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Chapter - 12
Challenges and Opportunities for
Agriculture in 21st Century
1#*Abhay Gautam, 2Yashasvi Ramaul, 3Dippuraj Laishram and 4Harshit Singh
123MBA scholar, College of post graduate studies in Agricultural Sciences (Central
Agricultural University, Imphal), Meghalaya, 793103
4
Ph.D research scholar, Department of Plant Pathology, College of post graduate studies
in Agricultural Sciences (Central Agricultural University, Imphal), Meghalaya -793103
#Corresponding author Gmail- abhaygautam2284@gmail.com
Abstract
Producing enough food to feed the expanding global population is the primary and
foremost concern facing world agriculture. Both global grain output and commerce
have increased significantly since 1960. Combining these two “facts” means that
tropical and subtropical farming systems will have to supply the majority of the food
required to fulfil rising demand over the next 25 years. Major, medium, and micro
irrigation investments make up a significant portion of public agricultural investment.
Even after investing the majority of the costs, several large irrigation projects remain
delayed and taking longer to finish. e Finance Commission and the NITI Aayog
(Planning Commission) were two significant organisations that were supposed to
seek to reduce regional disparities following independence. Modern methods and
techniques used by farmers are the key to successful farming. e second task for
the agriculture sector is to create the technology, institutions, and policies that will
let agriculture realise its full potential as a growth engine. In the 21st century, the
development of agriculture is increasing as other countries need products and food.
e government uses many ideas and strategies to help farmers remember their wages
or income each year. Upgrading agriculture from low-tech to high-tech (growing in
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greenhouses, multi-homes, tissue culture, precision agriculture) will lower average
prices, increase farmer income, and solve some problems for scale.
Keywords: Cost, Farming systems, Finance Commission, Imbalance disparities,
Investment, Precision agriculture, Planning Commission
Introduction
Since the 1960s, when the country had a severe food crisis and widespread poverty
and was dependent on food imports to save millions from starvation, its food status
has undergone a significant transformation. Because of how serious the situation
was, the then-prime minister issued a call for a weekly fast day. Around the same
time that high-yielding varieties (HYV ) of wheat and paddy became available, the
then-government bravely decided to implement Green Revolution technologies in
spite of fierce criticism from some quarters. e goal of the entire agriculture policy
was to “grow more food.”
Initially, the country’s well-endowed irrigated regions adopted the Green
Revolution technology, which involved high yielding dwarf types of wheat and paddy
that were very responsive to inorganic fertiliser. e Green Revolution technique
then spread to more locations as irrigation increased. Many other crops also have
improved and HYV developed in them.
Challenges
Worldwide Food Security
Producing enough food to feed the expanding global population is the primary
and foremost concern facing world agriculture. By 2025, there may be eight billion
people on the planet. e two billion people who will be added during the next 25
years will live almost entirely in emerging nations.
e urban population will increase by a similar amount in developing nations.
e effects of urbanisation on the food chain are profound. According to estimates,
rural residents depend on their own produce. Urban residents, however, entirely depend
on the market for their food supply. As a result, whenever one individual relocates
from a rural to an urban area, the amount of market supplies required must double.
Both global grain output and commerce have increased significantly since
1960. As a result, the percentage of global grain consumption that is traded stayed
stable at around 10%.
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According to this, 90 percent of the food produced worldwide is consumed
in the nation where it was produced. If this pattern persists, it is obvious that the
production systems in the nations where the new residents will reside will be
responsible for the majority of the growth in food production.
What about their residence? Most of the population growth between 2000 and
2030 will take place in nations still experiencing fast population expansion, between
the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer.
Combining these two “facts” means that tropical and subtropical farming systems
will have to supply the majority of the food required to fulfil rising demand over the
next 25 years. We are aware of the complexity, fragility, and great heterogeneity of
these systems, as well as their typical low productivity and small-scale, underprivileged
dominance. to create
Combining these two “facts” means that tropical and subtropical farming systems
will have to supply the majority of the food required to fulfil rising demand over the
next 25 years. We are aware of the complexity, fragility, and great heterogeneity of
these systems, as well as their typical low productivity and small-scale, underprivileged
dominance. Additionally, we are far less knowledgeable about farming systems in
these places than we are about those in temperate zones, which further complicates
matters.
erefore, the challenge of food production is neither little nor simple. It
necessitates finding strategies to boost the productivity of intricate, low-yielding
farming systems without endangering the environment or natural resources.
