As the world observes World Hunger Day on May 28, 2025, with the poignant theme "Sowing Resilience," the focus sharpened on the critical intersection of climate change, food security, and agricultural sustainability. For India, a nation with a vast agricultural backbone and the world's largest population, the day serves as a stark reminder of its ongoing battles and noteworthy strides in feeding its people. While recent agricultural estimates for 2024-2025 paint a picture of record harvests in key crops, the ground reality for millions of Indian farmers and a significant portion of the populace remains a complex tapestry of challenges, including climate vagaries, market fluctuations, and the enduring quest for nutritional security.

 

India's agricultural landscape in 2024-2025 has been marked by a paradoxical scenario. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare's second advance estimates heralded record production figures for rice, wheat, and maize. This achievement, driven by favorable monsoon spells in some regions and dedicated farmer efforts, underscores the nation's potential to meet its food demands. For instance, wheat production was projected at a record 115.43 million tonnes, and Kharif rice output also touched new highs.

 

However, this optimistic macro-view often overshadows the micro-level struggles. The theme "Sowing Resilience" is particularly pertinent to India, where agriculture is predominantly rain-fed and highly susceptible to the escalating impacts of climate change. The year 2024 witnessed erratic monsoon patterns, with some regions grappling with scanty rainfall and drought-like conditions, while others faced unseasonal, intense downpours leading to crop damage.

 

The Persistent Challenges:

Climate Change: The increasing frequency of extreme weather events like heatwaves and unseasonal rains directly impacts crop yields and quality. For example, farmers in states like Rajasthan and parts of Maharashtra have faced severe water scarcity, affecting the sowing and growth of crucial crops. Conversely, untimely heavy rains in states like Punjab and Haryana, while sometimes beneficial, have also led to waterlogging and damaged standing crops in vulnerable areas. The NABARD working paper "Enhancing Resilience of Indian Agriculture to Climate Shocks" (2025) highlighted that a 1% rise in temperature (around 0.26°C annually) could lead to a 6.5% decline in foodgrain yields if adaptive measures like increased irrigation are not implemented. (Related reading -increased irrigation are not implemented. (Related reading - https://www.garp.org/risk-intelligence/sustainability-climate/inside-indias-agricultural-250115

 

Water Scarcity: Despite significant irrigation infrastructure, a large percentage of Indian agriculture remains dependent on groundwater, which is depleting at an alarming rate. The push for water-intensive crops like paddy and sugarcane in certain regions, driven by Minimum Support Prices (MSPs), exacerbates this crisis. (Related Reading - https://www.downtoearth.org.in/water/70-80-indian-farmers-depend-on-groundwater-solar-irrigation-inadequate-to-change-crop-choices-report-91054#:~:text=70%2D80%25%20Indian%20farmers%20depend,Water

 

Small Landholdings: The agricultural sector is dominated by small and marginal farmers (over 85% owning less than 2 hectares), who often lack access to credit, modern technology, and adequate market linkages. This fragmentation limits their ability to invest in resilient farming practices and achieve economies of scale. (Related Reading -https://www.smsfoundation.org/the-challenges-and-opportunities-for-agriculture-development-in-india/#:~:text=The%20agriculture%20sector%20in%20India,difficult%20for%20them%20to%20compete

 

Market Volatility and Post-Harvest Losses: Farmers frequently contend with price volatility, often not receiving remunerative prices for their produce despite bumper harvests due to supply gluts or lack of adequate storage and processing facilities. Post-harvest losses remain a significant concern, diminishing the actual food available for consumption.

 

Food Security and Malnutrition: While India has made strides in food grain production and runs the extensive Public Distribution System (PDS) under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), challenges in nutritional security persist. According to recent reports like the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) and the Global Hunger Index, a considerable portion of the Indian population, especially women and children, still suffers from malnutrition and lacks access to a sufficiently nutritious diet. The KPMG report on "Food and Nutritional Security in India" (February 2025) noted that while the PDS covers over 80 crore people, issues like leakages and ensuring access to a diverse, healthy diet remain areas of focus.

 

Government Initiatives and Seeds of Resilience:

The Indian government has rolled out numerous initiatives aimed at bolstering the agricultural sector and ensuring food security. Schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) provide direct income support to farmers. The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) offers crop insurance against natural calamities. The e-NAM (National Agriculture Market) platform aims to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities, improving price discovery for farmers.

 

Specific missions focusing on pulses, oilseeds, horticulture, and promoting climate-resilient crop varieties and sustainable practices like natural farming are also underway. The emphasis on millets (Shree Anna) as nutrient-rich and climate-hardy crops is a step towards diversifying the food basket and enhancing nutritional outcomes.

 

Examples of Resilience in Action:

Amidst the challenges, numerous examples of resilience are emerging across the country:

• Climate-Smart Agriculture in Haryana: Farmers in certain districts of Haryana, with support from agricultural universities and NGOs, are adopting climate-smart practices such as zero-tillage farming, crop diversification away from water-guzzling paddy, and laser land leveling to conserve water and improve soil health.

• Water User Associations in Maharashtra: In drought-prone regions of Maharashtra, community-led Water User Associations are playing a crucial role in the equitable distribution and efficient use of scarce water resources for irrigation, enabling farmers to cultivate less water-intensive but remunerative crops.

• Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in Tamil Nadu: FPOs are empowering smallholder farmers by providing collective bargaining power, access to better inputs, technology, and direct market linkages, thereby improving their income and resilience against market shocks. For instance, FPOs dealing in horticultural produce have managed to establish direct supply chains to urban consumers and food processing units.

• Integrated Farming Systems in Odisha: Tribal communities in regions like Koraput are being encouraged to adopt integrated farming systems that combine agriculture, horticulture, livestock, and fishery. This diversification not only enhances food security but also provides multiple income streams, making families more resilient to failures in a single crop or enterprise.

The Path Forward:

World Hunger Day 2025 underscores that for India, "Sowing Resilience" means more than just boosting production figures. It requires a multi-pronged approach:

• Strengthening Climate Adaptation and Mitigation: Investing in climate-resilient crop varieties, promoting water-use efficiency through micro-irrigation, and supporting agroforestry and conservation agriculture are crucial.

• Empowering Smallholders: Enhancing access to credit, technology, and markets for small and marginal farmers through robust FPOs and improved infrastructure is vital.

• Ensuring Nutritional Security: Moving beyond mere calorie sufficiency to focus on dietary diversity and access to nutritious food for all, particularly vulnerable sections. This involves strengthening the PDS with fortified foods and promoting local food systems.

• Robust Policy and Implementation: Effective and timely implementation of government schemes, coupled with continuous monitoring and farmer-centric policy-making, will be key.

As India navigates its agricultural paradox of record harvests alongside persistent vulnerabilities, the spirit of "Sowing Resilience" must be embedded in every policy, innovation, and community action to ensure a food-secure and hunger-free future for all its citizens.