FOOD RESOURCE

BY

CHAKRAVA

Foodis any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually ofplantoranimalorigin, and contains essentialnutrients, such as carbohydrates,fats,proteins,vitamins, orminerals. The substance is ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism's cells in an effort to produce energy, maintain life, or stimulate growth.

Indian Agriculture

Agriculture Sector is changing the socio-economic environments of the population due to liberalization and globalization About 75% people are living in rural areas and are still dependent on Agriculture. About 43% of Indias geographical area is used for agricultural activity Agriculture continues to play a major role in Indian Economy

Provides about 65% of the livelihood Accounts for 27% of GDP Growth Rate in production - 5.7% Food grains production 211.17 mt Contributes 21% of Total Exports, and Supplies Raw materials to Industries

Indias position in world Agriculture

Rank

Total Area Seventh Irrigated Area Population Second Economically Active population Total Cereals Wheat Second Rice Second Coarse grains Fourth Total Pulses Oil Seeds Second

First Second Third

First

Total Geographical Area (TGA) 329 M.H Potential for Biological Production 265 M.H Net Sown Area (NSA) 143 M.H Net Irrigated Area 56 M.H Area threatened by land degradation - 50% of T GA Drought-prone Area - 190 M.H

Mile Stones in Agricultural Development

Green

Revolution (1968) Ever-Green Revolution (1996) Blue Revolution (water, fish) White Revolution (Milk) Yellow Revolution (flower, edible) Bio-Technology Revolution ICT Revolution

Development of Indian Agriculture : Basic Issues

Revitalization of Cooperative Institutions Improving Rural Credits Research, Education & Extension Human Resources Development Trade & Export Promotion Land Reforms Enabling Environment for higher Agricultural Growth

The thrust areas:

Diversification Inter-cropping Micro

of Agriculture

Management Water Management Organic Farming Agri-Clinics and Agri-business Centres Bio-Technology

Efforts on Policies, strategies and Frameworks

National Agriculture Policy (2000) National Seeds policy (2002) Cooperative Policy Agricultural Price policy Agricultural Extension Framework (2001) WTO/GATT agreement (1994)
In addition to, various working groups, taskforces, mid-term appraisals and plan schemes (~68)

(for further details www.agricoop.nic.in)

Technologies for Sustainable Agricultural Development

Biotechnology Pre

& post harvesting technology Energy saving technology Environment protection technology Information and Communication technology GIS & RS technology Internet/Intranet Technology

Ecosystem Services of Natural Areas:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Wildlife habitat (protect species) Flood and erosion control Soil formation/maintenance Groundwater recharge Recycle wastes (nutrient cycles) and break down pollutants

Pasture and Open Rangeland

Predominantly grasses with a fibrous root system. Rangelands occupy about 26% of the worlds land surface.

Pasture and Open Rangeland

There is twice as much permanent grazing land as area given to agricultural crops in the world. Much of the western Great Plains and the Prairie provinces of Canada fall in this category.

Pasture and Open Rangeland:

Carefully managed, grazing can be sustained in grasslands (with the loss of a few grazing-intolerant plant species), because most species are tolerant of being grazed.

Pasture and Open Rangeland:

Benefits of grazing include: Hooves create seed-to-soil contact Natural grazers break soil crusts that keep seeds from growing Grazers trample standing vegetation into mulch Grazers act like living compost piles, turning vegetation into high-quality fertilizer By pruning stale growth, they keep forage plants at peak production

Pasture and Open Rangeland:

Effects of overgrazing grazing include: Compacting soil thus preventing seeds from germinating and water from seeping into soil. Overfeeding on plants not allowing them time to recover and adequately root.

Overgrazing
Overgrazing is when plants are consumed such that the plant community does not quickly recover. recover 1/3rd of the worlds range is severely degraded by overgrazing, making it the largest cause of soil degradation. degradation

Overgrazing
The first symptom of overgrazing is the loss of palatable species of herbs and grasses. Continued overgrazing compacts the soil, strips the ground bare, and leads to erosion.

Desertification
Continued degradation leads to a fertile land becoming more desert-like. Without plants to hold soil moisture, surface runoff increases, wells dry, the microclimate becomes inhospitable for plants, and deserts occur.

Desertification
In Africa, deserts have increased by 50 million hectares, and humid or semiarid lands have decreased by that amount. Is human activity responsible?

Remember the Tragedy of the Commons

Any commonly held resource becomes degraded or destroyed because the narrow self-interests of individuals tend to outweigh the public interests.

Forests and Forest Products

The amount of fuel wood consumed by each person in developing countries is roughly equal to that used as paper products by each American. Demand for fuel wood will be twice the available supply in just 25 years.

The Rates of Deforestation Are Increasing

Causes of Tropical Rainforest Destruction

Commercial Logging: tropical forests harvested for timber. Subsistence agriculture: slash and burn tactics (also called swidden or milpa agriculture). Cattle ranching: After commercial harvesting or after subsistence agriculture, or on its own. own

Slash and Burn (Swidden or Milpa Agriculture.

