Agriculture plays a important role in the global economy. Agriculture provides food supply to the entire world through providing regular supply of food to huge populated developing countries The presentation provides the potential opportunities about the Agriculture for Sustainable Economic Development process

1. Agriculture for Sustainable Economic
Development
B Y
D R . L . M U R A L I K R I S H N A N
S C I E N T I S T , I C A R - I A R I
N E W D E L H I - 1 1 0 0 1 2

2. Introduction
Agriculture plays a important role in the global economy. Agriculture provides food supply to the
entire world through providing regular supply of food to huge populated developing countries
Agriculture has been the major source of supply of raw materials to various industries of cotton and
jute textiles, sugar, edible oil, plantation industries (viz. tea, coffee, rubber) and agro-based cottage
industries, etc
After green revolution, the agricultural sector’s GDP and percentage of population involved in
agriculture have gradually reduced in the world due to the mechanization, modern agricultural
technologies, other industrial and service sectoral opportunities
The annual global population growth also increased from 47.16 million in 1950 to 92.43 million in
1987 and gradually reduced in to 81.86 million in 2019 with majorly liked urban settlements for
accessing services (UN Population Division 2019).
The huge populated South Asian and East Asian countries’ city settlements won’t provide sustainable
development solution

3. Cont..
The remote lakhs and lakhs agrarian centric villages alone not solve the sustainable development’s
need of the people. All because of poor GDP contribution with high dependency of population in
only agriculture. For ex Indian agrarian economy contributes about 17% to the total GDP of India
with the dependency 60% of the population in villages.
Hence, the migrated rural unskilled masses settling in urban slums also causes poverty and poor
sustainable development indicators to the developing countries.
At the same time, around 25% of rural settlements in the developing world is having good
infrastructure with connectivity with urban settlements
Hence, promotion of the sustainable ecofriendly sustainable village development with global
connectivity and avoid the unhealthy economic urban centric development process may support the
ecologically enriched sustainable development process
The farmers’ centric technologies and innovations have addressed the local level problems through
adoption of various crop technologies under the consumer driven market force (demand driven) for
their agricultural and allied sustainable livelihoods

4. Cont…
In broader sense, the agricultural sustainability means ecological sustainability.
The transformation of sustainable agriculture from the situation of ‘farming for subsistence’ to
‘farming for profits’ with technological advancements in improved agricultural and allied sectoral
technologies with secondary industrial and tertiary service sectors has resulted in meeting the
expected demand of goods and services with global connectivity
It supports planned economic development with visionary infrastructure development of railway,
roadways of the country by creating a better business climate for the transport system,
manufacturing industries, internal trade etc
It increases supply of food and raw materials to the demand centric markets at non-inflationary
prices, widening the domestic market for industrial products with higher purchasing power level to
the marginal section of people and Increase the foreign exchange earnings through increasing
volume of agricultural exports.

5. How?
It is possible through adoption of the following ways..
1. Harnessing ITKs for ecofriendly and sustainable agriculture
2. Adoption of location specific Integrated Farming System practices
3. Appropriate “high-tech” technologies for effective resource conservation and enhanced
technical effectiveness
4. Promotion of “Agri start-ups” based agricultural practices for economic development
5. Effective resource management of Water and Soil
6. Adoption of various Eco-friendly practices such as crop rotation, IPM, IDM,INM etc

6. Cont…
7. Adoption of adaptation and mitigation practices against the climate change impacts in
Agriculture
8. Development of effective demand driven market linkages and processing and value addition for
effective supply and value chain
9. Accessing public sectors schemes and encouraging the public-private partnership for investment
in Agriculture
10. Adoption of ICT and remote sensing based smart farming technologies
11. Modernizing agricultural skill based human resources

7. 1. Harnessing ITKs for ecofriendly and sustainable agriculture
The Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK) is the local knowledge that is unique to a given culture or
society where its knowledge passes from generation to generation
It is the knowledge that people have gained through inheritance from their ancestors
The ITKs supports conservation and efficient utilization of natural resources by being eco-friendly,
less capital intensive, cost effective, location – specific, using locally available materials
The ITKs are socially desirable, economically affordable, sustainable, and involves minimum risk to
users and widely believed to conserve resources.
The innovative farmer led innovations and ITKs are sustaining location specific agricultural
technology diffusion and adoption process.
The ITKs integrating the science with traditional knowledge to develop technologies for need based
problem solving with locally available higher degree of accessibility and cost effectiveness.

