Relevance for UPSC: GS Paper III – Agriculture, Environment, Food Security, Inclusive Growth

The Green Revolution transformed India from a food-deficit nation into one of the world’s leading producers of cereals. Yet, six decades later, its legacy is a double-edged sword — abundant grain stocks but depleted soils, falling groundwater levels, and nutritional imbalances.

Today, India stands at a turning point. The next revolution — Green Revolution 2.0 — must not only ensure food security but also restore ecological balance, farmer autonomy, and nutritional diversity. The focus is shifting from high-input monocultures to sustainable, resilient, and locally driven food systems that ensure true food sovereignty — where farmers and communities have control over what and how they grow and eat.

What Green Revolution 2.0 Represents

The first revolution prioritised yield; the next must prioritise health — of soil, people, and ecosystems. Green Revolution 2.0 is about transforming agricultural systems through principles of agroecology, natural farming, and climate-smart diversification.

The core shifts include:

• From calories to nutrition: Move beyond rice and wheat dominance to promote millets, pulses, oilseeds, and horticulture — crops rich in protein and micronutrients.
  
• From chemicals to soil health: Reduce dependence on chemical fertilisers and pesticides, and restore soil organic carbon through composting, green manures, and crop residue recycling.
  
• From water-intensive farming to climate-smart crops: Encourage regionally suitable, less water-intensive crops that can withstand erratic rainfall and heat stress.
  
• From input subsidies to outcome incentives: Reward farmers and States for adopting sustainable practices that save fertilisers, conserve water, and enhance biodiversity.
  

Policy and Programme Landscape

India’s move towards a sustainable agricultural paradigm is already underway through a series of innovative missions and policy shifts:

1. National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF)
   A national initiative (2024–26) to promote natural, chemical-free farming. Farmers are trained and incentivised (₹4,000 per acre per year for up to one acre) to adopt bio-inputs, crop diversification, and on-farm composting. Over 10 lakh farmers have already joined.
   
2. PM-PRANAM (Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth)
   Rewards States for reducing fertiliser consumption. In 2023–24 alone, chemical fertiliser use fell by over 15 lakh tonnes across 14 States. Half of the savings are returned to the States as grants to invest in natural farming and bio-input production.
   
3. Millet Mainstreaming
   Following the International Year of Millets (2023), millets are being integrated into the Public Distribution System, Mid-Day Meal Scheme, and ICDS nutrition programmes. This supports both smallholder farmers and public health goals.
   
4. Soil Health and Carbon Mission
   The government is exploring models to reward improvements in soil organic carbon and nutrient balance, tying them to sustainable finance and carbon markets.
   

Why Green Revolution 2.0 Is Essential Now

1. Climate Pressure: Frequent droughts, floods, and heatwaves threaten yields of traditional cereal belts. Climate-resilient crops like millets and pulses can reduce risk.
   
2. Nutritional Gaps: India’s success in food sufficiency masks widespread malnutrition — especially anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies — due to cereal-heavy diets.
   
3. Farm Debt and Costs: Rising input prices and stagnant returns have trapped many farmers in cycles of debt. Cutting chemical dependence improves net income and sustainability.
   
4. Ecological Degradation: India loses soil fertility and groundwater faster than it replenishes. Restoring these natural assets is essential for long-term food production.
   

Building a Sustainable Indian Model

A successful Green Revolution 2.0 must combine ecological science, economic logic, and community wisdom.

Key components could include:

• Diversified procurement: Expand government procurement to include pulses, millets, and oilseeds, ensuring fair prices for diverse crops.
  
• Agroecological clusters: Promote community-led natural farming clusters (50–100 hectares each) with shared training, compost units, and market linkages.
  
• Green credit and insurance: Offer low-interest loans and weather-indexed insurance for farmers adopting climate-resilient crops.
  
• Digital and scientific support: Use satellites, sensors, and open digital platforms for precision advisory, soil monitoring, and transparent carbon tracking.
  
• Market and supply chain reform: Develop short, fair supply chains linking producers directly to consumers through Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and cooperatives.
  

Important Terms

• Food Sovereignty: The right of people to define their own food and agriculture systems, ensuring local control over seeds, soil, and markets.
  
• Agroecology: A farming approach that applies ecological principles — mixed cropping, soil recycling, biodiversity conservation — for sustainable production.
  
• Natural Farming: Farming based on on-farm biological inputs such as cow dung, compost, and crop residues, minimising chemical use.
  
• PM-PRANAM: A central scheme incentivising States to reduce fertiliser use and reinvest savings into sustainable agriculture.
  
• Soil Organic Carbon: A key measure of soil health and fertility; increasing it enhances water retention, yields, and carbon sequestration.
  
• Diversified Procurement: Public procurement of multiple crops beyond cereals to promote dietary diversity and stable incomes.
  

Key Takeaways

• Green Revolution 2.0 is about sustainability over speed, diversity over uniformity, and sovereignty over dependence.
  
• India’s new policies — NMNF, PM-PRANAM, and millet integration — are aligning ecological goals with farmer welfare.
  
• Restoring soil, reducing chemicals, and revaluing traditional crops will build resilience against climate shocks and market volatility.
  
• The future of Indian agriculture lies in balancing technology with tradition, efficiency with equity, and productivity with ecology.
  

One-Line Wrap

India’s next agricultural revolution must heal the soil, feed the people, and empower the farmer — all at once.

UPSC Mains Question

“Discuss how Green Revolution 2.0 can redefine India’s agricultural growth by ensuring food sovereignty, ecological balance, and nutritional security.”