What is Sustainable Agriculture?

Sustainable agriculture refers to the ability of a farm to produce food indefinitely, without causing severe or irreversible damage to ecosystem health. It is farming in such a way to protect the environment, aid and expand natural resources and to make the best use of nonrenewable resources.

Sustainable agriculture focuses on practices that ensure the long-term well-being of the environment, society, and economy.

The term ”sustainable agriculture” means an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will over the long-term:

֍ Satisfy human food and fiber needs.

֍ Enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agriculture economy depends.

֍ Make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls.

֍ Sustain the economic viability of farm operations.

֍ Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.

Government Initiatives for Sustainable Agriculture in India

In India, the government has implemented various policies and initiatives to promote sustainable farming practices and increase farmers’ income.

Must read: Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) : Outlay, Focus, Objectives and Implementation

CLIMATE RESILIENT AGRICULTURE

National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA): Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India launched NICRA in 2011. The project aims at strategic research on adaptation and mitigation, demonstration of technologies on farmers’ fields and creating awareness among farmers and other stakeholders to minimize the climatic change impacts on agriculture.

National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA): Promote climate-resilient and sustainable agricultural practices such as conservation agriculture, agroforestry, integrated farming systems, etc. It focuses on soil health, water use efficiency, and crop diversification.

NATURAL AND ORGANIC FARMING

PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness Generation, Nourishment, and Amelioration of Mother-Earth (PM-PRANAM): The initiative aims to complement the efforts initiated by States/UTs to save the health of Mother Earth by promoting sustainable and balanced use of fertilizers, adopting alternate fertilizers, promoting organic & natural farming etc.

National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF): NMNF is a standalone Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched in November 2024 to promote chemical-free, ecosystem-based natural farming rooted in traditional knowledge.

Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER): It is a pivotal initiative launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare to harness the immense potential of organic farming in the North Eastern states of India. Implemented across Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura, the mission is designed to develop certified organic production in a value chain mode, ensuring a seamless connection between organic growers and consumers.

Sustainable Farming Practices and Organic Certification Incentives: Encourages farmers to adopt eco-friendly practices and achieve organic certification, leading to premium prices for produce.

Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY): Promote organic farming. It encourages organic farming practices and sustainable agriculture, minimizing the use of chemicals and promoting soil health.

IRRIGATION

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY): Improve water use efficiency in agriculture. It aims to provide irrigation facilities and promote efficient water usage in agriculture, leading to higher crop productivity.

Must read: Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)

Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF): MIF with corpus of Rs. 5000 crore has been created with NABARD to facilitate the States in mobilizing the resources for expanding coverage of Micro Irrigation by taking up special and innovative projects and also for incentivising micro irrigation beyond the provisions available under PDMC (Per Drop More Crop) to encourage farmers to install micro irrigation systems i.e. top-up subsidy projects.

SOIL HEALTH

Soil Health Card Scheme: Encourage balanced and judicious use of fertilizers. Launched in 2015, it provides farmers with information about soil nutrient status and recommendations for balanced use of fertilizers, leading to improved soil health.

Must read: SOIL HEALTH CARD SCHEME

DIGITAL AGRICULTURE

Digital Agriculture Mission: is designed as an umbrella scheme to support various digital agriculture initiatives. These include creating Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), implementing the Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES), and supporting IT initiatives by the Central Government, State Governments, and Academic and Research Institutions. The scheme is built on two foundational pillars: (1) Agri Stack and (2) Krishi Decision Support System. Additionally, the mission includes ‘Soil Profile Mapping’ and aims to enable farmer-centric digital services to provide timely and reliable information for the agriculture sector.

CROP INSURANCE AND FINANCING

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY): Offers insurance coverage and financial support to farmers in case of crop failure due to natural calamities, reducing income risks.

Kisan Credit Card (KCC) Scheme: Provides farmers with easy and timely credit access for agricultural and allied activities, promoting efficient resource utilization.

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN): Provides direct income support to small and marginal farmers, improving their financial stability.

Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF): For incentivizing investments by individual entrepreneurs, private companies, MSME, Farmers Producers Organizations (FPOs),etc. to establish (i) the dairy processing and value addition infrastructure, (ii) meat processing and value addition infrastructure and (iii) Animal Feed Plant.

MARKET ACCESS

Electronic National Agricultural Market (e-NAM): Create a unified national market for agricultural commodities. It facilitates online trading of agricultural produce, ensuring better price realization for farmers by expanding market access.

SUPPORT INITIATIVES

Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs): Offers extension services, training, and knowledge dissemination to farmers, encouraging the adoption of modern and sustainable agricultural practices.

Agriculture Export Policy: Aims to boost agricultural exports and increase farmers’ income by promoting value addition and enhancing market access.

PM Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY): RKVY was initiated in 2007-08 as a flagship program to motivate states to create comprehensive agricultural plans that considered local climate, resources, and technology for holistic agricultural development. In 2017-18, it was transformed into RKVY-RAFTAAR (Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied Sector Rejuvenation), shifting focus to pre- and post-harvest infrastructure development while promoting agricultural entrepreneurship, innovation, and value addition.

As per recommendation of Expenditure Finance Committee, RKVY has been re-structured as RKVY Cafeteria Scheme from 2022-23 by rationalizing various schemes of Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.

Promotion of Agro-Processing Industries: Encourages value addition, reduces post-harvest losses, and creates additional income opportunities for farmers.

National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP): Promote sustainable production of oilseeds and oil palm. It aims to increase oilseed production and reduce import dependence, benefiting oilseed farmers.

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY): Develop agri-processing clusters and infrastructure to increase value addition and reduce post-harvest losses.

Conclusion

The Indian government’s policies and initiatives in sustainable agriculture are designed to enhance farmers’ income, ensure food security, and promote eco-friendly farming practices. These efforts aim to achieve long-term agricultural sustainability while improving the livelihoods of farmers across the country.