Agri Policy Shift: Utilitarian to Deontological

New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) Union Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi on Saturday called for a fundamental shift in the country's agricultural policy from a purely utilitarian approach to one based on ethical principles, as the world's most populous nation seeks to balance food security with environmental sustainability.

Speaking at the valedictory session of the M S Swaminathan Centenary International Conference here, Chaturvedi said India's Green Revolution had been driven by utility-focused methods that prioritised production over environmental concerns.

"As we moved ahead in the Green Revolution, we moved forward with a utilitarian concept. Now we have to change from utilitarian to deontological concept," Chaturvedi said, referring to ethical frameworks that judge actions by their adherence to moral rules rather than just their outcomes.

The agriculture secretary questioned the current farming practices, asking whether the country was using excess pesticides, irrigation and underground water to achieve production targets.

He stressed that policy changes should ensure sustainable production methods that protect the environment while maintaining productivity levels.

"The policy story has to ensure we change from utilitarian to deontological concepts to achieve higher production and productivity using methods that not only ensure sustainable production and livelihood but also protect the environment," he said.

India's Green Revolution, launched in the 1960s, transformed the country from a food-deficit nation into a major agricultural producer through high-yielding crop varieties, increased fertiliser use, and expanded irrigation. The initiative made India self-reliant in wheat and rice production.

Chaturvedi noted that while India was close to achieving self-reliance in pulses, the country was still working towards the same goal in oilseeds, though he expressed confidence that new crop varieties under development would help achieve this target.

The agriculture secretary stressed that food security and sustainable farming were critical issues because agriculture represented not just an economic sector but a livelihood concern for millions of farmers.

"Food and nutritional security and sustainable agriculture are important because agriculture is not an economic issue but a livelihood issue," he said, noting that policies must consider the large workforce, particularly smallholder farmers, engaged in the agricultural sector.