CASE STUDY 1st
U.S. Food Policy Aims for “Transformational Change”
e Obama administration initiative to improve food security worldwide
“e true sign of success is not whether we’re the source of perpetual aid that
helps people scrape by, it’s whether we are partners in building the capacity for
transformational change.”
President Obama in Ghana, 2009
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack
announced details of the U.S. Food Security
Initiative on World Food Day in October 2009.
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e goals are:
»Reduce hunger sustainably,
»Raise the incomes of the rural poor,
»Reduce the number of children suffering from under-nutrition.
Five key principles guide the initiative:
»
e United States will work with partner countries to create and implement
plans.
»
e initiative will invest in the tools necessary to support farmers, their
skills, and perseverance.
»e initiative will coordinate closely with local and regional efforts.
»
e initiative will support the multilateral institutions combating world
hunger.
»e initiative will be a long-term and accountable U.S. commitment.
In fulfilling the initiative, scientists and experts at the U.S. Department of
Agriculture will:
»
Apply themselves to improving the nutritional and productive value of
crops around the globe;
»
Help partners resolve technical challenges related to irrigation, crop
improvement, pest eradication, and other problems;
»Help other nations train their future agricultural leaders.
U.S. officials emphasize that food security is important in achieving economic,
environmental, and national security
Disregard for nature and loss of crop diversity
Crops and agricultural patterns are based on the abundance of natural resources and
the local agro-climatic conditions and are therefore seen as sustainable. Actual crop
patterns and the amount of land dedicated to different crops diverge significantly
from what is ideal from an agroclimatic perspective. e legislative support and
variations in technological improvement for different crops are the key contributors
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to the variance. In addition to distorting agricultural patterns, technological and
policy bias in favour of Green Revolution technology and a few crops led to increased
concentration of land under particular crops and a severe fall in crop diversification.
Such variations in agricultural patterns have major implications for sustainable
use of natural resources, complementarity among crops, and the emergence of
diseases and pests. ese consequences also affect human health, nutrition, and
environmental quality.
Imbalances and regional disparities
Imbalances between demand and domestic production have been growing over the years.
Regional imbalances, which are caused by a range of elements including
geography, natural resources, infrastructure, and policies, are the uneven distribution
of policies, resources, and development among different regions. When economists
and planners started to notice the uneven distribution of economic activity and
development across different regions in the 1950s and 1960s, the idea of regional
inequalities was first proposed.
e Indian development strategy has always included balanced regional
development as a key element. Planned intervention is necessary to prevent significant
regional imbalances since not all areas of the country are equally endowed with
physical and human resources to take advantage of economic prospects, and because
historical inequities have not been erased After gaining its independence, some
regions and industries in India experienced spectacular growth, but many other areas
are still experiencing low levels of development. In order to eliminate inequities, it
was believed that the State had a significant role to play.
e Finance Commission and the NITI Aayog (Planning Commission) were
two significant organisations that were supposed to seek to reduce regional disparities
following independence. e Finance Commission merely has a small part to play.
As a result, the NITI Aayog (Planning Commission) is given increased authority.
India’s subsequent Five-Year Plans have emphasised the importance of developing
the nation’s underdeveloped regions.
During the initial stages of economic planning, public sector businesses were
situated in underdeveloped regions of the nation to encourage regional balanced
development. Despite pro-backward areas policies and programmes, there are
significant economic and social disparities among India’s states, as seen by variations
in State Domestic Product (SDP) per capita.
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Italy has the most geographically disparate economies in all of Europe. Economic
historians concur that the uneven distribution of industry, which is centred in the
North, is a major direct source of Italy’s North-South divide. Calabria’s GDP is only
56% of the EU average, while Lombardy’s GDP per capita is 127% of the average
for the EU (Eurostat, 2021).
is result confirms what the New Economic Geography models, which explain
the connection between economies of scale, transportation expenses, and business
location, had predicted.
