TPA.5 — Agriculture & Environment

 

TPA.5 — Agriculture & Environment

Work with nature.

TPA.5.1 — CORE PHILOSOPHY: AGRICULTURE AS AN INTEGRATED NATURAL RESOURCE SYSTEM

Agriculture shall not be treated merely as the production of food.

It is the foundation of:

FOOD + NUTRITION + HEALTH + EMPLOYMENT + ENERGY + ENVIRONMENT + RURAL ECONOMY

India's agricultural system must therefore be designed as an integrated natural-resource cycle in which water, soil, crops, cattle, fish, energy and human activity support one another.

WORK WITH NATURE — NOT AGAINST IT.

The objective is to obtain maximum productive value from India's natural resources while maintaining and improving their long-term fertility and availability.

TPA.5.2 — WATER COMES FIRST

Agriculture begins with water.

The first responsibility must therefore be to conserve, store and intelligently utilise every available source of water.

Rainfall should not be allowed to run away unused.

Water from rivers, reservoirs, lakes, ponds, groundwater and rainfall must form part of an integrated national water-management system.

CAPTURE → STORE → CONSERVE → DISTRIBUTE → USE EFFICIENTLY → RECHARGE

Water planning must precede crop planning.

A crop that cannot be sustainably supported by the available water should not be encouraged merely because it has a higher short-term market value.

TPA.5.3 — RAINWATER: CAPTURE LOCALLY

Rainwater should be captured as close as possible to where it falls.

Every village, town, agricultural area, institution and suitable urban development should progressively develop rainwater-harvesting and local water-storage systems.

The objective is to reduce:

  • Run-off

  • Soil erosion

  • Flooding

  • Unnecessary dependence on distant water sources

  • Groundwater depletion

and increase:

  • Local water availability

  • Groundwater recharge

  • Agricultural resilience

  • Vegetation

  • Soil moisture

Water should remain as much as possible within the local ecological system before being allowed to leave it.

TPA.5.4 — PERMANENT FRUIT PLANTATION AROUND WATER BODIES

Water bodies should become productive ecological assets.

Suitable fruit trees and other permanent vegetation should be planted around ponds, reservoirs and other appropriate water bodies.

This provides:

  • Food

  • Shade

  • Soil protection

  • Biodiversity

  • Carbon absorption

  • Local employment

  • Additional economic value

WATER + TREES + FOOD + BIODIVERSITY = A PRODUCTIVE NATURAL SYSTEM

TPA.5.5 — RIVERS: RESTORATION BEFORE INTERLINKING

The first responsibility is to restore India's rivers.

Before considering major river-interlinking projects, Government should ensure that existing rivers are protected from pollution, encroachment, unnecessary extraction and destruction of their natural ecosystems.

The objective should be to restore:

  • River flow

  • Catchment areas

  • Wetlands

  • Natural drainage

  • Groundwater recharge

  • Riparian vegetation

  • Aquatic biodiversity

RESTORE THE NATURAL WATER SYSTEM FIRST.

TPA.5.6 — NATURAL SOIL FERTILITY: COW MANURE AS THE BASIC INPUT

Soil is a living system.

Agricultural policy must therefore place the restoration and maintenance of soil fertility at the centre of farming.

Cow manure and other organic materials should become important basic inputs for restoring soil structure and fertility.

CATTLE → MANURE → SOIL → CROPS → FOOD → CATTLE

Organic matter returned to the soil improves its capacity to retain moisture and supports biological activity.

Chemical fertilisers may have a role where professionally justified, but agricultural development should progressively reduce unnecessary dependence upon chemical inputs.

TPA.5.7 — INTEGRATED CATTLE–BIOGAS–MANURE–FISH CYCLE

Cattle should be integrated into the agricultural ecosystem rather than treated solely as livestock for milk or meat.

