Satavic Farms

Hunger……….

or why “high-tech science”, white coats, expensive laboratories, genetic engineering and playing God is neither necessary nor will be sufficient to feed the earth

While agribusinesses have legitimate roles in feeding populations, their current approach often prioritizes corporate profits over farmer welfare and ecological health. Agriculture is fundamentally an interaction between humans and nature, requiring solutions that respect both scientific innovation and natural systems. The key to sustainable productivity lies not in choosing between traditional and modern approaches, but in integrating the best of both – combining proven scientific advancements in soil health, biodiversity, and agroecology with farmer knowledge and locally adapted practices. Science should serve the soil and support farmers, not dominate or replace natural systems.

Hence what is required is sustainable farming technologies which harm neither farm, farmer, the environment or those who consume the food. Any agriculture system has to take a responsibility towards feeding the earth but it also has to fulfill this responsibility using sustainable and safe technologies.

The Agribusiness Narrative – A Convenient Myth

Large players in agribusiness in India have sold a story that we need to produce more food and increase productivity of our fields. They also seem convinced that they hold the key to feeding the country. Their solutions often include factory farming, genetically-modified seeds, hybrid technologies, and biofortification efforts like ‘protato’ or golden rice – technologies that aim to fight malnutrition but often ignore its deeper causes: poverty, lack of food access, and dietary diversity. Instead of engineered fixes, what people need is diverse, fresh, regionally grown food rooted in traditional nutrition systems.

The Truth About Hunger in India

The truth however is that while a vast percentage of India’s population is hungry, underfed and malnourished, India already grows sufficient food to feed its entire population. Consider these figures (all figures and calculations of 2024/25, as per Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare) :

• India today grows about 353 million tons of food grains (rice, wheat, millets and pulses) annually. This translates into over 660 grams of food grains daily for each one of its 1.46 billion citizens (that’s over 240 kilos of foodgrains per person in a year).
• We produce over 110 million tons of fruits and 220 million tons of vegetables annually, which should provide every Indian with over 620 grams of fruits and vegetables every day. In addition, we produce over 42 million tons of oilseeds annually.
• That adds up to over 3,000 calories daily from just staple foods, fruits, vegetables and oils. This excludes sugar, dairy, eggs and meat. It may be assumed that we grow sufficient food to provide our population with their required daily per capita calorie intake.
• Yet over 15% of our population is classified as hungry . The reason for this incongruity is simple – our food distribution and handling systems are inefficient and our food management policy is non-existent. Food doesn’t reach everyone for one reason or another. Here’s some “food for thought” :
  • It is estimated that around 15% of fruits and vegetables produced by Indian farmers are destroyed somewhere down the supply chain because of lack of handling and distribution systems. That’s approximately 100 grams of quality food lost per individual every day.
  • Over 74 million tons of cereals (far more than the required buffer stock of 21 million tons) are stored in warehouses, godowns, silos (and in the open) across the country at any given point of time. A substantial quantity is dumped and written off because of spoilage. Additionally, an appallingly exorbitant amount is spent annually on storing food grains in these warehouses and godowns.
  • We export around 25 million tons food grains and other agricultural produce, often at prices that are lower than domestic procurement or subsidised rates to manage excess stock or meet international commitments.

The Deeper Problem

The problem is not only one of logistics and supply chains though. Agriculture has, in the past many decades, degenerated into a largely industrialised activity with the role of nature being ignored totally. If India’s – and the rest of the world’s – growing population has to be fed, it is imperative to adopt sustainable agriculture worldwide and keep agriculture systems as close to nature as possible. It is not just unnecessary but also counterproductive to adopt and promote the latest self-serving “technology” that originates from some multinational overseas or blindly following “alien” knowledge and models.

Food grown with heavy chemical inputs or genetic modifications carries documented health and environmental risks that are often overlooked in industrial agriculture. The accumulation of pesticide residues, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and disrupted soil microbiomes creates long-term health burdens that conventional agriculture rarely accounts for in its cost-benefit calculations. Organic farming eliminates these risks by working with natural systems rather than against them. Organic farming does away with these unhealthy, short-term “production boosters” and brings into picture a diverse, healthy and sustainable crop production system.

