Environmentally Sustainable Food Systemsfor Food Security and Nutrition

摘要

As one of the world's largest agrarian economies, agriculture sector in India accounts for over 14% of the GDP and 10% of country's exports. Agriculture remains the core sector, providing employment to over 50%o of the work force, food security as well as inclusive growth and development of the Indian economy. Development and infusion of appropriate technologies have enabled the annual production of over 257 mt of foodgrains and 248 mt of horticultural produce. India is among 15 leading exporters ofagricultural products.Challenges at this stage for all of us is ensuring nutritional security, with over a billion people going hungry every day and pockets of acute child malnutrition across the world. Owing to climate change impacting agriculture, biodiversity losses, natural resources degradation and competing demands, abiotic stresses, emerging pests and diseases, harvest and post-harvest losses, people are moving away from agriculture. This is amounting to 'stress agriculture' calling for changes in multiple dimensions of inputs, infrastructure, policy, governance and regulation, with science and starting point. Sustainability becomes an issue when we attempt to find livelihood options and development scenario. While the country is striving towards ensuring food security, the nutritional capabilities do warrant due attention. Thus, balancing the environmental principles in an agro-ecosystems to have optimum nutri-productivity becomes vital for sustainable agriculture per se..