By: Neal Bharadwaj
Introduction
Sustainable Development Goal 2 is part of the United Nations’ Agenda for Sustainable Development 2030, on ending hunger; ensuring food security; improving nutrition; and promoting sustainable agriculture. Hunger has become a joint issue that greatly merges with the foremost public health crises relating to undernutrition, malnutrition, and the emergence of NCDs (FAO 2021, “State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World.”). Hunger, notably in countries like India, is a multidimensional issue; it is a product of the agricultural system, socio-economic inequalities, and health infrastructure. (National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2021)
This implies that the real test is whether sustainable agriculture meets the short-term concerns of food security and provides guarantees for sustainability in the long run. Regions such as India have witnessed both advantages and disadvantages of the Green Revolution: A movement which significantly boosted crop yields but also led to an overreliance on monocultures such as rice and wheat which resulted in the depletion of soil health and biodiversity. (Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture, 2021. “Green Revolution’s Impact.”) The answer lies in reviving diversity in nutrient-rich crops like millets and pulses. Working on those two issues would provide much for undernutrition and malnutrition together. Germany was very successful in producing sustainable technology-driven agriculture systems, and it is a great lesson for the entire world.
The legacy of the Green Revolution: From the 1960s onwards, Green revolution transformed the face of Indian agriculture with the beginning of modern farming practices and high-yielding crop varieties. It began with an emphasis on increasing rice and wheat production, through which, over time, famine was eradicated and the availability of food increased in the country. But this emphasis on staple grains has, with it, brought associated problems of soil degradation, reduced crop diversity, and dependency on chemical inputs in the form of fertilizers and pesticides. All these pose a huge challenge to sustainable food production and long-term food security for India.
The policy environment focuses on diversification. Millets have also been recognized as “nutri-cereals” owing to their high level of nutrition, but there is also recognition of their drought hardness and their capacity for growth in marginal soils. (FAO, 2021) Alternately, crops that are less thirsty, such as millets, ragi, and sorghum, can be substituted for water-guzzling crops like rice and sugarcane, mainly in water-scarce areas. Similarly, pulses with high content of protein and micronutrients have been highlighted as essential for the elimination of so-called hidden hunger or lack of nutrients arising from diet diversity.
Policy Recommendations for Agricultural Diversification
A 2015 proposals committee headed by the Chief Economic Adviser, Arvind Subramanian proposed a set of recommendations toward the diversification of Indian crop production. It included increasing the cultivation of pulses and millets and brought MSP to the level provided for rice and wheat. MSP would ensure that the farmers get assured minimum returns for their produce, motivating them further to grow nutritious crops. (Arvind Subramanian Committee Report, 2015)
While such efforts in 2018-2019 were able to build up pulse production, the policy now seems to be running out of steam. Returning to these recommendations could strengthen efforts toward diversifying output from agriculture, enhancing nutritional impacts of agriculture, and reducing environmental pressure from intensive monocultures.
Other critical policies remain in irrigation development. Groundwater has remained a prime source of irrigation for India, but such a source is quickly running out. Options including rainwater harvesting and revival of traditional water conservation practices would help diminish these dilemmas. Such interventions also would leave room for more water-friendly crops such as rice.
Case Study: Millet Revival in Karnataka
This is quintessentially a millet revival example. Millets were the staple crop in Karnataka’s rural belts; However, it lost ground due to government policies that offered rice and wheat with higher subsidies and procurement schemes. But Karnataka came up with the Millet Mission in 2017: A state-led initiative to enhance millets’ production and consumption. This includes training farmers in the cultivation of millets, promotion of millet-based products through a public distribution system, and market linkages for the millet growers.
This has led to millet cultivation in Karnataka increasing by 25% since this program was adopted. Farmers who abandoned millet cultivation because the crop was not financially viable enough started taking up millet and began to benefit from the procurement policy and market support offered by the government. This focused intervention, therefore, led to enhanced agricultural diversification but was also marked with better nutrition outcomes, mainly in districts with drought-prone situations where water-stressed conditions marginally make the cultivation of rice slightly less viable.
