Due to climate change and falling crop yields, farmers have become easy prey for fertiliser manufacturing giants. They must be freed from modern-day rapaciousness
The Indian agricultural sector, with 55 per cent of its land under cultivation, has always been the backbone of Indian economy with nearly 60 per cent of the population deriving their livelihood directly or indirectly from this sector. Deteriorating environment, climate change and global warming have begun to extract heavy toll on the literal productivity of the country’s agricultural sector. This has prompted farmers to adopt modern agricultural practices, such as advanced machinery, fertilisers and modified seeds. Though these measures have turned the food production around and improved the income prospects of the farmers, the environmental impact of the same has been disastrous to say the least.
A recent study by the Stanford University sought to shed some light on the environmental impact of modern agricultural practices and found that these new measures to improve agri-productivity were in fact challenging the ecology of the farmland in the short-term and damaging the environment in the long-term. Take for instance the fact that in India, the agricultural sector’s contribution to green house gas emissions (GHG) has steadily risen and now constitutes 17.6 per cent of the total GHG emissions generated. These rising levels are disappointing in light of the fact that world over, countries are trying to avoid the same situation by rapidly resorting to eco-friendly agricultural practices and implementing climate change mitigation strategies into the core of their agricultural sector. These measure are bearing fruit and countries are able to report nearly 5-10 per cent reduction in GHG emissions from their respective agricultural sectors.
The unfortunate aspect of the situation in India is low levels of awareness that the average Indian farmer possesses on the impact of his agricultural practices on the environment. To make things worse, the Government, too, is unable to put in place a concerted plan for establishing robust awareness levels. This omission is causing the Indian farmer community to chase short-term goals of high yield and prosperity but this is ruining their soil quality and the environment in the long run. Given this worsening situation, the Government could have put in place alternative measures to curb the spiralling GHG emission levels from agriculture and one such effective measure is to encourage and provide impetus to organic farming.
Organic farming, taken to its potential, has the twin ability to reduce GHG emissions from farmlands and to provide a healthy produce for the population. But the organic farming reality in India is stark. According to the ‘World of Organic Agriculture 2018’ report, India is home to 30 per cent of the total organic producers in the world but accounts for just 2.59 per cent (1.5 million hectares) of the total organic cultivation area of 57.8 million hectares. This situation is dismal in spite of the Government being aware of the ill-effects of genetically modified crops. A study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) and global consultancy firm Ernst & Young has established that the bleak conditions for organic farming continue due to poor policy measures of the Government, rising input costs and limited market. This needs to be rectified by the Government on an urgent basis.
The Government can also get amazing results by fine-tuning the agricultural livestock sector, besides regulating the usage of fertilisers and manure. According to estimates, GHG emissions levels of agri-sector in India have a solid contribution from the livestock fermentation that releases methane (CH4). India has a large livestock population, numbering over 512 million animals, and of the total 334.41 million tonnes of GHG emission from the agriculture sector, livestock contributed nearly two-thirds or 212 million tonnes. On the other hand, manure use and rice farming with the use of fertilisers generates nitrogen dioxide (NO2) while the burning of farm residue adds further to GHG emissions. Efficient management of these aspects can give India a much-needed respite.
Rising GHG levels and consequent worsening of environment and climate change is a one-way street, where one cannot go back to set things right. This is painfully being discovered by many countries across the world where even normal drinking water has long ceased to exist. Before India lands itself in this situation, the threat factors to the environment need to be neutralised immediately. The agriculture sector has to be brought back to its eco-friendly mode by quickly implementing methods such as integrated farming system that will in turn promote sustainable agriculture.
There is also an urgent need to increase the dependence on renewable energy to drive the farm energy needs and reduce the use of chemicals and fertilisers. Also, poor agriculture management and practices that result in fragmented land holdings that in return lead to a low agri-productivity need to be brought down. India’s agri-sector was historically never known to be a major contributor towards GHG emissions. Thanks to changing climate and falling crop yields, an average farmer has become an easy prey or customer to the fertiliser and pesticide-manufacturing giants who are now taking a toll on the environment through farming. This Government needs to address and make agriculture free of these modern day poisonous trappings and in the process protect the environment.
(The writer is an environmental journalist)