Types of Inequalities and Disparities: As follows:
1. Worldwide Inequality
2. Interstate disparity (State differences)
3. Intrastate Disparity, or Differences Between States
4. e Rural-Urban Disparity
1. Worldwide Inequality: ere is what is known as global disparity between the
nations due to their varying levels of development. While some nations have access
to a plethora of resources, others have incredibly limited resources.
2. Inter-State Disparity: Similar to worldwide disparities, there are differences
between the Indian states. Inter-state disparities, regional disparities, or regional
imbalances relate to the fact that per capita income, living standards, consumption
patterns, and the development of industry and agriculture are not consistent across
a specific region.
3. Intra-State Disparity: is term describes inequality within a single state.
Macro-indices of development such as resource allocation, government effectiveness,
agricultural structure, income, consumption trends, and poverty estimates can be
used to detect intra-regional inequalities in development.
4. Rural-urban disparity: In terms of the accessibility of basic resources like roads,
electricity, water, sanitation services, schools, hospitals, etc., rural areas are seen
as being behind urban areas. ese amenities, however, are primarily found in
urban areas. e reason rural areas lag behind metropolitan areas in terms of basic
development indicators like poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, etc. is because of the
lack of such services.
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Wasteful investment
Major, medium, and micro irrigation investments make up a significant portion
of public agricultural investment. ese investments aimed to expand the region
covered by surface water irrigation. e country spent significantly more on capital
projects and a sizable sum on operating and maintaining canals, while the area
irrigated by canals is either stagnating or decreasing. ere are many causes for
this, including significant project completion delays that result in significant time
and expense overruns. Even after investing the majority of the costs, several large
irrigation projects remain delayed by minor challenges, including clearing small areas
of woodland, developing catchment areas, building distributaries, and creating field
canals. Internal and interstate conflicts are another reason certain major irrigation
projects are taking longer to finish.
Ironically, despite substantial investment in medium and large irrigation, the
area irrigated by canals saw stagnation and even decline for a very long time.
Poverty Reduction
Even if increasing urbanisation is anticipated to happen in the ensuing decades, it
won’t happen until 2015 before there are as many people living in cities as there are
in rural areas. Approximately 70% of the world’s poor live in rural areas today, and
the majority of them rely on agriculture for the majority of their income. Literally
billions of small, underprivileged farmers live below or at the edge of the poverty line.
e second task for the agriculture sector is to create the technology, institutions, and
policies that will let agriculture realise its full potential as a growth engine. Farmers
will need access to both domestic and foreign markets in order to meet this challenge.
A Misalignment of Structural Changes in Workforce and Output
Agriculture’s contribution to national gross value added (GVA), a gauge of national
revenue, and employment would drop as an economy matured. e speed of the
economy’s structure change increases with economic expansion.
According to the most recent estimates from the Periodic Labour Force Survey
for 2019–20, 45.6% of the nation’s workforce is employed as their primary occupation
in the agriculture industry as a whole (including fisheries and forestry) (National
Statistical Office 2021a). At current prices, agriculture contributed 18.4% of GVA
in the same year. To increase the income per worker in the sector, it is therefore
necessary to remove workers from agriculture. However, finding sufficient alternative
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occupations, particularly in industry, is becoming more and more challenging as the
labour force shifts away from agriculture. A new employment strategy is required
in light of this.
