🌾 Seminar Report: Transforming Indian Agriculture – Pathways for Agroecological Transitions

📅 Date: 27 March 2025 📍 Venue: CESS, Hyderabad
🧑🏽‍🌾 Organised by: Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA) & Deccan Development Society (DDS)

With Indian agriculture at a critical juncture due to rising climate vulnerability, ecological degradation, and health crises, CSA and DDS brought together diverse voices to outline actionable pathways for an agroecological transformation.

Key Highlights:

✅ ‘Agree-culture’ for Sustainability – Padma Shree Awardee, Shri Subhash Sharma, called for a spiritual and ecological redesign of farming — one that restores soil, water, seed sovereignty, and labour dignity through mutuality and balance.

✅ Health, Diet & Policy Nexus – Dr. Lindsay Jaacks emphasised India’s growing burden of obesity, diabetes, and anaemia, linked to shifting diets and pesticide exposure. She called for an integrated policy response to promote organic and natural farming.

✅ Systemic Solutions over Fragmented Fixes – Dr. G.V. Ramanjaneyulu presented the data from the Indian States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, highlighting the decline in farm incomes and soil health, and advocated for comprehensive ecosystem-based policies, credit reform, and FPO support.

✅ Equity in Agriculture – Dr Devinder Sharma compared global subsidies and revealed structural inequalities in India’s farm policy. He warned against the dangers of synthetic food and corporate capture and advocated for a people-led agroecology movement.

🗣️ The panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Kurmanath KV, brought out real-world challenges in FPO financing, lack of regulatory oversight on agrochemicals, and the urgent need for policy coherence and public pressure for change.

📷 Explore Event Highlights on our YouTube Channel – Krishi TV & Read the Full Report – 250520 CSA-DDS CESS Seminar REPORT