The need for sustainable irrigation practice
India’s agricultural productivity is directly related to water. Meanwhile, while only 48.8% of the net sown area in the country is irrigated, farmers who operate in regions without irrigation systems are restricted to only one or two harvests a year. Extensive systems of both canals and ground extraction, developed over the years for irrigation development, are considered highly demanding to maintain. Canals, although very effective, tend to experience higher evaporation losses, especially in arid and semi-arid areas.
In contrast, groundwater is being mined at such a fast rate that the future sustainability of Indian agriculture remains uncertain.
Fresh leadership from such directions can be taken to revive the old traditions of rainwater harvesting practices that involve the construction of reservoirs and wells for maximum storage of water, especially during monsoon seasons. But simultaneously, farmers have to discard such water-guzzling crops like rice and sugarcane and take to drought-resistant millets instead.
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, a central government scheme to enhance irrigation efficiency through micro-irrigation techniques, is a step in the right direction, though the implementation of its schemes has been very lopsided between states.
Case Study: Drought resilient farming in Maharashtra
Drought years have been chasing each other relentlessly for decades in Maharashtra state, especially in Vidarbha and Marathwada regions. The farmers have developed drought-resistant cropping patterns. Govt. programmes particularly Jal Shakti Abhiyan have further adequately supported the government in its mission of achieving accelerated water conservation through techniques like rain water harvesting, recharging ground water, and micro-irrigation. Such an arrangement has seen the success story in Maharashtra particularly with the spread of drip irrigation for crops like cotton, pomegranates, and grapes. Systems approach, where water is delivered directly to the roots of plants, has resulted in reduced wastage levels up to 50%. Smallholder farmers reporting improved yields and water use efficiency make their operations more drought resilient. Government support through subsidies on micro-irrigation has been key to smallholder adoption of these technologies; examples suggest the importance of targeted interventions in building climate resilience in agriculture.
Global Models on Sustainable Agriculture
While India is fighting off monocultures and heavily water-intensive agriculture, countries like Germany have taken some fabulous steps toward developing sustainable agricultural systems. Therefore, countries like Germany can pretty much do a very good job of showing everyone just how well resilience and environmental stewardship can be aligned with food security. In terms of increasing demand and environmental conscience, the country of Germany has accepted sustainable agricultural practices such as precision agriculture, organic farming, and biodynamic farming.
Organic farming covers a landscape of around 10.1% of Germany’s agricultural land, while avoiding chemical pesticides and maintaining soil health and biodiversity. Under this umbrella would fall 25% by 2030 coupled with a reduction of chemical pesticides by 50% in the Farm to Fork Strategy of the European Green Deal. Germany’s precision farming systems with underpinning based on GPS-guided machinery, drone technology, and remote sensing allow real-time monitoring of soil health and water requirements to optimize input usage and protect the environment. (European Green Deal, 2021)
While drip irrigation, fertigation, and climate-smart agriculture do directly address the need to look for technical solutions to both the problems of extreme water deficiency and yield gaps, adoption of AgTech in farm systems, particularly among smallholder farm communities, is generally slow because of the scarcity of modern technologies. It’s in these areas that initiatives need to be supported-government not only to promote them but also to ensure small-scale farmers gain the access through subsidies but that such training programs cascade down to the large-scale farmers.
Case Study: Successes in Organic Farming in Meghalaya
Coming in as one of the strongest proponents is the northeastern state of Meghalaya. This state is known for its extremely rare geographical conditions – from heavy rainfall to mountainous land. Under such a climate, the state made its move through organic practices well-suited to this place’s climate. In 2016, the Mission Organic was initiated that aimed for conversion of 50,000 hectares of farmland into organic cultivation and training to farmers on organic inputs, bio-fertilizers, and sustainable land management practices. (Meghalaya Organic Mission Report, 2016)
This has led to more than 30,000 hectares becoming organic by 2020 as farmers report better yields, high incomes, and fertility of their soils. Organic products such as ginger, turmeric, and citrus fruits are also being shipped out to other states as well as to foreign markets, hence boosting the local economy and food security in the state.
To reduce food losses, a crucial step in SDG 2.
Food wastage is one of the latest concerns in the world; therefore, linking it directly to problems of food insecurity and further pollution of the environment. For example, according to FAO, 30 percent of global food produced waste gets wasted every year. There is one factor in combating food wastage that will benefit the persons striving for the realization of SDG 2, as it can make food availability without requiring additional resources.