Opportunities
In the 21
st
century, the development of agriculture is increasing as other countries need
products and food. It is also a major exporter of crops such as wheat, rice, maize, which
contribute to the country’s income, to other parts of the country. Modern methods
and techniques used by farmers are the key to successful farming. Cooperation of
government agencies, organizations and many other non-governmental organizations
such as NGOs can help solve agricultural problems, increase work on other inputs for
agricultural farming such as construction, chain, quality crops, equipment, tractors and
tools. Farming in agriculture not only supports farmers but also helps to get traditional
work done in less time and with minimum number of workers. Involvement of the
IT sector would be a great improvement to protect crops. e government uses many
ideas and strategies to help farmers remember their wages or income each year. For
this purpose, Indian government has implemented the plan of Prime Minister Kisan
Yojana, Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna, Prime Minister Kisan Khaad
Yojna etc. started some plans. Another important way in which the government is
involved in agriculture or agriculture is through regulation. ese laws allow permits
that allow large-scale farming. e main role of the state in agriculture is to support
farmers, especially small farmers, by providing basic inputs for their farms. e main
role of agriculture is to manage ecosystems, thereby transforming agriculture from
a source of degradation into a driver of restoration and ecosystem health. Many of
the world’s most important water resources are used for agriculture. If they cannot
produce enough clean water, it is not possible for people, industry, agriculture or nature
to use that water. Research for new resources for new agriculture and agroecological
landscape management is progressing rapidly. Agriculture will play an important
role in local development. Further development is needed to establish independent
agricultural production in accordance with the fundamental principles of land use,
use of agricultural inputs, main crops and managed ecosystem. Agriculture has an
important role in common in urban areas. Strong community leadership is not only
seen in rural areas, but cities have also become focal points of agricultural change.
For example, more than three-quarters of households in Addis Ababa and South
Delhi are food insecure. Trade distances are often affected and there is a growing
interest in capturing at least the synergy of local foods. Some aspects of the New
Vision in Agriculture can be grouped under the following headings:
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1. Growth for productivity
Since 1970-71, India’s agricultural inputs and value-added agriculture have grown,
often by around 2.8%. Growth rates fluctuate up and down as real prices of agricultural
inputs rise and fall. e characteristics of low agricultural productivity, high average
cost and low productivity in Indian agriculture are well documented in the literature.
Seed transfer rates show that the use of quality certified seeds distributed by
organizations is low. An opinion is formed against the use of fertilizers and other
chemicals and the transition to natural agriculture is discussed. On the other hand,
the use of compost as another plant food source is quite low. More than one crop
is grown in less than 50% of the cultivated area. Technological progress has not yet
reached many farmers, as evidenced by the fact that more than 30% of the grain
sown area is still different types of pesticides. e main reasons for the lack of
agricultural development are poor distribution of, lack of links in the supply chain
for quality seeds and quality planting materials, lack of resources in many provinces,
low investment in agriculture and low equipment. e supply of low-quality and
counterfeit products is an important factor in increasing prices without adequate
production capacity. erefore, in addition to the importance of using modern
products, good procedures should be developed to monitor and control quality
products such as seeds, fertilizers and pesticides.
CASE STUDY 2nd
Bring Fish from the Waters
For thousands of years, farmers have faced the same issue: they need land and rain
to force a harvest from the ground.
M. Vijaya Gupta received the World Food Prize in 2005 for developing a fresh
solution to the age-old issue. He demonstrated to impoverished people in South
and Southeast Asia how to grow a crop in ditches, ponds, and other empty bodies
of water. He demonstrated to them how to use what was regarded as farm waste,
such as weeds, manure and rice bran, as feed to create a harvest of fish.
More than 1 million low-income households have improved their diets by
adding more protein and minerals thanks to the advice of this Indian scientist, which
has led to better health and longer lifespans.
Gupta, a pioneer of the “blue revolution,” educated low-income households how
to turn small bodies of water into “mini-factories” that produce fish for consumption.
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He taught aquaculture skills to underprivileged people, training them to breed fish
and boost yields for higher money, together with organisations he recruited to help.
In the 1960s, Gupta’s work began with the Indian Council of Agricultural
Research, and throughout the years, it was replicated in Bangladesh, Vietnam,
Indonesia, and other nations.
Fish production grew from 304 kilogrammes per hectare when aquaculture
was used in Bangladesh alone to more than 5,000 kilogrammes per hectare. His
aquaculture methods up to twenty times boosted yields in his native India.
Gupta’s approach has placed equal emphasis on sustainability and yields. In
order to promote support for biodiversity preservation, he led the International
Network on Genetics in Aquaculture and taught about 300 Asian experts in the
creation of sustainable production methods.
“Dr. Gupta has been a lifelong catalyst in expanding the global reach and
effectiveness of aquaculture,” the World Food Prize citation reads.
