Food Security Through Sustainable Agriculture: A Prospective Study in the Indian Context

Food Security is defined by the U.N. Committee as, “all people, at all times, having physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life.” Since the primary objective of agriculture is to provide food for humans, the agricultural sector holds the paramount position in ensuring food security in a Nation. India’s agricultural landscape has undergone a remarkable transformation since its independence, evolving from a nation heavily dependent on food imports in the early 1960s to a prominent exporter of diverse agricultural products. This remarkable shift is largely attributed to the transformative impact of the Green Revolution, a period of agricultural innovation that ushered in a new era of food security and self-sufficiency for India. While the population will likely exceed 1.66 billion by 2050, food demand will probably reach 481 million tonnes. But Indian agriculture is confronted with constraints such as rapidly growing population leading to land and water shortages, effects of climate change, inappropriate usage of fertilizers and pesticides, etc., all of which collectively will exacerbate India’s food security in the upcoming decades. To tackle this issue, sustainable agriculture can assume a crucial role in guaranteeing the provision of nutritious food that is within reach of everyone, achieved by responsible management of natural resources to maintain ecological balance while meeting the present and future food demands of the people. This paper attempts to illustrate the role of sustainable agricultural methods in securing India’s food supply, thereby aiding India in progressing towards the SDG of Zero Hunger in the future.