8. Cont..
There are several types of ITKs supports farmers in their agricultural practices to spreads of effective
indigenous crop varieties particularly in the tribal, coastal and resource poor regions, seed treatment
and storage methods, pest and disease management, valuation of indigenous animal breeds, locally
made up equipment for planting and harvesting, etc may support the farmer’s livelihood in an
effective manner
For example, in crop protection: Maize seeds are soaked in cow urine for 10-12 hours before sowing
act as a seed treatment mechanism increase resistant against insects.
The Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK) could be helpful towards the achievement of food security
at the household levels in rural and tribal settings
Therefore, the need of the hour is to recognize the value of ITKs for faster adoption in larger needy
area through documentation and institutionalization with the cooperation and participation of the
farmers of the country.

9. 2. Adoption of location specific Integrated Farming System practices
India's agricultural genetic plant and animal diversity, watershed and rural landscape location specific
farmers, community organisations, public sector organizations play very important role in
conservation agro biodiversity through various farming systems throughout the vast country.
The country has distinct agro-ecosystems, climatic, soil, geological, and other natural features under
20 broad agro-ecological zones.
The Indian region is one of the world's eight centres of diversified crop plant and livestock origins.
Hence, under the present globalized economic environment, doubling farmers’ income should be
possible through adoption of sustainable – location specific multiple farm enterprises based
integrated farming system (IFS) practices.
The innovative farmer led multiple farm enterprises based IFS adoption supports doubling farmer’s
income, sustainable productivity and ensuring natural resource management through energy
recycling process with ecosystem specificity.

10. 3. Adoption of Appropriate “high-tech” technologies for effective
resource conservation and enhanced technical effectiveness
High-tech farming involves the latest technologies for effective agricultural operations.
It is a capital intensive agricultural technologies in the contect of developing economics.
Hence, purchase of specialized equipment's and its maintenance, training and maintaining the
skilled labour requires huge financial requirements. So, custom haring provides suitable solution
Hi-tech agriculture increase yields, ensures high quality and realizes increased market value and
income

11. Cont..
1. Soil less agriculture
2. Protected cultivation
3. Hydroponics
4. Aeroponics
5. Vertical farming
6. High Value Agriculture for Small Farmers
7. Ornamental horticulture and other crops production
These all some major technologies provide immense potential to attract and retain youth in
agriculture.

12. 4. “Agricultural start-ups” based agricultural practices for economic
development
In the world by 2050, the start-ups and SME units has huge potential to access the
opportunities.
The start-ups are young company or venture founded by one or more entrepreneurs
to advance a unique product or service and get it to market.
Hence, the agricultural start-ups have to prove its own strength in terms of socio-
economic impacts to capture the potential lenders and investors.
The agriculture-led start-ups and SMEs has the key to transform the economy
through innovation led information and communication technologies and need
based processing and value addition activities which can generate huge global
economic opportunities.

13. Cont..
The start-ups and MSMEs are a seedbed level to promote entrepreneurship development to provide
the foundation for long-term growth dynamics and the transition towards larger enterprises.
It also provides employment opportunities and sustainable livelihoods opportunities.
For EX: The government of India is supporting to promote agri start-ups through various public and
private sector institutions through Agri-Business Incubation centres to support integrated incubation
support, Training cum internship and financial grant-in-aid upto Rs. 25 lakhs to enable the start-up
idea in to minimum viable product (MVP) to marketable stage and scale up the product and business
for scaling up in a desired way.