In India, wastage of food mainly takes place at the post-harvest and storage levels because of inadequate infrastructure, unorganized supply chain management, and a scarcity of cold storage structures. It is estimated that 40% of perishable food items of India, mainly fruits and vegetables, go waste between the farm and the market. The main reason for this is the absence of cold storage units at the rural level; hence, farmers can keep the produce only for so long before it rots.
The government has also taken initiatives in the form of the National Mission on Food Processing, which focuses on development work of the entire cold storage infrastructure improvement in the logistics chain, and reduction of losses at the post-harvest stage. However, progress is very slow, and much more needs to be done to develop efficient cold chain infrastructure throughout the country.
Case Study: Development of Cold Storage in Himachal Pradesh
H. P. is one of the states which has always been facing the problems associated with the preservation of perishable produce, particularly fruits such as apples, pears, and cherries, creating an ideal environment under temperate climate conditions prevailing in this region. For this reason, the State Horticulture Department joined hands with private enterprise to establish cold storage units in the major apple-growing districts, Shimla and Kinnaur.
These facilities provided them with cold storage on subsidized terms, so this produce could be kept longer and sold in off-seasons when prices tend to be higher. By 2021, Himachal Pradesh had set up a network of 120 cold storage units and curbed post-harvest losses to 30 percent, which enhanced farmers’ incomes. ( Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Department, 2021)
This becomes a vital success story that underlines infrastructure investment, which can reduce food waste while improving food security for such agricultural regions.
Modernize Food Distribution Systems
Another major aspect of food security is the effectiveness of systems for food distribution. India’s Public Distribution System or PDS, on which food security programs draw their base, distributes subsidized foodgrains to more than 800 million people in India. The PDS is an important mechanism for ensuring the availability of food to the poorer sections. However it grapples with numerous leakages, corruption, and inefficiencies in the procurement and distribution of food.
It’s almost about time that India tries to make technological improvements to the PDS. Biometric authentication of recipients with Aadhaar has sharply reduced frauds as now food subsidies are directly going to the right persons. The end-to-end computerization of the PDS is a mechanism by which traceability of food grains can be captured from procurement to distribution, that can almost be termed a totally transparent and accountable system.
Other types of reform, though, would be needed to increase the range of foods marketed through the PDS. As currently constructed, the PDS is essentially a mechanism for distributing staples like rice and wheat, though increasingly it is understood that pulses, millets, fruits, and vegetables must also be included if food baskets are to be nutritionally sufficient. Thus, expansion of the range of foods marketed through the PDS would be one essential factor in attempts to address both undernutrition and malnutrition among India’s poorest populations.
Case Study: Tamil Nadu’s Mid-Day Meal Program
Besides the PDS, the Government of India’s Mid-Day Meal Program has been very successful in providing child nutrition. Launched in the southern state of Tamil Nadu in the 1980s, the program was rolled out in the entire country by directive from the Supreme Court. The mid-day meal program in Tamil Nadu is still an example for other states and has met all these by having succeeded in covering all governmental schools, serving nutritious meals to 6.5 million children a day. (Government of India, National Mid-Day Meal Program, 2020)
The state has innovated by introducing pulses, vegetables, and fruits to its menu at a high rate over the past few years. Development has, in addition to improving the health conditions and educational performances of the children, also seen a high attendance in schools; most of this increased attendance has been realized in rural areas. On the other hand, local sourcing of raw materials has increased the levels of agricultural production at the local levels and contributed directly to food security.
Innovations in climate-resilient agriculture
Global food security would involve climate resilience, the ability of agricultural systems to withstand the impact of climate change without losing any productivity. Germany, among other nations, has taken the bull by the horns in taking a fore-fronting role in embracing climate-smart technologies and sustainable agriculture into agricultural policies. In this regard, for example, the European Green Deal calls for climate resilience through organic farming, reduced emission of greenhouse gasses from agriculture, and enhanced water management. Agriculture in India is highly susceptible to climate change, such as temperature rise, irregular rainfall, and drought conditions. This is the reason India has undertaken many initiatives in the establishment of ‘NICRA’ (National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture). It includes the development of crop varieties resistant to drought, non-destructive management of water, and climate-smart agricultural practice training.
