A New Paradigm for Indian Agriculture from Agroindustry to Agroecology

Abstract

A New Paradigm for Indian Agriculture: From Agroindustry to Agroecology examines the transformation of Indian agriculture and argues that the expansion of industrial farming has increased land productivity but has also resulted in significant environmental damage without adequately improving agricultural labour productivity. The paper highlights the challenge of simultaneously increasing farm productivity, sustainability, and resilience to climate change. It argues that India’s existing path of structural transformation is not sustainable and proposes a shift towards agroecological principles at scale. Agroecology is presented as a potential approach for reducing dependence on external inputs, enhancing biodiversity, supporting small farmers, and improving the sustainability and resilience of agricultural systems