1. Feedback from India consultation, 22 Nov, 2013
India Consultation on Sustainable Agriculture Business Principles (SABPs)
The India Consultation on Sustainable Agriculture Business Principles (SABPs) was held on 22 nd
November 2013 at India International Centre, New Delhi.
After a detailed setting of context and presentation on the White Paper, the participants were
divided into two groups with the objective of getting their feedback on the white paper on
SABPs.
The key aspects that participants were asked to consider were:
 Views on the approach & structure for principles framing
 Key issues (outcomes & factors) that have been identified & their relative prioritisation
 Content under each principle | Is the language appropriate & relevant
 Feedback on contextual factors (cultural, economic, legal) and key constraints in India
including partnership and enabling actions
The discussion groups were led by Mr. Rahul Pandey, Vice President, Responsible Banking, YES
Bank and Mr. Sudarshan Suryawanshi, CEO, Indian Society Agribusiness Professionals, an NGO
specialising in sustainable agriculture project implementation.
Each group deliberated on the white paper in context of questions raised by the presenter in
the first session for about 50 minutes and presented their respective perspectives at the end of
their deliberations.
All participants strongly endorsed the need for sustainable intensification of agriculture
although there were differences in views regarding the relative importance of identified
factors/outcomes.
Specific feedback emerged around four broad areas.
1. Indian agriculture is predominantly small farmer-led. Each of the principles would need to
incorporate this perspective. For instance, how the 'sustainable intensification' know-how is
transferred to the small farmers, how access to natural resources, financial services and
farm inputs could be enabled, how their economic viability needs to be ensured etc. to
empower the small farmer to adopt best practices in sustainable agriculture voluntarily.
2. With the purpose of the principles being "to trigger principle-based-partnerships" towards
sustainable intensification of agriculture, the final articulation must be seen from this lens;
whether all of them are articulated powerfully enough to trigger such partnerships and
aligned action.
3. In India where a large number of consumers are low-income households, and the majority
of farmers is resource-poor with small holdings, the role of Government is larger than that
the free market approach would imply. An enabling environment that goes beyond
transparent governance would be required for business to play an effective role and for
markets to work in up-scaling sustainable agriculture models and practices. It is important
Poonam Madan, Consultant/Advisor, Sustainability, New Delhi, November 2013

2. Feedback from India consultation, 22 Nov, 2013
for the government to play its due role in achievement of the outcomes; a key question is
how the government can be co-opted into strategic partnerships.
4. Several factors identified in the white paper are followed through with well-articulated
concerns and several with well-articulated action points; while some have concerns missing
and some have actions missing. Identifying one or two ideally articulated concerns and
actions, the same construct needs to be replicated for all the factors.
Feedback on enabling environment
I.
Institutions for supporting agriculture sector development need to be substantively
strengthened. For eg, NABARD (nodal agency for financing agriculture and rural
development); the agriculture cooperative marketing societies in India, which are prone to
corruption and inefficiency; as well as the agriculture extension system.
II.
Financing is critical for stability of small farmers who are among the most vulnerable to
agricultural commodity price volatility. Although the government policy on financial
inclusion mandates allocation of 40% of the banking sector lending portfolio for the priority
sector including small farmers, performance on this front has been poor for various
systemic reasons.
Outcomes prioritisation
 One group felt all the outcomes were equally important.
 The other group provided a set of priorities for India in order of ranking. The outcomes
ranking is as follows
1. Economic viability and shared value
2. Food security, health and nutrition
3. Improving access to and transfer of knowledge, skills and technology
4. Good governance and accountability
5. Human rights, decent work and thriving rural communities, and
6. Environmentally responsibility
Factors prioritisation
While one group felt all factors were important, the second group identified the following as
the most important factors with respect to Indian context:
o Supply chain
o Agriculture yield and productivity
o Optimal use of soil and water, and
o Small farmers and cooperatives
All participants further felt the need to highlight some factors critical to the Indian context
i. Priority should be given to credit accessibility and yield productivity
ii. A lot of farmers are not aware of good agriculture practices. Poor techniques of farming
lead to degradation of agriculture lands. Thus, a special focus should be on awareness and
information dissemination.
Poonam Madan, Consultant/Advisor, Sustainability, New Delhi, November 2013

