A critical analysis of the policy potential for sustainable agriculture in India

Aligning the progress in terms of policy formulation in India with the changing climate is imperative for the evolution of agriculture towards a more sustainable and environment friendly sector, especially for an agro-dependent country like India with 17.6% contribution in GDP. As per last census conducted (in 2011), 54.6% of India’s total population depends on agriculture as their primary livelihood. In this context, the current study emphases on ascertaining the major themes of the current policies being implemented in agriculture in India, while evaluating the potential of these policies in restructuring the agriculture into a more sustainable sector. The paper explores the different themes of the policies and the extent to which climate change and adaptation to climate change is discussed in the policies. The methodology includes a qualitative content analysis of the National level policies by using MAXQDA as the analysis tool. Policies largely focuses on increasing the cost-effectiveness and productivity of the agriculture and wants to increase the profitability from the economic sector with limited attention to farmer diversity and nuances of the socio-economic disparity. Tackling the disconnect between the policies and the nuances of the climate change reality of agriculture in India is imperative for comprehensive adaptation solutions and enhancing the sustainability of agriculture while addressing the increasing food security issues.