MUMBAI, 14 July 2025: India’s agriculture sector, which supports more than half of the population, is increasingly under threat due to the growing impact of climate change. Rising temperatures, erratic monsoons, prolonged dry spells, and extreme rainfall events are already disrupting farming practices and lowering crop productivity across multiple regions.
These disruptions are not uniform. According to experts, small and marginal farmers, especially in rainfed and hilly areas, bear the brunt of climate variability. These farmers, many of whom are women, often lack access to irrigation, formal markets, or climate-resilient technologies.
Heat and Hunger: The Emerging Nexus
Scientific studies suggest that climate change is affecting every stage of crop production—from sowing to harvest. Crops like wheat, rice, and maize face reduced yields due to heat stress, delayed flowering, and unseasonal rains. A projected 2.5–4.9°C rise in temperature could lower wheat and rice yields by over 40%, posing a serious threat to national food security.
Added to this, prolonged use of chemical fertilisers and monoculture practices have caused soil degradation and micronutrient loss. Elevated CO₂ levels have also been linked to declining protein, iron, and zinc levels in key staples, worsening malnutrition.
Women and Smallholders: Most at Risk
Women farmers and landless labourers are especially vulnerable during periods of food scarcity. “Women are more likely to eat last and least,” says a report on food insecurity, and the effects of climate stress deepen these disparities.
Regions such as Odisha, Uttarakhand, and Marathwada are witnessing climate-driven migration, with farmers leaving their land due to increasing soil salinity, water scarcity, or pest outbreaks. In places like Madhya Pradesh, price crashes in perishable crops like tomatoes have resulted in distressed sales or outright wastage.
Systemic Gaps in Climate Preparedness
India’s smallholder farmers, who account for 85% of the agricultural workforce, often operate without access to reliable credit, insurance, or storage facilities. In many cases, well-meaning schemes such as organic farming promotion or high-value crop cultivation remain inaccessible due to cost barriers and lack of market integration.
Government reports acknowledge that input subsidies and procurement policies continue to favour wheat and paddy over climate-resilient crops like millets. As a result, the transition to climate-smart agriculture remains patchy.
Emerging Pathways to Resilience
Despite challenges, several models of climate adaptation are showing promise:
- Zero tillage practices in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, have reduced input costs and improved water efficiency.
- Millet cultivation in dry zones is helping revive soil health and address hidden hunger.
- Organic and regenerative techniques, including composting and agroforestry, are being promoted through phased models in Kerala and Madhya Pradesh.
Community-led collectives are integrating women’s self-help groups into governance systems, enabling access to drought-proof crops and nutrition services.
Experts warn that without significant policy shifts, climate shocks will exacerbate rural poverty, food insecurity, and ecological degradation. Strengthening local resilience, revamping input subsidies, and empowering women and smallholders must become central to India's agricultural policy.
As India navigates this climate-altered future, the intersection of nutrition, livelihoods, and ecology will remain at the heart of its rural development challenge.
Image credit: dailypioneer.com