3. Feedback from India consultation, 22 Nov, 2013
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
The overall theme important for enhancing productivity in India is access to affordable
technologies and innovations
India has a lot of waste land. Thus, there should be interventions to convert this waste land
into agriculture land.
Around 60 per cent of the agriculture land is rain-fed. Thus, interventions such as efficient
use of water harvesting could make agriculture more sustainable
Private sector participation in agriculture extension work needs to be enhanced
substantially.
Feedback on structure/frame
There is lack of consistency in the framing approach. In the case of some factors, both concerns
and actions have been distinctively articulated, while in others, either only concerns or only
actions have been articulated. The principles too need better articulation of actionable aspects.
Example of good articulation while explaining critical factors:
Factor
Concerns
Actions
Small scale
producers’
big share in
output &
trade
Poor access to information, inputs,
technology and finance
Vulnerable - eg to extreme weather
and price volatility
Support cooperatives, producer organisations
Larger businesses ensure fair, long-term
relationships
Encourage viability of small scale farming
Energy
efficiency
Modern agriculture, driven by the
ready availability of fossil fuels for
farm machinery, transport and
fertilisers, has improved yields and
efficiency -- but also contributed to
GHGs and linked food affordability to
fuel-price volatility.
Use energy more efficiently; increase usage
of field waste products to generate energy;
and promote development of alternative and
renewable sources in a balanced manner that
does not compete with need for food.
Example of inadequate articulation
Workers’
Rights,
Welfare and
Migrant
Workers
Poor pay, working conditions and
discrimination;
Lack of representative bodies, job
security, social protection;
Safety and health risks;
Forced labour
Decent working conditions for all workers
Principles-based feedback
SABP # 1: Be environmentally responsible

There is need for restoration of soil fertility damaged by repeated agricultural practices and
a need to balance land degradation with agriculture on a sustainable basis.

In context of balancing growing demands from agriculture with environmental pressures,
fodder must be added to the list of food, fuel and fibre
Poonam Madan, Consultant/Advisor, Sustainability, New Delhi, November 2013

4. Feedback from India consultation, 22 Nov, 2013

While the second group felt that agriculture doesn’t contribute to climate change as much
as industry and transportation; the linkage between this principle and SABP#5 was that
farmers need to be made aware of the impacts of climate change on agriculture.

Both groups agreed that there should a balance of existing/traditional and modern
knowledge. This should help in producing better sustainable agriculture practices.
SABP # 2: Economic viability and shared value
 Instead of using the term “small-scale”, the language should be “small and marginal
farmers” in the Indian context
 There should be some mechanism to prevent farmer communities’ dependence on a single
company (supplying inputs or purchasing produce) as this makes farmers more vulnerable
 Business should share risks with farmers in distress situations
 There should be proper crop-specific policies/approaches instead of simply focusing on
size/scale of farmers.
 Farmers need to have an effective institutionalised representative body
 There is need for a sustainable finance model for agriculture
 Land fragmentation is a problem. There is need for legislation to curb reduction in size of
land holdings beyond a point
SABP # 3: Human rights, decent work & thriving rural communities
 The word workers should be replaced with agriculture workers to have more clarity
 Farmers’ rights need to be factored in with a strong focus
 There should be a consortium for farmers, which could act as a central body to address
farmer’s grievances.
SABP # 4: Good governance and accountability
 Given how knowledge dissemination is critical, the accountability of agricultural extension
officers at the district level (operative level in a decentralised implementation system in
India) needs to be redefined. This aspect has a strong association with the enabling
environment
SABP # 5: Knowledge, skills and technology

While providing access to new technology to farmers is important it should be balanced
with the existing knowledge pool.

Farmers should be educated on climate change and its impact on agriculture.
SABP # 6: Food security, health and nutrition

There’s no mention of food safety and traceability through supply chain. India has a new
food safety regulation which conceptually includes the primary producer level, but there is
definite need to reflect on this aspect as a business principle, given the indiscriminate use of
pesticides and other chemicals both at farm level and in subsequent stages of the value
chain.
Poonam Madan, Consultant/Advisor, Sustainability, New Delhi, November 2013