14. 5. Management of Soil and Water
Soil and Water are the critical resource for our country
The rapid urbanization and economic expansion causes demand on residential
settlements and the over usage of agrichemicals affects soil fertility and natural
availability of freshwater ecosystems led to shortages and depletion of freshwater
reserves.
Abstraction of freshwater from rivers, lakes automatically causes pressure on
groundwater.
In the last few decades, this pressure has been evident through rapidly increasing
pumping of groundwater

15. Cont..
Over the last five decades of period, there has been a phenomenal growth in the exploitation of
groundwater through construction of millions of private wells.
Hence, effective utilization of soil and water are the need of the hour
Micro irrigation for effective agriculture
The micro Irrigation practices enhance water use efficiency in the agriculture sector by promoting
appropriate technological interventions like drip & sprinkler irrigation technologies and encourage the
farmers to use water saving and conservation technologies

16. 6. Eco-friendly Agricultural practices
1. Afforestation practices and Agro forestry practices
2. Integrated farming system practices
3. Soil and water conservation practices
4. Bio diversity conservation practices
5. Organic soil fertility conservation practices
6. Low external input for sustainable agriculture (LEISA)
7. Eco friendly Agronomic practices: the practices of optimum time of sowing, no burning of crop
residues, proper irrigation practices, prohibition of livestock grazing, suitable drainage
mechanism, alley cropping system, inter cropping system, mixed cropping systems supports
sustainable agricultural practices

17. Cont..
The eco friendly farming practices are holistic and farming system based practices. So, The eco
friendly policies promotion should be based on the farmer’s preference.
The educational back ground and training undergone are very important factors for influencing the
adoption of the eco friendly conservation practices. so, more numbers of training and extension
activities promotion is very important.
It is a need of separate policy promotion for eco friendly conservation practices to promote the eco
friendly practices to standardize the consumers for their purchasing behaviour , purchasing decision
and willingness to pay for eco friendly or organic food commodities.
Promotion of eco friendly farming practices through participatory planning, participatory eco friendly
practices development and dissemination
Development of the linkages between the eco friendly farmers, market and consumers.

18. 7. Climate smart agriculture
Around 570 millions farms through out the world are facing the hazard of climate change
Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA), act as an innovative ways of adapting farming practices to become
more climate smart
The adaptation, mitigation against climate change impacts also provides socio-economic and
environmental co-benefits
It sustainably increase agricultural productivity and farmers’ incomes, and reduces greenhouse gas
emissions (GHG) with climate resilience. For ex: methane emissions reduction from agriculture
through practising “alternate wetting and drying” irrigation in paddy also save the irrigation water
Organic agriculture improves natural nutrient cycling and builds soil organic matter. It support
climate resilience and sequester carbon in soils

19. 8. Market linkages and supply and value chain in agriculture
Today’s agriculture is highly competitive and there is immense potential for income generation in
agriculture.
The emphasis have given on diversified farming, organic farming, precision farming and integrated
farming system to generate revenue from reduced holdings to face the demand of domestic as well
as international market.
Horticulture, animal husbandry and fisheries sectors have already made gaining popularity among
small holders for its ready and high value market.
Promotion of entrepreneurial qualities among farmers expands the scope of trade areas of farmers'
produce to allows electronic trading and e-commerce
The marketing reforms promotes contract and collective farming models in the developing countries
context
The market linkages supports organized agricultural production systems through Farmers producer
company and ensure better prices for agricultural commodities. It also facilitates supportive
infrastructures (roads, ports, shipping, waterways and power), value addition and effectively connect
production areas with consumption centres.