Gupta has provided consulting services to numerous institutions, including the
World Bank, Asian Development Bank, U.S. Agency for International Development,
United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organisation, and others. Gupta, a retired World Fish Centre assistant director
general who is still a senior research fellow there, is committed to eradicating poverty
and hunger by advancing fisheries and aquaculture.
2. Agriculture in hilly areas
In particular, high-value crops and off-season vegetables grown under protected
conditions can benefit from water harvesting and the use of the micro-irrigation system
(MIS), which can increase water use effectiveness and productivity. Water harvesting
can also be used by high-profit companies by utilising renewable energy sources.
»
e genetic diversity found on the Himalayan slopes provides prospects
for new gene discovery and gene pool expansion for improved crops, fruits,
trees, cattle, etc. ere is a lot of room to increase productivity and food
output. For farmers with limited land holdings, mushroom farming and its
associated value addition are successful endeavours.
»
Hills offer excellent opportunities to advance organic farming. Another
workable idea is to encourage apiculture in order to promote crop pollination
and obtain honey.
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»
e potential for designing and creating compact, light-weight implements
for farm mechanisation and, ultimately, drudgery reduction is immense.
»
In order to reduce the number of pesticides used and benefit organic
farming, it will also be crucial to investigate and utilise the potential of
locally accessible bio-agents and botanicals to combat pests. Information
and communication technology (ICT) is used to assist farmers and advance
agricultural technology.
3. Food Security for Nutrition and Health
Food Security for Nutrition and Health Indicators for nutrition and child health
are low in India. According to FAO, India has the highest number of hungry or
malnourished people. IFPRI reported that India was in a bad position last year in
its annual report “Global Hunger Index”. All this comes despite India being the
largest exporter, with around 10 percent of its products going abroad. While the
increase in food production has remained stable in recent years, population growth
has slowed over time. To be clear, total (gross) food production per capita increased
exponentially by. India also had a surplus of rice and wheat together for many years.
Recently, white sugar has also registered a large surplus. To some observers, India
represents the opposite of “riches and scarcity.”
4. Complaint Management for Public Administration
Under-management for over-management as noted above, domestic food consumption
is growing less than domestic production. In the early 1980s, India was producing and
consuming just over 1 kg of food per person per day. e yield gradually increased
to 1.73 kg. In recent years, domestic consumption has increased to 1.59 kg. is
shows that food production (domestic production minus domestic production) has
increased steadily over the last 35 years. is requires a shift in food policy from
deficit management to financial management. is also shows that the main cause
of malnutrition in India is not food but low consumption of Indian consumers.
5. From Input-Intensive to Information-Intensive Agriculture
From knowledge-intensive agriculture to knowledge-intensive agriculture Indian
agriculture lacks cutting-edge technology and modern agriculture. A world first is
moving to precision agriculture, which uses sensors and other scientific tools for
precision farming and practical applications. Developed countries tend to use sensor
applications according to the real needs of manufacturers. e use of advanced research
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at the agricultural level requires skills, knowledge, investment and development in
agricultural human capital. Indian agriculture continues to be dominated by non-
technological agriculture, low levels of mechanization and lower yields compared
to global levels. Upgrading agriculture from low-tech to high-tech (growing in
greenhouses, multi-homes, tissue culture, precision agriculture) will lower average
prices, increase farmer income, and solve some problems for scale.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the challenges and opportunities facing agriculture in the 21st century
are significant and complex. Rapid population growth, climate change, water scarcity,
and diminishing arable land pose major challenges to global food production.
However, advancements in technology, such as precision farming, genetic engineering,
and digital agriculture, offer promising opportunities to address these challenges.
Embracing sustainable practices, promoting agroecology, and implementing innovative
farming techniques can enhance productivity while minimizing environmental
impacts. Collaboration between governments, scientists, farmers, and stakeholders is
crucial to ensure food security, improve rural livelihoods, and mitigate the effects of
climate change. By harnessing the potential of science, technology, and cooperation,
agriculture can meet the demands of a growing population and create a resilient and
sustainable food system for the 21st century.
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