1. The Indian Government’s Role in
Promotion of Green Agriculture in India
Emerging Asia
This links with WJEC A2 Geography Theme
India.
1.2 How and why is the economy changing ? Changes
in traditional agriculture

2.  As part of the 10th
Five year Plan, the
Government of India has aimed to promote
organic agriculture in the country.
 The main components of this initiative
include farming of standards, negotiating
with different countries and putting in
place a system of certification for organic
products.
Increasing Investments:

3. Bio-fertilisers
 Central Government is
also promoting the
production and use of
bio-fertilizer to make it
popular.
 The Government has
initiated a project
“National Project on
Development and Use of
Bio fertilizers” for this
purpose.

4. APEDA
 Some of the efforts towards
promotion of organic exports
include attempts to
collaborate with all the major
organic importing countries.
 APEDA is the nodal agency
to promote the Indian organic
agriculture and its exports
opportunities.

6. The Greening of Indian Agriculture:
 Towards this APEDA is deliberating with
European Union for inclusion of India in the
list of Third World countries
 Some of the drivers that facilitate growth of
organic agriculture in India are
 Growing export market for organically produced crops
 Price premium for organically produced agriculture
products from10% to 100%

7. Factors driving organic farming
 Diverse agro-climate regions across the country that provides
environment for wide range of crops that can cater to
different market demands.
 Increasing awareness & health consciousness especially
among certain sectors of domestic consumers.
 Availability of comparatively cheap labour for labour-
intensive organic agriculture
 Huge numbers of small farmers, those who do the traditional
farming have very limited capacity to pay for most of the
chemical inputs into agriculture
 Presence of Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) as
active promoters of organic farming in different agro-climatic
regions

8. Factors driving organic farming
 Increasing involvement of
private companies in field
of agricultural extension,
trade, consultation and other
services
 Enhanced government
attention and support for
organic agriculture through
various policy initiations
and action programs.

9. Constraining factors
Producers’/Distributors’/Traders’ point of view:
 Lack of proper infrastructure
for distribution and
conservation of bio-inputs is a
major constraint that hinders
the access of these inputs to
farmers.
 Some climatic regions and soil
conditions are not suitable for
specific strains of organic
production.

10.  Given the mandated period of
around three years for a
conventional farm to become
an organic farm, the benefits
perceived by farmers tend to be
limited as they have a short
term orientation.
 As a result even if they are
aware, they are hesitant to
switch over to organic (green)
agricultural practices.
Constraining factors
Farmers’ point of view:

11. The government perspective
 Changing the cropping and cultivation
patterns is slow and time-consuming
process.
 Given the high levels of illiteracy and large
number of small and marginal farmers it
makes the change process difficult.
 Subsidies on chemical fertilizers and
pesticide impede the growth of organic
agriculture.

12. Discussion points
 What arguments are there in favour of organic
agriculture in India?
 What vested interests would oppose the growth of
organic agricultures and why?
 What strategies could be employed to further
promote the greening of agriculture in India?