20. 9. Accessing public sectors schemes and encouraging the public-private
partnership for investment in Agriculture
Every developing countries spending huge financial allocation through various schemes of
Agriculture for the betterment of famers of our country
The recent globalized market opportunities also accessing lot of foreign investment potentials and
local, regional and national private investments also supporting the agriculture to avail the essential
needs to sustain the production and enhance the income in Agriculture
EX: Some of the Schemes in India are,
1. PM- Kisan Scheme
2. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)
3. Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme
4. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)
5. Rainfed Area Development Programme (RADP)
6. Soil Health Card SchemeNational Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)

21. 10. ICT and remote sensing based smart farming technologies
Indiscriminate use of inputs coupled with improper management practices over a long period has
resulted in land degradation and decline in its productivity.
Time has arrived to source out modern technologies for improved economic and environmentally
sustainable crop production. Among the technological developments, ICT enabled Precision Farming
(PF) has emerged as a promising option for increasing and sustaining the agricultural productivity in
the semi arid tracts.
Precision farming is generally defined as information and technology based farm management
system to identify, analyse and manage to variability within a field for optimum profitability,
sustainability and protection of land resources.
PF is an emerging concept in modern agriculture which envisages judicious crop management
through application of farm inputs only in required quantities.

22. Cont..
It is the form of farming with site-specific management practices and due considerations to the
spatial variability of land in order to maximize crop production and minimize environmental damage.
PF emphasizes on the infield variability which is first recognized, located, quantified and recorded,
then managed by applying farm inputs in specific amounts at specific time and at specific locations
through ICT based technologies
PF has emerged as a promising option for increasing and sustaining the productivity in the semi arid
tropics tracts.
Remote sensing technology:
Making use of the GIS, the physiographic map, soil map and land use map. The remote sensing
programme enabled the farmers to exactly provide the data on N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe and Cu and
variability for the field and in field variability helps farmers to precisely apply the required nutrient in
accurate quantities to the root zone during critical phases of crop growth.

23. 11. Agricultural skill based human resources development
Agricultural education expects to continue in a standards-setting role under the new system of
higher education process
The universities have potential roles to produced global standard skilled human resources to develop
and demonstrate successful Innovative agricultural technologies for the betterment of farmers’
economic situation and the country’s food production through innovative impact oriented
transformational Research, education, and extension systems.
A large part of the young generation aspires to leave the agricultural sector, chiefly because of the
poor earning, socio- economic and drudgery related issues
Hence, promotion of global standard skilled human resources in Agricultural sector is the need of the
hour to focus on crop sciences, fisheries, veterinary and dairy sectors through innovative learning
systems, training and need based research sub systems
The experiential learnings under farmers field conditions provide practical understating to facilitate
and integration skills and experiences into a digital learning platforms in a global level innovative
flexible learning options

24. Policy Measures for developing world
1. Policy for sustainable agriculture
2. Penalize polluters
3. Encourage the adoption of natural resource management process
4. Establishment of appropriate standards and regulations for pesticides and Agro
chemicals
5. Support farmers’ skilling and vocational education through training schools.
6. Establishment a strategy for IPM,IDM and INM
7. Direct subsidies and grants towards sustainable agricultural technologies

25. Reference
UN Population Division 2019
TNAU Agri tech portal
Ministry of Agriculture and farmers welfare, GOI
Nimisha Tripath, Raj S. Singh, Danielle Kristy Pal, R.K. Singh, Agroecology and sustainability of
agriculture in India: An overview, EC, Agriculture 2.1(241-248
Suraj Bhan and Sanjay Arora (Editors). 2015. Advances in Soil and Water Resource Management for
Food and Livelihood Security in Changing Climate, Soil Conservation Society of India, New Delhi. pp.
682
Melesse B, A Review on Factors Affecting Adoption of Agricultural New Technologies in Ethiopia,
Journal of Agricultural Science and Food Research, 2018,9.3
Government of India, Agricultural Sector and Marketing Reforms – eNAM, Model APMC Act, Eco
Survey, 2020