India’s Agricultural Crisis : From Wildlife Conflicts to Sustainable Farming Solutions

Today, my country is troubled—not just because of rising prices, shrinking farmland, or the pressure on farmers—but because of a problem that many urban people might not even think about: our forests and wildlife. Why are we troubled? Because humans have entered the forests. When we occupy the land that rightfully belongs to animals, those animals will naturally come into our areas. If we take away their space and their food, they will come into our fields. And when that happens, we farmers are the ones who struggle. We try to save our crops, but how much fencing can we do? How many electric lines can we put up to keep elephants and other animals away? Even after spending so much, an elephant can break through those barriers in a moment. This is not just a problem for me—it is a problem for farmers across the country. The land that was once open and natural has been taken over, and the result is that both humans and animals are now in conflict.

Our festivals too have changed. Earlier, our celebrations were linked with the harvest and the rhythms of nature. Today, our festivals are about eating different kinds of food, about commercial activity, about a separation from the land. When I think about the problems we face, I see that there are solutions, but those solutions require coordinated effort. We need to bring together scientists, policymakers, and farmers to create a clear agricultural policy that looks at the whole picture. We have endless discussions on “organic” or “natural” farming, and the government talks about it as well. But at the same time, the government is giving subsidies of ₹2.5 lakh crore to chemical fertilizers. I don’t understand this contradiction. For years I have spoken in budget sessions and in meetings, saying—why not distribute that money directly to farmers on a per-acre basis? We will keep cows, we will produce compost from cow dung, we will make our own manure. I have never put even a handful of urea in my field, nor have I sprayed chemical pesticides. My soil is alive, my crops are healthy, and I do not have to depend on foreign products.

When organisations and market agencies come to me to discuss agriculture, I sometimes ask them why they remember me only when they need a voice. We have had many discussions about bringing “virgin land” into cultivation. But I ask—where is this virgin land? In our country, the land is classified into various types, as described from ancient texts like Krishi Parashar, Bhrigu Samhita, and Burukhya Ayurveda, to modern government records. Governments have divided land into nearly nine categories. Many have objected to certain land being called “non-agricultural,” but the fact is, even land that looks barren has an ecological role. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee used to say—water should go to the roots, every field should have water, and every hand should have work. We have forgotten these basic principles.

There is a lot of talk about organic farming today. Missions are being run to promote natural farming, and ten lakh farmers have been linked to them. But here is what I don’t understand—on one side we are talking about natural farming, and on the other, we are promoting nano urea. When I studied agriculture, we were taught to encourage the use of urea. In the first year, farmers would say, “The crop looks green, but it is not bearing fruit.” Then we told them to add potash. The next year, when there was still no improvement, we suggested adding phosphates. Then micronutrients like molybdenum. We were reading books from America, importing knowledge without questioning its suitability for Indian soils. And after all these inputs, the farmer was tired and broke. Now the same system says, “Use cow dung.” But the farmer has no cows left. Tractors don’t produce manure, and the cost of keeping cattle has become too high.

What does the world need today? It needs food. Not just any food, but sufficient food. In India, we created the Food Security Act to ensure that no one goes hungry. But now we must go beyond food security to nutrition security. Our people need food that is nutritious, health-promoting, and free from dangerous chemical residues. And it must be available at an affordable price so that both farmers and consumers can live with dignity. Yet our exported consignments are often rejected because of high pesticide residue. Foreign consumers demand low-pesticide or pesticide-free food because they can afford it. But in India, the poor have no such guarantee. The Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) has rules for organic food, but why do we not have strict residue limits for all food in the domestic market? Are we not entitled to safe food?

Then there is the matter of genetically modified crops. America grows GM crops on a large scale, but most of it is fed to animals, not people. Yet, they want to sell those same crops in India for human consumption. We have been resisting this for more than two decades because we know the risks. Our fight is not against science—it is against being forced into systems that harm our soil, our farmers, and our health.

We do not need to bring so-called “virgin land” into farming to feed our people. India already has enough agricultural land. If we stop the overuse of chemicals, the soil will naturally return to life. I remember being at an agricultural exhibition in Madurai where a company tried to sell me “organic” products that they claimed would transform farming. But when I traced the source, it turned out they were importing it from as far away as Afghanistan. Why should we depend on such things when we already have what we need in our own villages? Organic farming does not require separate land—it requires a change in approach. If the government fixed proper safety and quality standards, and transferred support directly into farmers’ accounts, the farmers themselves would make the switch. Farmers are intelligent; they know how to adapt. They have simply been misled for decades into believing chemicals were the only way.

The ecological value of so-called wastelands is also something we must respect. Such land supports small native fish, beneficial insects, and other wildlife that keep our farming ecosystem balanced. I once showed a video in a parliamentary meeting of beneficial insects eating pests within seconds. Why, I asked, do we need chemical poisons when nature already has pest control mechanisms? Why can’t our scientists develop repellents based on these insects? The answer, sadly, is that much of our research and education is under the influence of foreign thinking and foreign corporations. I have read enough papers to know that our farmers could control pests simply by encouraging beneficial insect populations—without pesticides.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I saw firsthand the dedication of farmers. When everyone else was staying home, afraid of the virus, farmers were in the fields. We told them not to risk their lives by going to cities or markets. We said, “Stay in your village, grow your food, survive on what you have.” And they did. They faced police at checkpoints, stood in the sun, carried their produce into towns, and kept the country fed. The free grain the government distributed during the pandemic was from those same farmers. Yet we never officially honoured them as “Corona warriors.” We never even thanked them properly. And still, they work, still they feed us.

Our way forward must be rooted in trust in our own farmers. We must stop importing foreign farming systems blindly. We must shift subsidies from chemicals to organic inputs and direct farmer support. We must develop our own biological pest controls and strengthen our beneficial insect populations. We must have strict, enforceable safety standards for all food sold in India, not just for exports. And most importantly, we must remember that the farmer is not just a producer—he is the protector of our food security, our nutrition, and our ecological balance.

If the government, scientists, and farmers work together, within one or two years we could transform Indian agriculture. We could feed every person in this country with healthy, affordable food without poisoning our soil or water. Farmers are ready. They have been ready for years. All they need is the right support and freedom from misleading policies. We have the knowledge, we have the resources, and we have the will. The day we choose to trust and empower our farmers, India will not only be food secure but nutrition secure, ecologically secure, and self-reliant.

I have seen the strength of the Indian farmer. I have seen him endure floods, droughts, wild animals, market crashes, and pandemics. And I know this—if we stand with him, he will feed us, fully, healthily, and at a fair price. I say this with full conviction.