The Indian government’s commitment to agriculture is a global success story. Since Independence in
1947, India has succeeded in significantly reducing the number of people living in poverty.
In the early 1960s, India introduced "Green Revolution" technologies: high-yielding grain varieties, fertilizer, pesticides and irrigation. By the early 1990s, India was self-sufficient in food-grain production. But not everyone has enough access to the food produced, and India is still the country with the most poor people on our globe: of India’s 1028 million people (in 2001), around 300 million people were classified as "poor", and the majority of these live in rural areas. India’s ability to reduce poverty will determine the overall success of achieving
United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDG1-"eradicate extreme poverty and hunger").
Most people in rural India depend directly or indirectly on farming for their livelihood. Despite this, not enough attention has been given to agriculture to overcome poverty. The importance of agriculture to stimulate rural growth is generally accepted, but politicians have failed to establish the necessary frame conditions for rural economic growth.It is widely accepted that agricultural growth and human development (in the fields of education,health and women’s issues) are key factors for rural development.The World Bank,the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, as well as bilateral development agencies agree that investment in agricultural growth helps reduce poverty and ensure pro-poor growth more than any other form of intervention.
The agricultural sector has potential to create economic growth in rural areas. It generates job opportunities in adding value (as in the food processing industry), in bringing agricultural
products to the consumer (market linkages), and in providing support (infrastructure, information,
quality control and training). Rising populations mean more demand for food. Improved standards of living in much of the world also mean greater demand for quality food (more meat, dairy products and organic food). If these demands are to be met, national farm outputs must rise, and farmers must produce different types of products. In addition, access to food must be improved for those who still cannot meet their basic needs, wherever they live – in remote rural areas, marginal areas or urban slums.
India is a vast, diverse country. The 28 States and seven Union Territories differ vastly in terms of their natural resources, administrative capacity and economic performance. The northern and northeastern states, especially, are still very poor. There is a wide range of scientific knowledge on how to practise sustainable agriculture; what is missing are the steps needed to implement these techniques on a much larger scale.
1947, India has succeeded in significantly reducing the number of people living in poverty.
In the early 1960s, India introduced "Green Revolution" technologies: high-yielding grain varieties, fertilizer, pesticides and irrigation. By the early 1990s, India was self-sufficient in food-grain production. But not everyone has enough access to the food produced, and India is still the country with the most poor people on our globe: of India’s 1028 million people (in 2001), around 300 million people were classified as "poor", and the majority of these live in rural areas. India’s ability to reduce poverty will determine the overall success of achieving
United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDG1-"eradicate extreme poverty and hunger").
Most people in rural India depend directly or indirectly on farming for their livelihood. Despite this, not enough attention has been given to agriculture to overcome poverty. The importance of agriculture to stimulate rural growth is generally accepted, but politicians have failed to establish the necessary frame conditions for rural economic growth.It is widely accepted that agricultural growth and human development (in the fields of education,health and women’s issues) are key factors for rural development.The World Bank,the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, as well as bilateral development agencies agree that investment in agricultural growth helps reduce poverty and ensure pro-poor growth more than any other form of intervention.
The agricultural sector has potential to create economic growth in rural areas. It generates job opportunities in adding value (as in the food processing industry), in bringing agricultural
products to the consumer (market linkages), and in providing support (infrastructure, information,
quality control and training). Rising populations mean more demand for food. Improved standards of living in much of the world also mean greater demand for quality food (more meat, dairy products and organic food). If these demands are to be met, national farm outputs must rise, and farmers must produce different types of products. In addition, access to food must be improved for those who still cannot meet their basic needs, wherever they live – in remote rural areas, marginal areas or urban slums.
India is a vast, diverse country. The 28 States and seven Union Territories differ vastly in terms of their natural resources, administrative capacity and economic performance. The northern and northeastern states, especially, are still very poor. There is a wide range of scientific knowledge on how to practise sustainable agriculture; what is missing are the steps needed to implement these techniques on a much larger scale.
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