Causes of Food Insecurity

Dairy co-operative in Pondicherry
Dairy co-operative in Pondicherry © Peter Armstrong
Across the country 75% of farms cover less than two hectares; in Bihar this figure rises to over 95%. Over 60% of crops are rain-fed. The rural investment necessary to support this profile of agriculture - efficient transport and communications, reliable microfinance and cooperative management structures – has not been forthcoming and middlemen hold the upper hand.

Regulations of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) which force Indian farmers to compete on an unlevel playing field have undermined the sector. Agricultural imports have increased four times since the WTO came into effect in 1995. It can be no surprise that India's insistence on special protection for its farmers was a vital factor in the collapse of the Doha round of WTO negotiations.

Rice agri

Modern era

Ancient origins

Further information: Neolithic Revolution

The Fertile Crescent of Western Asia, Egypt, and India were sites of the earliest planned sowing and harvesting of plants that had previously been gathered in the wild. Independent development of agriculture occurred in northern and southern China, Africa's Sahel, New Guinea and several regions of the Americas. The eight so-called Neolithic founder crops of agriculture appear: first emmer wheat and einkorn wheat, then hulled barley, peas, lentils, bitter vetch, chick peas and flax.

By 7000 BC, small-scale agriculture reached Egypt. From at least 7000 BC the Indian subcontinent saw farming of wheat and barley, as attested by archaeological excavation at Mehrgarh in Balochistan. By 6000 BC, mid-scale farming was entrenched on the banks of the Nile. About this time, agriculture was developed independently in the Far East, with rice, rather than wheat, as the primary crop. Chinese and Indonesian farmers went on to domesticate taro and beans including mung, soy and azuki. To complement these new sources of carbohydrates, highly organized net fishing of rivers, lakes and ocean shores in these areas brought in great volumes of essential protein. Collectively, these new methods of farming and fishing inaugurated a human population boom that dwarfed all previous expansions and continues today.

By 5000 BC, the Sumerians had developed core agricultural techniques including large-scale intensive cultivation of land, monocropping, organized irrigation, and the use of a specialized labor force, particularly along the waterway now known as the Shatt al-Arab, from its Persian Gulf delta to the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates. Domestication of wild aurochs and mouflon into cattle and sheep, respectively, ushered in the large-scale use of animals for food/fiber and as beasts of burden. The shepherd joined the farmer as an essential provider for sedentary and seminomadic societies. Maize, manioc, and arrowroot were first domesticated in the Americas as far back as 5200 BC.[25] The potato, tomato, pepper, squash, several varieties of bean, tobacco, and several other plants were also developed in the New World, as was extensive terracing of steep hillsides in much of Andean South America. The Greeks and Romans built on techniques pioneered by the Sumerians, but made few fundamentally new advances. Southern Greeks struggled with very poor soils, yet managed to become a dominant society for years. The Romans were noted for an emphasis on the cultivation of crops for trade.
The Harvesters. Pieter Bruegel. 1565.

In the Americas, a parallel agricultural revolution occurred, resulting in some of the most important crops grown today. In Mesoamerica wild teosinte was transformed through human selection into the ancestor of modern maize, more than 6000 years ago. It gradually spread across North America and was the major crop of Native Americans at the time of European exploration.

pesticide

A pesticide is any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.[1] A pesticide may be a chemical substance, biological agent (such as a virus or bacterium), antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest. Pests include insects, plant pathogens, weeds, molluscs, birds, mammals, fish, nematodes (roundworms), and microbes that destroy property, spread disease or are a vector for disease or cause a nuisance. Although there are benefits to the use of pesticides, there are also drawbacks, such as potential toxicity to humans and other animals. FAO has defined the term of pesticide as:

any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying or controlling any pest, including vectors of human or animal disease, unwanted species of plants or animals causing harm during or otherwise interfering with the production, processing, storage, transport or marketing of food, agricultural commodities, wood and wood products or animal feedstuffs, or substances which may be administered to animals for the control of insects, arachnids or other pests in or on their bodies. The term includes substances intended for use as a plant growth regulator, defoliant, desiccant or agent for thining fruit or preventing the premature fall of fruit, and substances applied to crops either before or after harvest to protect the commodity from deterioration during storage and transport.

forest dept clash over agriculture land in Songadh

Farming on forest land became the bone of contention yet again in the tribal district of Tapi, when 18 people were injured in a clash reported between the tribals in Ozar village of Songadh taluka of Tapi district and the forest department officials on Tuesday. Police complaints have been lodged by both groups.

In the incident, 11 tribals and seven forest personnel suffered injuries following which they were admitted to Songadh referral hospital.

Sources said following a good spell of rain in the forest area, the tribals have started agricultural activities in the region. On Tuesday, few farmers from Ozar village went to the forest but were stopped from doing any farming activity by some junior forest personnel.

In their complaint, the tribals have told police that the forest officials attacked them and tried to stop their activity to which they had retaliated.

The tribals also claimed that the land belongs to them and that they have been farming on the land since ages. Their ancestors used to farm on the same land. On the other hand, forest officials claimed that the land had not been used for farming in the past. It is forest land on which farming is not allowed.

The issue of farming on forest land has been a bone of contention between tribals and forest department. The land which is used for farming only during one season monsoon remains unused during other period of the year. As the land remains unused for a long period, it creates confusion between the two sides.

Agriculture sector hit by lack of rain

Scanty and erratic rainfall, limited availability of irrigation and low productivity of crops are among the major constraints in agricultural growth in the state, a study carried out by the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics has revealed.

The findings were part of the statistical analysis of the agricultural sector over the past four decades in the state. Shrikant Kalamkar, who carried out the research at the institute, said, "The agriculture sector has undergone a lot of changes in the past few years. The sector exhibits wide fluctuations and there are no signs of sustained progress. The recent suicides by farmers in Vidarbha and Marathwada have once again highlighted the regional disparity in the state."

The study revealed that the share of primary sector (agriculture and allied activities) in the state has been steeply declining over the decades, as compared at the nation. It accounted for 31 per cent of the GDP in 1960-61 and steeply declined to 11.7 per cent in 2008-09. "The slow growth of agriculture as compared to other sectors is a serious issue from the point of view of rural employment and poverty, both of which are heavily dependent on agricultural growth," Kalamkar said.

Explaining how rainfall has also been one of the major hurdles in agricultural growth of the state, Kalamkar said, "Though the average rainfall in the state is relatively high when compared to many other states of India, the fact is that it spreads over many months and is inconstant. Over the years, some regions have been getting more rain than others, further affecting areas bereft of water resources."

Nearly one-third of Maharashtra falls in the rain-shadow region, where rains are scanty and erratic. About one-fourth of India’s drought-prone districts are in Maharashtra, with 73 per cent of its geographical area classified as semi-arid. Moreover, the Central Water Commission has identified 45 talukas from nine districts in the state as drought-prone.

According to this study, the limited availability of irrigation is another constraint that affects the growth of agriculture in the state. "About 82 per cent of the cultivated area is rain-fed. Due to lack of irrigation facilities, not only are low-value crops being cultivated here, but, also, the productivity of most of the crops is much lower as compared to the national average," Kalamkar added.