At the 6th Agri Business Conclave and Awards, Dr. Kalyan Goswami, Director General of the Agro Chem Federation of India, delivered a thought-provoking address on the need to redefine sustainable agriculture in the Indian context. Framing his remarks within the evolution of India’s agricultural journey, he brought historical insight, present-day challenges, and future directions into sharp focus.
“Everyone is talking about sustainable agriculture for the last two, three decades. But why has this word become so famous—or for some, even a bad word?” he asked rhetorically, prompting the audience to reflect on the evolution and consequences of agricultural practices over time.
Dr. Goswami traced the roots of India’s agricultural transformation back to the post-independence era. “When we got our freedom in 1947, the biggest challenge in front of our policymakers was food security.” Under the guidance of Norman Borlaug, India launched the Green Revolution, initially targeting specific regions like Punjab, Haryana, and parts of Western UP.
He noted, “They used fertilisers, pesticides, high-yielding varieties, and irrigation. And the outcome? In 1998, Atal Bihari Vajpayee proudly declared in Parliament that India had become a food-surplus country.”
However, he acknowledged the darker side of this success. “Although I head the apex organisation of pesticides, I must say, we have, at certain times, excessively used fertilisers and pesticides. The soil lost its fertility. Let’s accept the fact—we cannot just hide it like a deer hiding its head in the jungle, only to be killed.”
Moving to contemporary challenges, Dr. Goswami addressed the pressing issues of population growth and urbanisation. “When India got its freedom, our population was 34 crore. Today it stands at 140 crore—four times more.” He emphasised how land holdings have drastically shrunk, exacerbated by the rise of urban real estate trends. “People are buying farmhouses within 200 kilometres of cities—Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Palwal—and visiting them once a year. Agricultural land is being wasted.”
A more alarming concern is the declining interest in agriculture as a livelihood. “Agriculture is no more remunerative. Let’s accept it. The young generation is hesitant to enter the field, though agriculture is our culture. Still, 52% of people depend on it, directly or indirectly.”
So what’s the way forward?
Mr. Goswami emphasised three pivotal strategies:
1. Balanced Practices: “We have to strike a balance between organic and inorganic. Excesses on either side won’t help. Judicious use is key.”
2. Farmer Awareness: “Federations like ours are working to educate farmers on what to use, when, and how to use it—be it fertilisers or pesticides—to ensure optimum application.”
3. Making Agriculture Profitable Again: “If agriculture remains unprofitable, we can’t expect future generations to return to the soil.”
He also challenged the narrative that India must produce everything within its borders. “It is not mandatory to produce everything in the country. Let us make a healthy mix of imports and exports. You can’t grow kiwis in India. So let us import them.”
Mr. Goswami concluded with a call for realism and pragmatism in policymaking and agri-business strategies. “Sustainability doesn’t mean going backwards. It means moving forward with responsibility—scientifically and strategically.”
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