The Shift We Need

To summarise the above, our farms and farmers have to produce not just sufficient quantities of food, but also food that is healthy and nutritious. In addition, food or any other agricultural produce must not be allowed to be wasted. Hence, while there is required to be a total conversion or reversion to organic farming, there also has to be a sea-change in our outlook towards agriculture, agricultural infrastructure and food handling. Some of these changes are :

• Redefine agriculture as a way of life : Agriculture has to be considered a way of livelihood, a lifestyle and a communication or interaction with nature. It cannot be treated as an industrial or purely commercial activity. This realisation has to sink into the government, bureaucrats, agricultural scientists, extension workers and even farmers.
  Effect : Streamlined planning, less interference, non-dependence on extraneous factors like subsidies, grants, etc.

• Resource Responsibility at the Farm Level : Farmers have to be trained, educated and motivated to use resources available to them efficiently. Resources include agricultural wastes, water and electricity. Providing free power and allowing unhindered use of groundwater resources and irrigation systems encourages wastage and over-exploitation. Subsidising chemical fertilisers will never allow farmers to realise the true economic cost of using them and reduce the motivation to make their own compost or recycle their farm wastes.
  Effect : Nationwide fiscal and ecological benefits, long-term stability of individual farms.

• Localise Input Production : Organic inputs have to be produced on-farm or by local, village-level cooperatives. This includes composts, seeds, natural pesticides, etc. Besides ecological correctness, this keeps a farmer’s costs low.
  Effect : Lower cost of food production, more control and independence in the hands of the farmer.

• Build Decentralised Post-Harvest Infrastructure : Proper post-harvest facilities must be available to farmers for handling, storing and processing their produce. An area of even ten acres or so can have its own independent small-scale processing and handling unit.
  Effect : Reduced wastage, better price realisation for farmers.

• Foster Regional Food Systems : As far as possible, regular food items should be sourced from nearby farms to reduce the ecological cost of long-distance transport and strengthen local food economies. While certain crops may still need inter-regional trade due to agro-climatic realities, building robust local supply chains for most staples should be a national priority. There are huge ecological costs involved in transporting food using fossil fuels which today nobody in the chain, including the final consumer is paying for. Moreover, to serve a distant area and help meet their needs, monoculture systems develop, affecting biodiversity and local agriculture systems.
  Effect : Reduced environmental pollution from use of fossil fuels, lower costs for consumers.

• Restore Farmer Dignity and Decision-Making Power : Farmers are not just producers – they are knowledge holders and stewards of the land. Policies must actively involve them in research, planning, and governance.
  Effect: Greater ownership, better policy relevance, and more dignified rural livelihoods.

• Rebuild Seed Sovereignty : Farmers must regain the right and ability to save, exchange, and improve traditional seed varieties, free from corporate dependence.
  Effect: Genetic diversity, climate resilience, and freedom from exploitative market cycles.

• Support Indigenous Knowledge and Agro-Ecological Practices : Traditional systems of intercropping, soil management, and rain-fed cultivation must be revived and integrated into contemporary farming support systems.
  Effect: Low-cost innovation, better climate adaptation, and revival of local food cultures.

• Align Agricultural Education and Research Institutions : Agri-universities and Krishi Vigyan Kendras must shift focus to ecological farming, farmer-led innovation, and sustainable intensification.
  Effect: Long-term realignment of national farming goals with environmental and social well-being.

• Enable Localised, Participatory Food Governance : Villages, panchayats, and farmer cooperatives should have the power to plan cropping, manage water use, and oversee local marketing.
  Effect: Reduced top-down policy failure, improved efficiency, and stronger local resilience.

Conclusion

India doesn’t need more food. It needs more wisdom - in how it farms, handles, and distributes the food it already grows. The future lies in farming systems rooted in soil, season, and self-reliance, while thoughtfully integrating beneficial innovations. This transition will require significant policy changes, infrastructure investment, and time – but the shift toward sustainable, farmer-centered agriculture is both necessary and achievable with coordinated effort.