Case study: Climate resilient farming in Odisha
The state of Odisha is uniquely vulnerable to climate impacts, that recurrent cyclones and erratic monsoon patterns degrade agricultural productivity. Drought-tolerant crops, integrated farming systems, and sustainable management of water resources are, therefore, highly relevant to the program under Climate-Resilient Agriculture. For Odisha, this issue is most relevant because most of its farmlands have already begun growing climate-resilient crops such as ragi or finger millet. Besides this, IPM is a practice that reduces the use of chemicals like pesticides and, therefore, makes the crop healthier as well as environmentally sustainable. Till 2022, over 50,000 farmers had already enrolled in this program with increases in yield and higher climatic resilience. (International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), 2022)
Recommendations for policies on good governance to food safety
Responsive and effective governance would characterize the journey toward SDG2 attainment. These policies should be adaptive and inclusive. Food security measures must be put in place in a manner that does not miss the most vulnerable peoples but rather affects them. (FAO, 2022) This requires attention to several critical policy areas. As of now, the NFSA of India is the single most widespread policy instrument in India under which nearly 800 million people are receiving subsidized food grains. But despite such high coverage, such a massive policy marred by inefficient distribution and corruption has been the NFSA. It is time that the Public Distribution System-the backbone of the NFSA-is reformed further to make it more transparent and accountable.
This would then be scaled up to states with already initiated systems of biometric authentication like Aadhaar, reducing leakages, and making sure the subsidies on food reach their beneficiaries alone. (Public Distribution System Reforms, 2021)
Parallelly, the government should also strive to diversify the food it delivers under PDS. As of now, it only delivers rice and wheat, whereas nutrition-rich foods like pulses, millets, and vegetables are needed to be added in PDS for malnutrition. As the diversity of the food distributed through PDS increases, the quality and the level of food delivered to poor communities will also increase. Policies, such as the Common Agricultural Policy in Germany and other countries within Europe, allow those areas to come close to a very great state of food security. A good example would be the European Green Deal, the Farm to Fork Strategy for food waste reduction, organic farming practice, and sustainable food consumption on the European level. (European Commission, 2021)
These policy frameworks can be explored by countries like India to be included in building a better agricultural system.
Case Study: Integrated Farming, Madhya Pradesh
In the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, farmers practiced mixed farming systems; that is, in combination with crop production involved livestock and fish-farming for diversified sources of income and increased food security. Of course, the model, in itself, has been supported by the state government on issues of training on sustainable farming methods and micro-irrigation systems.
Diversified farming has proven to be a success in integrated farming, as practiced in Sehore district, where there is a farmer who farmed drought-resistant crops together with poultry and aquaculture. All activities related to diversified farming reduce dependence on a source of income as well as strengthen the resilience towards market shocks and environmental stressors. Furthermore, the result of integrated farming is an availability of better nutrients through more diversified food products from crops to animal proteins.
Good promise from the IFS model is seen in improving food security circumstances in resource-constrained environments. With diversified production systems, farmers adapt well to climate change. The good prospect here is that people have access to balanced diets, thereby offering long-term food security and nutritional well-being for communities.
Technologies: The Nexus towards AgTech Realization of SDG 2
Its implementation would surely be a boon, especially to developing countries such as India, where small-holder farmers have major handicaps in accessing modern tools of farming. Thus, agri-tech innovations ranging from precision farming to remote sensing technologies can revolutionize agriculture to make it more efficient, sustainable, and productive.
Precision agriculture, or the use of data-based tools to optimize inputs on the farm has already proven quite successful in countries like Germany and high-value agricultural systems. Drones, soil sensors, GPS-guided tractors-all these can allow farmers to use right quantities of water, fertilizer, or pesticides at the right time to reduce waste and increase yield .
Now they are very much adapted to their use in India to tackle the major problems of water scarcity, degradation of soil, and fluctuations in crop yields.
Another area the Indian government has been actively involved in is in Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY). ( Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), 2021) This scheme deals with the government encouraging micro-irrigation, as in drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation systems, and more. Here is an area the Government claims water-use efficiency will be improved. Such programs are badly needed in drought-prone areas. But large-scale adoption is going to require heavy investments in infrastructure and training farmers.
