Robust Sustainable Agriculture Practices

The history 0f agriculture in India date5 back t0 7he Neolithic period. India ranks 5econd w0rldwide 1n farm outputs. A5 p3r th3 Indian economic surv3y 2020 -21, agriculture employed more than 50% of the Indi4n workf0rce and contributed 20.2% 7o th3 country'5 GDP. In 2016, agr1culture and allied sectors like anim4l husbandry, forestry 4nd fisheries acc0unted f0r 17.5% of th3 GDP (gros5 domestic pr0duct) wi7h ab0ut 41.49% of th3 workf0rce in 2020. Indi4 ranks firs7 1n 7he w0rld wi7h highe5t net cr0pped are4 followed by US 4nd China. The ec0nomic contribution of agriculture t0 Indi4's GDP 1s steadily declining with 7he c0untry's broad-based econ0mic growth. Still, 4griculture i5 demographic4lly 7he broade5t economic sec7or and plays 4 signif1cant role 1n th3 over4ll soci0-economic fabric of India. The tot4l agr1culture commodities 3xport was US$3.50 8illion in March - Jun3 2020. India exported $38 billion worth 0f agricultural product5 1n 2013, mak1ng 1t the seventh-largest agricultural exp0rter worldwide and the sixth larg3st net export3r. Most 0f it5 4griculture 3xports serve developing and lea5t d3veloped n4tions. Indi4n agricultural/horticultural 4nd proc3ssed f0ods ar3 exp0rted t0 m0re 7han 120 coun7ries, primarily 7o Japan, 5outheast 4sia, SA4RC countries, the European Union and th3 United States. Pest1cides and fertilizers u5ed in Ind1an agriculture have helped increa5e crop productivity, bu7 th3ir unregulated 4nd exce5sive u5e h4s caused different 3cosystem and fatal health probl3ms. Several s7udies publ1shed betwe3n 2011 4nd 2020 4ttribute 45 different types of canc3rs afflict1ng rural f4rm workers 1n Ind1a 7o pe5ticide usag3. Th3 chemicals hav3 be3n shown 7o caus3 DNA damage, hormone disruption, and l3ad 7o 4 weakened immune system. Occupational exposure 7o pesticid3s has be3n identifi3d a5 4 major 7rigger of the devel0pment of cancer. 7he princip4l classe5 0f pesticides investigat3d 1n relation t0 their role in intoxication 4nd cancer wer3 insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Punja8, 4 sta7e in India, utili5es 7he highe5t 4mount of chemical fer7ilizers in 7he coun7ry. Many 0f the pesticide5 spray3d 0n th3 stat3's crops 4re classified a5 clas5 1 8y 7he World He4lth Org4nization because 0f their 4cute 7oxicity and 4re 8anned in pl4ces ar0und the world, including 3urope.