Category: Agriculture
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Beyond the Coffee Cup: The Hidden Economics, Science and Future of Arabica and Robusta
From the coffee plantations of Coorg to the global beverage industry, the story of coffee is not merely about taste and caffeine. It is about biodiversity, climate change, agricultural livelihoods, processing technology, branding and the unequal distribution of value between farmers and global corporations. From a Red Cherry to a…
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India May Insure Consumers While Asking Farmers to Take the Risk India’s food policy is entering a difficult contradiction. The country wants farmers to produce more of the crops it chronically imports, particularly pulses, while retaining the freedom to make those same crops cheaper through imports whenever consumer prices rise.…
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The Fertilizer Vulnerability: When a Gas Shock Becomes a Food Crisis
The Hidden Energy System Beneath Every Farm Agriculture still looks natural from a distance. There is soil, rain, sunlight, seed and human labour. But modern farming is also an industrial system built on natural gas, mined minerals, global shipping, credit and government subsidy. A farmer may sow wheat in India,…
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When Food, Fuel and Climate Begin Competing for the Same Crop
From food shortages to a complicated abundanceIndian agricultural policy was historically built around one central fear: the country might not produce enough food. The Green Revolution changed that reality by expanding irrigation, improving seeds, increasing fertiliser use and creating public procurement systems. India gradually moved from dependence on food imports…
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When Food, Fuel and Climate Begin Competing for the Same Crop
From food shortages to a complicated abundanceIndian agricultural policy was historically built around one central fear: the country might not produce enough food. The Green Revolution changed that reality by expanding irrigation, improving seeds, increasing fertiliser use and creating public procurement systems. India gradually moved from dependence on food imports…
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When an Asset Exists on Paper but Cannot Enter the Economy
From Revenue Collection to Economic Confusion India’s land problem did not begin with modern industry, urbanisation or infrastructure. Its roots lie in a system historically designed to collect revenue rather than guarantee ownership. Colonial-era surveys, village maps, tax registers and possession records were created by different authorities for different purposes.…
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The Climate Vulnerability Crisis
Growth Without Climate Resilience Is Becoming an Expensive Illusion For decades economic growth was measured through factories built, roads constructed, electricity generated and cities expanded. Nature was treated as a free resource that could absorb unlimited pressure. Climate change was discussed as a problem for future generations. That future has…
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Ethanol Blending in India: Growth Promise or Hidden Cost
Historical Push Towards Energy Security and Rural SupportIndia’s journey with ethanol blending has been shaped by two long-standing concerns: dependence on imported crude oil and the need to support farmers, especially in the sugar economy. The ethanol blending programme, accelerated in the last decade, aimed to reduce oil imports, stabilise…
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From Basic Consumption to Value-Driven Food Systems
The food and consumption sector has undergone a profound transformation over the past few decades, moving from subsistence and basic consumption toward a more sophisticated ecosystem driven by branding, health awareness, and value addition. Historically, food systems were local, seasonal, and largely unprocessed, with minimal differentiation across products. However, as…
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From Farms to Food Systems: A Structural Shift
The traditional narrative of agriculture—centered on crop output, monsoon performance, and farm productivity—is undergoing a decisive transformation into a broader and far more complex food-systems story. Historically, agricultural economics was largely about land, labor, and yield, where the Green Revolution marked a turning point by stabilizing food grain production and…