This is therefore making popular the suite of mobile-based platforms offering real time weather forecasts and market prices, crop advisory services to farmers. For instance, Kisan Suvidha and FarmBee offer information on how a farmer should sow, when to irrigate crops, and when to harvest crops. Big data and AI-powered analytics integrated into farming practices help smallholder farmers optimize their operations and minimize risks against enhancing profitability.
Case Study: Precision Farming in Gujarat
One such state leader in Indian application of precision farming is the western state of Gujarat. Indeed, in 2019, the Gujarat State Agricultural Department provided a pilot program to farmers from the most important agricultural districts with GPS-enabled tractors, drone-based pest control systems, and remote sensing tools. (Gujarat State Agricultural Department, 2019) Of course, the thrust here would be to make optimal usage efficiency from resources in this case-water and fertilizers, the greatest in demand for the semi-arid climate of Gujarat.
A few years ago, cotton and groundnut, Gujarat’s two prime cash crops, were already being precision-farmed by farmers of the Banaskantha district. Focus more on technology for monitoring soil health and water optimization will enable them to raise yields by 30 percent and cut their water consumption by 40 percent in just two years. The success has made the program reach the entire state with a vision of introducing precision farming on 10,000 hectares by 2025.
This case demonstrates how technologies can improve both the sustainability of the environment and agricultural productivity, providing a scalable model for other regions with similar challenges.
Strategies for the Future to Achieve SDG2
For its part, finishing SDG 2 will remain an exercise in the long term on the root causes of hunger and malnutrition but this time synergistically with food system resilience to climate change. Some of these strategies that can guide global and national efforts include:
Scaling Sustainable Agricultural Practices: The respective governments should invest in scaling up the best sustainable farming practice, including organic, agroecology, and agroforestry practices as they enhance not only the health of the soil and biodiversity but also food security. For example, Indian millets, pulses, and horticultural crops expansion into production will bring better diversified and nutritious food supplies.
Climate Resilient Agriculture: It is the basic requirement for future food security. Mainstreaming climate-smart agriculture practices, including drought-tolerant crop varieties and building up an efficient management system for harvesting water, into sustainable livestock rearing mainstreamed under national policies in agriculture. National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture in India and similar ones in Europe constitute a model which shows how the concept of resilience can be integrated into food production.
Food Waste and Loss Reduction: Obviously, one of the most effective ways towards increasing food availability with a minimal increase in resource use is to reduce food waste. Technologies focused on reducing consumer-level food waste already appear promising, such as in Germany’s best practice in reducing consumer-level food waste through the Too Good To Go platform. Augmentation of cold storages and improvement in supply chains will be the major challenges in India for post-harvest loss reduction.
Empower Smallholder Farmers Small holder farmers are very essential to global food security but very often at the wrong end of access to modern technologies, finance, and markets. Thus, government policies should empower smallholder farmers through subsidies, training programs, and direct market linkages. Public-private partnerships in agriculture will go long to fill the gap between AgTech innovation for small holder farmers.
Conclusion
A Common Course of Action Attainment of SDG 2: Zero Hunger by 2030 will certainly be achieved through harmonization among the triad: governments, private sectors, and international organizations. Countries like Germany have already begun to tread the path to constructing a sustainable and resilient food system, while developing countries like India have more to be seen. Food insecurity is presented against poverty, climate change, and resource disadvantages here. Scaling up sustainable agriculture; modernizing food distribution systems; minimizing the lost production of food; and preparing farmers with tools and knowledge required to succeed in farming and succeed well in farming act as a compass on the journey ahead. The world can be assured that the promise of Zero Hunger is actually realized through investment in innovative technologies, climate-resilient agriculture, and inclusive policies. Only through sustained action and cooperation around the world will it be possible to develop a food-secure future-to feed people, preserve the environment, and protect the livelihoods of farmers.
Sources:
FAO 2021, “State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World.”
Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture, 2021. “Green Revolution’s Impact.”
National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2021.
FAO, 2021.
Arvind Subramanian Committee Report, 2015.
European Green Deal, 2021.
Meghalaya Organic Mission Report, 2016.
Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Department, 2021.
Government of India, National Mid-Day Meal Program, 2020.
FAO, 2022.
Public Distribution System Reforms, 2021.
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), 2021.
European Commission, 2021.
Gujarat State Agricultural Department, 2019
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), 2022