SECOND GREEN REVOLUTION
FOR SUSTAINABLE RURAL LIVELIHOOD
Dr. Narayan G. Hegde
BAIF Development Research Foundation, Pune 411058
Green Revolution with a New Focus
Rural development in India requires priority because more than 65% of the population is
still living in villages, dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. However growth in
agriculture has been stagnant for a decade which is a serious concern to sustain the rural
economy and calls for promotion of the Second Green Revolution. In the 70’s, Indian
Green Revolution accelerated the yields of food crops like paddy, wheat, millets and oil
seeds, in Punjab, Haryana, parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. While the first Green
Revolution aimed at undertaking mass production, the second Green Revolution should be
to promote agricultural production by the masses to promote sustainable livelihood.
Priority Areas
The focus of development should be in rain-fed areas and backward regions to improve
production by establishing backward and forward linkages and building local capabilities.
Agroforestry on Degraded Lands: Sustainable livelihood being the major concern in
unirrigated areas, establishment of drought tolerant fruit crops and agri-horti-pastures is a
viable option to provide year-round employment while increasing the ground water table
and soil productivity. Crops like mango, cashew, custard apple, amla and tamarind can
provide a net income of Rs.45,000 - Rs.60,000 per ha. Intercrops having food, medicinal
and nutraceutical uses can fetch premium price, while generating income from the first
year itself. Apart from unirrigated lands, there are over 40-50 million ha of wastelands
which can be brought under agri-horti-silvi-pasture system to improve local economy.
Dairy Husbandry: Livestock development is another important opportunity to provide
gainful self-employment and food security for the poor. Among different species of
livestock, cattle and buffaloes are widely maintained for generating substantial income.
As the demand for milk is expected to rise from 100 million tons to 180 million tons/year
by the year 2022, it is an excellent opportunity for small farmers to expand their dairy
husbandry. BAIF has demonstrated potential of this sector in providing sustainable
livelihood to rural poor. There is also scope for promoting sheep and goat husbandry,
piggery and poultry for farmers who are unable to adopt dairy husbandry. Livestock being
the major source of organic manure, animal husbandry should be an integral part of
agriculture.
Efficient Management of Water Resources: Water being a crucial input for agricultural
production, watershed development and efficient water use should be ensured to improve
crop yields. As water crisis is a serious problem with the anticipated global warming,
greater awareness should be created to make efficient use of water.
Capacity Building: To ensure agricultural prosperity, it is necessary to build local
capabilities, particularly the women who contribute 65-70% labour for crop production.
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Thus, women empowerment through reduction of hardship, health care, nutritional and
educational programmes for children and training in various skills is essential for giving a
boost to agricultural production. As they are semi-literate and often lack confidence, it is
necessary to provide various essential services at their doorsteps.
Formation of Self Help Groups of farmers having common interests can be encouraged for
awareness and motivation of fellow farmers, which will also help to build critical
infrastructure to establish backward and forward linkages while launching various
programmes.
The People’s Organisations can also initiate various community
development activities.
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