A properly designed rural cycle can utilise:

CATTLE → DUNG → BIOGAS → ENERGY

and:

DUNG / BIOGAS SLURRY → ORGANIC MANURE → SOIL → CROPS

Agricultural residues and suitable organic material can also support fish production where appropriate.

This creates multiple outputs from the same resource base:

  • Energy

  • Fertiliser

  • Food

  • Employment

  • Soil improvement

  • Waste reduction

The objective is a closed-loop rural economy in which what would otherwise be treated as waste becomes a productive resource.

TPA.5.8 — FISH PRODUCTION FROM LOCAL WATER BODIES

Suitable local ponds, tanks, reservoirs and other water bodies should be developed for fish production wherever ecologically appropriate.

Fish production can become an integral part of the local agricultural economy rather than a separate activity.

The objective is to use existing water resources productively while maintaining ecological balance.

WATER → FISH → FOOD → EMPLOYMENT → LOCAL ECONOMY

TPA.5.9 — AGRICULTURE AS A MULTIPLE-PRODUCT SYSTEM

A farm should not depend unnecessarily upon a single crop.

The natural system should seek multiple productive outputs from the same land and resource base.

Depending upon local conditions, an integrated agricultural unit may combine:

  • Food crops

  • Fruits

  • Vegetables

  • Cattle

  • Dairy

  • Poultry

  • Fish

  • Beekeeping

  • Biogas

  • Organic manure

  • Medicinal and useful plants

The purpose is to increase productivity and resilience through intelligent integration.

ONE RESOURCE BASE → MULTIPLE PRODUCTS → MULTIPLE INCOMES

TPA.5.10 — AGRICULTURE AS A MAJOR EMPLOYMENT ECONOMY

Agriculture must be recognised as a major source of productive employment.

The future agricultural economy should create opportunities not only in cultivation but also in:

  • Water management

  • Soil development

  • Fruit cultivation

  • Horticulture

  • Animal husbandry

  • Dairy

  • Fisheries

  • Beekeeping

  • Food processing

  • Storage

  • Packaging

  • Research

  • Rural services

  • Agricultural technology

The objective is to move from:

FARMING AS SUBSISTENCE

to:

AGRICULTURE AS AN INTEGRATED PRODUCTIVE ECONOMY

TPA.5.11 — LOCAL PROCESSING AND VALUE ADDITION

Agricultural value should be retained as close as possible to the place of production.

Where feasible, crops should be processed locally into products with greater economic value.

The objective is to create:

LOCAL PRODUCTION → LOCAL PROCESSING → LOCAL EMPLOYMENT → HIGHER VALUE

This can reduce unnecessary transportation of raw agricultural products and create additional employment within rural communities.

TPA.5.12 — ENVIRONMENT AS A PRODUCTIVE NATIONAL ASSET

Environmental protection should not be treated as an activity separate from economic development.

A healthy environment is itself a productive national asset.

Forests protect water systems.

Trees support soil.

Biodiversity supports ecological balance.

Healthy soil supports food production.

Clean water supports human health and agriculture.

The correct development approach is therefore not:

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OR ENVIRONMENT

but:

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH INTELLIGENT USE AND PROTECTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES

TPA.5.13 — THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE

The future of Indian agriculture must be based on the natural relationship between:

WATER

SOIL

PLANTS

ANIMALS

ENERGY

HUMAN CAPABILITY

TECHNOLOGY

Nothing should be unnecessarily wasted.

Every output should be examined as a possible input for another productive activity.

CAPTURE WATER.

RESTORE SOIL.

GROW FOOD.

INTEGRATE CATTLE.

PRODUCE ENERGY.

RECYCLE ORGANIC MATERIAL.

CREATE FISHERIES.

ADD VALUE LOCALLY.

CREATE RURAL EMPLOYMENT.

PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT.

WORK WITH NATURE.

NATURE PROVIDES THE SYSTEM. HUMAN INTELLIGENCE MUST LEARN TO USE IT WELL.

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