FAIFA releases White Paper addressing mounting pressures on India’s food system

Ahead of National Farmers’ Day, which is observed on 23rd December, the Federation of All India Farmer Associations (FAIFA) has released a White Paper addressing the mounting pressures on India’s food system.

FAIFA released the White Paper at a national seminar, which highlighted the central role of farmers in meeting India’s escalating food demand and presented strategic interventions to empower farmers and accelerate sustainable growth in the agricultural sector.

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The report highlighted the critical role of agriculture in responding to the country’s population growth projected to exceed 1.6 billion by 2050, alongside rising disposable incomes and a rapidly expanding middle class that is reshaping dietary preferences toward more diverse and high-value foods. These demand-side pressures are further compounded by shrinking and fragmented farmland due to urbanization, industrial expansion, and inheritance patterns.

The FAIFA, a non-profit uplifting the cause of millions of farmers and farm workers involved in commercial crop cultivation in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka, organised the national seminar on the theme “Rising Food Demand and Economic Growth Imperatives” at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi.

To build a modern and sustainable agriculture sector with empowered farmers the White Paper recommended a four-pillar strategy. Firstly, the permaculture-focused pillar proposes an investment of Rs. 10,000 crores (2026–2030) to bring 5 million hectares under permaculture-based farming.

Secondly, export diversification should be driven by an investment of Rs 15,000 crore to raise agricultural exports to USD 100 billion through 50 Agri-Export Zones, cold-chain expansion, quality certification, and value addition in high-value crops. Thirdly, to uphold India’s non-GMO agricultural integrity, Rs 5,000 crore should be allocated over five years and indigenous seed varieties to be expanded by 50 per cent and 100 climate-resilient non-GMO crops to be developed.

Finally, agricultural financing can be transformed through annual credit disbursement of Rs 50,000 crore, reaching Rs 25 lakh crore by 2028 for 50 million small and marginal farmers via AI-driven digital lending.

Addressing the gathering, Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, Minister of State for Heavy Industries, said, “Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India has placed farmers at the centre of its development journey. From strengthening food security to building a resilient, technology-driven agricultural ecosystem, the Modi government’s policies are empowering our annadatas with innovation, infrastructure and access to global markets.”

Murali Babu, president, FAIFA, said, “Under the able leadership of the government, India has made significant strides toward food security, achieving self-sufficiency in staple grains with record food grain production exceeding 315 million tonnes in recent years. However, feeding an ever-growing population presents a formidable challenge.”