How can agriculture be reformed to reduce rural poverty?
More than half of India’s labor force is still employed in agriculture. Getting the rural economy moving will require reversing the slide in agricultural productivity as well as facilitating rural (non farm) entrepreneurship. While the Government of India’s agricultural strategy has been successful in attaining self-sufficiency in food, it promotes agricultural practices that are neither economically nor environmentally sustainable. Fundamental changes in agricultural policies and strategy will therefore be needed to raise agricultural productivity, sustain natural resources, and create a more equitable system for tomorrow. But a ‘one size fits all’ strategy will not be effective. Pursuing a differentiated strategy across states and even within states will require a shift in the government’s role from ‘command and control’ to one of catalyst and facilitator —in agricultural marketing, land policy and administration, agricultural research and extension, and watershed management.
