Beyond rice and wheat: Why India needs greater crop diversity

By Sudhansu R. Das* 

Crop diversity is essential for ensuring food and nutritional security. A diverse agricultural system not only provides a wider range of nutritious foods but also strengthens resilience against climate change, pests, diseases, and market fluctuations. While global food demand continues to rise, crop diversity has been declining at an alarming rate, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of food systems.

Over the past several decades, many industrialised countries have reduced their dependence on agriculture as their economies shifted toward manufacturing and services. Large-scale farming, focused on a limited number of crops, became the dominant model, supported by mechanisation, advanced technology, and substantial government subsidies. According to available estimates, agricultural subsidies account for a significant share of farm income in both the United States and the European Union. Despite these supports, farmers in many developed countries continue to face financial stress, debt, and market uncertainty.

Globally, food production has become increasingly concentrated. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), around 75 percent of the world's food comes from just 12 plant species and five animal species. Rice, wheat, and maize alone provide nearly 60 percent of the calories and proteins derived from plants. The FAO has cautioned that dependence on a narrow range of crops makes food systems more vulnerable to pests, diseases, droughts, and other climate-related shocks. Preserving agricultural biodiversity, therefore, is increasingly viewed as a critical component of global food security.

The trend towards monocropping has also affected several Asian countries, including India. Punjab, for example, has witnessed a significant expansion of rice and wheat cultivation over the past several decades, while the area under other crops has steadily declined. Although the state has played a central role in India's food grain production, concerns have emerged regarding groundwater depletion, soil degradation, and rising farm indebtedness. Agricultural economists have pointed out that financial distress among farmers remains widespread despite access to modern technologies, hybrid seeds, minimum support prices, and periodic loan waivers. These developments suggest that technological advancement alone may not be sufficient to ensure sustainable agricultural growth.

Farm distress is not confined to Punjab. States such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh have also reported high levels of agrarian distress despite the adoption of improved farming technologies. Agricultural experts have argued that cultivating crops unsuited to local soil and climatic conditions can increase production risks. For instance, some researchers have linked the extensive cultivation of Bt cotton in ecologically vulnerable regions of Vidarbha with recurring crop failures, although farmer distress is widely understood to result from multiple factors, including indebtedness, fluctuating market prices, and weather-related uncertainties.

India has also experienced a substantial decline in traditional crop varieties. Conservationists note that thousands of indigenous rice varieties have disappeared since the Green Revolution, which emphasised high-yielding varieties and monoculture. Although several thousand traditional rice varieties still exist, many continue to face the risk of extinction. Similar trends have been observed in states such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha, where traditional rice cultivation has declined due to rising labour costs, limited market support, changing consumer preferences, and inadequate systems for seed conservation. The disappearance of these indigenous varieties may reduce not only biodiversity but also the availability of crops adapted to local climatic conditions.

Some analysts attribute India's agricultural challenges primarily to fragmented landholdings. However, several studies have suggested that small farms can be highly productive when managed efficiently. A review published in Nature, covering 118 studies across 51 countries over five decades, concluded that small farms often achieve higher yields per unit area while supporting ecological sustainability. In India, where most agricultural holdings are relatively small, farmers can cultivate multiple crops, vegetables, fruits, herbs, and other complementary produce on the same land. Such diversification can spread production risks, improve soil health, generate additional income, and strengthen household nutrition.

India's future food security will depend not only on increasing agricultural output but also on making farming more resilient and environmentally sustainable. Crop diversification offers an opportunity to improve nutrition, conserve biodiversity, reduce production risks, and enhance farmers' livelihoods. Policymakers may therefore consider developing a comprehensive strategy that promotes diversified farming systems through research, seed conservation, market access, extension services, and appropriate price support. A balanced approach that combines productivity with biodiversity could contribute significantly to ensuring long-term food and nutritional security for the country.

---

*Contact: sudhansuranjandas2007@gmail.com