Growing Human Population and backwardness of agriculture remained principal reasons behind the scarcity of food in India up to 1950. Hunger and poverty prevailed everywhere. The agriculture had to depend on monsoon only, and the failure of monsoon led to the destruction of crops frequently. About 40 lakhs died during the famine that attacked Bengal in 1942-43. It was most acute famine in the World History. People could not even imagine of food sufficiency in those days.
Earlier, only indigenous crops were grown in India through indigenously developed methods. The system of assured irrigation was not developed by that time. Gradually, the development of agricultural technology and new researches enabled the farmers to make proper arrangements and derive more production from farming. The introduction of farm machinery, cropping in large farms and application of agrochemicals like pesticides, insecticides, fungicides and hormones, and still ahead- the use of High Yielding Varieties of seeds enabled India to produce sufficient food. But later it was found that –
(I).The small farmers having small landholdings could not adopt new methods of agriculture due to poverty. Thus they gradually became poorer. Many of these farmers started working on big farms as labourers.
(II). Cropping on large farms invited large scale infestation of insects and other pests due to which large scale poisonous pesticides had to be used. It led to imbalances in the local environment, contamination of food chains, interruption of bio-geo-chemical cycles, and flow of poisonous synthetic pesticides through the ecosystem
(III).The expansion of farms at the cost of forests caused imbalances in the natural environments and destruction of habitats of animals.
Going through the above brief account, it is observed that the modern agriculture with its numerous dangerous impacts like – degradation of land, poisoning of ecosystems, extinction of many species of birds and other organisms, destruction of forests, increasing expenses on agrochemicals like pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, expansion of inequality etc. is unsustainable. These are the reasons why experts and planners are now advocating for Sustainable Agriculture. But, what is Sustainable Agriculture?
Sustainable Agriculture
Meaning and Definition of Sustainable Agriculture
The first of the couple of words ‘sustainable agriculture’ – sustainable, has the base as Sustain which has been derived from Latin word sustinere (sus-, from below and tenere, to hold), to keep in existence or to maintain, implies long term support or permanence. When it pertains to agriculture, it describes farming systems that are capable of maintaining their productivity and usefulness to society, indefinitely. Thus a Sustainable Agriculture System must be a system which conserves resources, supports social structure, stands in commercial competition, and supports the original make up and processes of the natural environment.
Thus, the term Sustainable Agriculture means – an integrated system of plant and animal producing practices specific to a particular area, site or place. Over the long term, a Sustainable Agriculture System is expected to –
o Satisfy human needs of food and fiber;
o Enhance environmental quality and the natural resource- base upon which the agricultural economy depends;
o Make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources; and integrate where appropriate, natural biological cycles and natural controls;
o Sustain the economic viability of farm operations; and enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole;
o Ensure equitable distribution of resources etc.
In order to ensure sustainability of Indian Agriculture –The National Policy on Agriculture gives special emphasis on following facts –
- utilization of vast and untapped growth potential of Indian Agriculture;
- strengthening the rural infrastructure to support fast agricultural development;
- promotion of value addition and to accelerate the growth of agriculture based business;
- creation of employment in rural areas;
- securing a fair standard of living for the farmers and agricultural workers including their families;
- discouraging migration to urban areas; and
- facing the challenges arising out of the Economic Liberalization and Globalization.
According to India’s Agricultural Policy–The Agriculture which is based on “technically sound, economically viable, environmentally non-degrading and socially acceptable use of natural resources – land, water and genetic endowment” etc. is called as Sustainable Agriculture. In other words – farming systems and practices that maintain or enhance the economic viability of agricultural production, the natural resource base, and other systems which are influenced by agricultural activities, may be called as Sustainable Agriculture.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation-
“The successful management of resources for agriculture to satisfy changing human needs, while maintaining or enhancing the quality of environment and conserving natural resources” is called as sustainable agriculture (FAO, TAC/CG/AR, 1989).
On another place, FAO has explained – A sustainable Agriculture System is one which involves the management and conservation of the natural resource base, and the orientation of the natural resource base, and the orientation of technological and institutional change in such a manner as to ensure the attainment and continual satisfaction of human needs for the present and future generations. Such a sustainable development conserves law, water, plant and animal genetic resources, and is economically viable and socially acceptable (FAO, 1991). Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals: Environmental Stewardship, farm profitability, and prosperous farming communities. These goals have been defined by a variety of disciplines and may be looked at from the vantage point of the farmer or consumer.
