Subsidising Food Crisis

Intensive agriculture, with high use of synthetic fertilisers and chemical pesticides, was introduced in India in the 1960s as part of the Green Revolution. As a result, synthetic fertilisers’ consumption increased from a mere 0.07 million tonnes (Mt) in 1950-51 to a staggering 23.15 Mt in the year 2008-09. This contributed to the growth of food production in the country, but nearly five decades down the line, indiscriminate use of these synthetics has degraded the natural resource base, especially the soil. As a consequence, food production is no longer increasing and is now affected by diminishing returns and falling dividends in agriculture intensive areas.