India’s agricultural story is a long one, marked by significant changes since its independence. Before 1947, British rule led to a shift from growing food crops to cash crops like jute and cotton. This change, along with policies that favoured trade over farming, weakened the country’s food system and contributed to famines. The colonial government invested little in improving farming. Moneylenders also did not support agriculture as it was not profitable for them. Peasants faced high taxes and lost interest in farming.
After independence, India focused on modernisation, including heavy industry. While this brought progress, it also disrupted the balance between rural and urban areas. Industries needed labour and raw materials, taking resources away from villages. India’s goal became food security for the nation. The first Five-Year Plan put a large part of the budget into agriculture. Land reforms were introduced, but some farmers received infertile land or land that wasn’t enough to support them. The idea of cooperatives was not fully explored, and local planning through the Panchayati Raj system remained a dream.
India got caught in a ‘mega syndrome’, focusing on large projects like huge dams and canals, and promoting the large-scale production of rice. This led to a loss of India’s diverse food cultures. The situation became critical when the US stopped food exports. India then signed the ‘Food for Peace’ agreement, which pushed the country towards high-yielding varieties of seeds, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides, leading to the Green Revolution. This revolution made India self-sufficient in food but also created a reliance on Western agricultural methods and products. Subsidies were introduced for fertilizers, and the Food Corporation of India was established to support this system.
The Green Revolution, however, narrowed India’s farming to just rice and wheat. This dependence on specific seeds and chemicals led to reduced soil fertility over time. Traditional practices, like growing diverse crops in rice fields (including hay, greens, fish) and cultivating pulses for soil and health, were forgotten. The consumption of pulses decreased, while cereal consumption increased. Millets, buckwheat, and many local vegetables were also abandoned.
Despite increased food production, malnutrition and starvation remained issues. When the World Trade Organization (WTO) was formed, India, feeling self-sufficient, did not focus enough on its agricultural sector. Economic reforms in the 1990s did not benefit farmers. While incomes in other sectors grew significantly, farmers’ earnings lagged far behind. For instance, teacher salaries increased much more than the price of wheat. For decades, agriculture faced neglect. Land grabbing and evictions increased, and food imports rose, hurting local farmers and leading to migration to cities.
The Minimum Support Price (MSP) was introduced to help farmers, but it was often set below the cost of production. Farmers were, in effect, subsidising the nation. The agricultural crisis led to massive farmer protests against new farm laws, which were eventually repealed after a Supreme Court stay. The number of farmer suicides remains a serious concern. Data shows thousands of farmers and agricultural labourers die by suicide each year, with states like Maharashtra and Karnataka being the most affected. This often correlates with the introduction of genetically modified crops.
In 79 years of independence, the situation for farmers has not improved significantly. The average monthly income from farming has barely increased, and when adjusted for inflation, it has actually decreased. India has lost most of its native paddy varieties, and the Public Distribution System has reduced food diversity. Farmers now grow what seed companies allow and eat what the market provides. The question remains whether farmers and the nation deserve the freedom to choose their agricultural future.