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Ecosystem Services Approach for Revitalizing Agriculture in India


Affiliations
1 M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai 600 113, India
2 Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai 600 020, India
3 Goa University, Goa 403 206, India
4 Bhim Rao Ambedkar College, Delhi University, Delhi 110 094, India
 

Agricultural landscapes referred to as ‘agro-ecosystems’ provide both marketable and non-marketable ecosystem services. The ability of agro-ecosystems to provide ecosystem services is limited by the nature of production systems and production method. Promotion of input-intensive production systems results in short-term productivity gains along with long-term ecological and environmental losses. India’s agriculture suffers from various ecological problems such as soil pollution, overexploitation of groundwater and loss of biodiversity. Policy measures aimed at improving agriculture should shift from a purely ‘productivity enhancement’ objective towards promotion of ecologically sustainable pro-environmental agricultural production (PAP) practices to realize the goal of ‘productivity in perpetuity’. This article examines the feasibility of ‘nudges and incentives’ in payment for ecosystem services/agri-environmental schemes (PES/AES) type schemes in India which could be a possible policy solution. It could nudge farmers to PAP practices and would be fiscally feasible even for individual states to adopt in a federal system of governance.

Keywords

Agro-Ecosystems, Evergreen Revolution, Payment For Ecosystem Services, Pro-Environmental Agricultural Production.
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  • Ecosystem Services Approach for Revitalizing Agriculture in India

Abstract Views: 363  |  PDF Views: 107

Authors

M. Manjula
M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai 600 113, India
L. Venkatachalam
Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai 600 020, India
P. Mukhopadhyay
Goa University, Goa 403 206, India
Lalit Kumar
Bhim Rao Ambedkar College, Delhi University, Delhi 110 094, India

Abstract


Agricultural landscapes referred to as ‘agro-ecosystems’ provide both marketable and non-marketable ecosystem services. The ability of agro-ecosystems to provide ecosystem services is limited by the nature of production systems and production method. Promotion of input-intensive production systems results in short-term productivity gains along with long-term ecological and environmental losses. India’s agriculture suffers from various ecological problems such as soil pollution, overexploitation of groundwater and loss of biodiversity. Policy measures aimed at improving agriculture should shift from a purely ‘productivity enhancement’ objective towards promotion of ecologically sustainable pro-environmental agricultural production (PAP) practices to realize the goal of ‘productivity in perpetuity’. This article examines the feasibility of ‘nudges and incentives’ in payment for ecosystem services/agri-environmental schemes (PES/AES) type schemes in India which could be a possible policy solution. It could nudge farmers to PAP practices and would be fiscally feasible even for individual states to adopt in a federal system of governance.

Keywords


Agro-Ecosystems, Evergreen Revolution, Payment For Ecosystem Services, Pro-Environmental Agricultural Production.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv116%2Fi5%2F723-727