate-resilient and nutritious seeds.
  • The government needs to establish a supportive policy framework, similar to the PLI-type schemes for industry, to facilitate food systems transformation.

Repurposing Subsidy Regimes

  • Enhancing farmers’ incomes is essential for progress.
  • The current subsidy regimes for fertilizers and food need to be “re-purposed.”
  • Transitioning from a price-subsidy approach to direct income transfers for beneficiaries can save 25-30% of the Rs 4 trillion subsidy on food and fertilizers.
  • These savings should be reinvested in food systems to enhance resilience and improve nutrition.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/new-goverment-must-fix-indias-food-systems-9270225/

Mains question

Discuss the challenges and recommendations for transforming India’s agri-food space in the wake of climate change, urbanization, and the need for nutritional security. (250 words)