Critical Research Gap: Less Than 1% of India’s Agricultural Studies Focus on Climate Change & Sustainability
NEW DELHI, 14 April 2025: A groundbreaking analysis by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has revealed a striking blind spot in India's agricultural research ecosystem: less than 1% of PhD studies conducted over the past 80 years have addressed climate change or sustainable farming practices.
Out of more than 32,900 crop science research projects conducted from 1947 to 2023, only 128 (0.4%) focused on climate change and 104 (0.3%) on sustainable agriculture. This massive research gap comes at a time when Indian agriculture is grappling with erratic rainfall, soil degradation, and growing food security risks—all driven by the accelerating climate crisis.
Obsession with Staples: Rice & Wheat Dominate at the Cost of Resilience
India’s agriculture research landscape has long been skewed in favor of traditional staple crops, driven by decades of government policies, subsidies, and procurement systems favoring rice and wheat. While this has contributed to significant gains in food production, it has also marginalized research on crop diversity, climate adaptation, and ecological resilience.
“There's a deep policy and market bias toward rice and wheat. This limits our capacity to diversify, innovate, and future-proof Indian agriculture,” explains Prof. R.C. Agrawal, deputy director general (Agricultural Education), ICAR, who led the study titled Outlook on Agriculture.
Missed Opportunities in Agroforestry, Postharvest Tech & Water Management
The ICAR study highlights glaring underinvestment in agroforestry, postharvest technology, and water resource management—areas that are key to building a climate-resilient and sustainable agri-economy.
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Agroforestry, which integrates trees into farming systems, can boost soil health, biodiversity, and farmer incomes, but has seen minimal academic attention.
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Postharvest technology, crucial for reducing food waste and improving supply chains, remains under-researched and poorly implemented.
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Localized climate data, renewable energy use, and climate-health impacts are areas virtually ignored, says Agrawal.
Structural & Socio-Economic Barriers Limit Research Relevance
Agrawal attributes the lopsided research priorities to low funding, infrastructure deficits, and a lack of interdisciplinary collaboration. Additionally, most research is conducted in English with high technical complexity, making it inaccessible to small and marginal farmers, who often lack both the financial means and the digital tools to adopt modern practices.
Even when innovations emerge, they fail to reach the grassroots due to poor extension services, language barriers, and weak farm-level implementation mechanisms.
Time for a Paradigm Shift: Interdisciplinary, Inclusive, Impact-Driven Research
The study urges a complete reorientation of India's agricultural research agenda to focus on:
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Climate-resilient crops
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Sustainable soil and water management
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Urban agriculture and environmental health
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Renewable energy in farming
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Inclusive innovation for smallholder farmers
Agrawal emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary approaches that integrate climate science, engineering, soil biology, hydrology, and socio-economic analysis to craft actionable, region-specific solutions.
Future at Stake: Sustainability Must Drive Research & Policy
With the twin challenges of climate change and food security looming large, India must urgently bridge the gap between academic research and real-world farming. Sustainable agriculture isn’t just a niche—it’s the foundation of long-term agri-policy reform, economic resilience, and environmental stability.
As the planet warms, the stakes for Indian agriculture have never been higher. A climate-smart research strategy, backed by policy incentives, education reform, and farmer engagement, is no longer optional—it’s a national imperative.
Image credit: csis.org