Farmers clear a small plot (2 acres), burn the dried plants to provide a burst of nutrients (and ash is basic, increasing the release of minerals from clay). On field, they practice polyculture (using some perennials). Banana/plantain, papayas, cassava and sweet potato (root crops), beans (increase nitrogen), and maize (plots hold the soil because there is a variety of roots). In time, the plot is given over to encroaching forest because the fertility has decreased, and the farm begins in a new area.

Milpa Agriculture
Depends on land to rotate through. If the farm remains long term, the productivity of the land declines. Higher populations are increasing the pressure on the land and not allowing enough time for recovery.

Cattle Ranching
Ranching often introduced after commercial harvesting or after subsistence agriculture, or on its own. Tropical soils are Oxisols and ultisols - soils that are highly leached and nutrient poor. Minerals are locked up in the vegetation; if vegetation is lost, minerals are lost. So, it is hard to go from a pasture back to a forest again.

Kinds of cutting: Clear cutting: removal of all wood in a compartment. Strip cutting: harvesting strips within a compartment on a rotational basis. Selective cutting: planned removal of individual trees or small groups of trees within a forest stand.

Clear Cutting:
Cost effective because large machines can be used, making it easier to fell, trim and skid logs. But: 1. Eliminates almost all habitat 2. Increases soil erosion greatly 3. Favors early succession tree species and deer (game) 4. Increases soil and water temperatures. Sometimes seed trees or nurse plants left

Clear Cutting:

Clear Cutting:

Strip Cutting
1. Reduces erosion compared to clear cutting 2. Provides seed sources for establishment,

But strip cutting still favors early successional tree species and edge animals.

Selective Cutting
Favors the more shade-tolerant trees like red spruce, sugar maple and hemlock because the shade is not broken. 2. Provides a continuing supply of food and cover for wildlife throughout the life of the forest. 3. An uneven-aged stand is particularly favorable to birds.

Selective Cutting
Need intensive skilled management to prevent degradation of the remaining stand (genetically superior trees are likely to be removed). Management and skidding costs are likely to be higher, road construction and maintenance must be more extensive. High grading - taking out the few choice trees for profit and leaving the rest. Lowest impact, but requires other skidding techniques.

The Food Security Scenario in South Asia

Country Food Production Food Exports Food Imports Food Balance

Bangladesh India Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka

26,924 1,74,655 5,839 24,936 1,938

1.6 9,490 11 2,966 9.8

2,827 56 39 288 1,307

-4,601 23,826 57 3,818 252

Source: FAO, 2004. Figures in thousand metric tones for 2002

Indias Annual Growth Rate

Year income 1951-79 1980-91 1992-06 GDP Per capita

3.6 5.6 6.5

1.3 3.5 4.7

P o p u la t io n , G D P a n d F o o d g r a in P r o d u c t io
1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0
1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2006

P o p u la tio n GDP F o o d g r a in P r o d u c tio n

Growth of GDP in India

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
1992- 1993- 1994- 1995- 1996- 1997- 1998- 1999- 2000- 2001- 2002- 2003- 2004- 200593 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 6.2 7.0 7.3 7.5 5.1 6.5 6.1 4.4 5.6 4.4 8.5 7.5 8.4

5.1 annual increase

F o o d g r a in P r o d u c t io n ( m illio n t o n n e s )
215 205 195 185 175 165

1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 192.3 203.6 209.8 196.8 211.9 174.2 210.8

Series1 199.4

Foodgrain exports in million tonnes 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

Total exports 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 4.685 12.385 10.308 0.753 Total 28.131

% of Work Force dependent on Agriculture

71 68
6 6 .5 6 9 .5 6 9 .7

65 62 59
19 61 19 71 19 81

6 4 .8

5 9 .8

19 91

20 01

Poverty
Percentage below poverty line 1973
1987

56 39 35 26 28

1994 1999 2004

There should be no food insecurity in India

Both GDP and foodgrain production have risen faster than the growth in population over the last 50 years
And yet chronic hunger and starvation persist in large sections of the population. There has been a declining calorie consumption especially in the bottom 30% of the population.

N e t a v a i la b il it y o f f o o d g r a in s p e r c a p it a p e r d a y
500 480 460 440 420 400

1951

1956

1961

1966

1971

1976

1981

1986

1991

1996

2001

India has the largest food schemes in the World

Entitlement Feeding Programmes

ICDS (All Children under six, Pregnant and lactating mother) MDMS (All Primary School children)

Food Subsidy Programmes

Targeted Public Distribution System (35 kgs/ month of subsidised food grains Annapurna (10 kgs of free food grain for destitute poor)

Employment Programmes
National Rural Employment Scheme (100 days of employment at minimum

wages)

Social Safety Net Programmes

National Old Age Pension Scheme (Monthly pension to BPL) National Family Benefit Scheme (Compensation in case of death of bread winner

to BPL families)