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Why India's plan to sell rice for ethanol undermines food and water security
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Agriculture
The role of Bt cotton in improving food security
The role of genetically modified crops in the fight against hunger remains disputed. The debate primarily focuses on whether or not these crops can contribute to sustainable increases in food production. However, food security is not only a question of production, but also of economic and social access to food. This column summarises research showing that the adoption of genetically modified cotton has improved food security among Indian smallholder farmers.
Willingness to pay for index-based crop microinsurance in India
Given the significance of the agricultural sector in India and its vulnerability, an adequate and sustainable risk management system is critical. However, uptake of microinsurance is quite low. This column presents research that shows that while there is awareness regarding market-based formal insurance schemes, people continue to be more comfortable relying on own savings or informal borrowing, which can only help manage small shocks or losses.
Grain stocks: Is it a problem of storage capacity?
Foodgrains rot due to insufficient storage capacity, even as millions go to bed hungry. This column argues that increasing capacity is only a partial resolution. The crisis has happened before and will happen again unless different ways are found to support farmers and consumers.
Agricultural wages and MNREGA: Exploring the myth
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, India’s flagship programme that guarantees 100 days of minimum wage employment to rural households, has come under attack for pushing up the wages demanded by hired hands in agriculture. This column argues that most of these attacks fail to account for changing productivity in agriculture and the consequences of this for agricultural wages.
Evaluating the Performance of the Kisan Credit Card Scheme in Bihar
The Kisan Credit Card (KCC) Scheme was introduced in India in 1998-99 has since become a flagship programme providing access to short-term credit in the agricultural sector. According to the Government of India, over a 100 million cards had been issued cumulatively by March 2011. Using data from 2004-05 to 2009-10, this project critically examined the determinants of KCC lending across states in India and districts in Bihar.
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