







































Ecology, Economy, and Society–the INSEE Journal 7(1): 171-175, January 2024 

REPORT 

Technological Solutions for Sustainable Agriculture 

Pradyot Ranjan Jena* 

The detrimental effects of climate change are beyond debate as are its serious 
ramifications for agricultural production and food security (Kalli and Jena 
2022; Mendelsohn 2014). A broad range of sustainable agricultural practices 
have been advanced by the agricultural scientific community to adapt to 
climate change, which are known as climate-smart practices (FAO 2011; 
Tanti and Jena 2023). In parallel, technological solutions have also emerged 
to mitigate the climate change effects of agriculture and increase food 
productivity sustainably. 

A series of three online workshops were organized by the National Institute 
of Technology Karnataka in February 2021 and April 2022 to discuss various 
issues associated with global climate change and the urgent need to focus on 
agricultural sustainability in India. Sixteen invited speakers presented their 
studies, and a total of 500 scholars participated in these three workshops. The 
studies presented cut across several themes pertaining to sustainable 
agriculture. I have summarized the themes and the findings of these 
discussions in what follows. 

1. TECHNOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS IN SUSTAINABLE 
AGRICULTURE 

A shift in consumer demand from traditional protein- and nutrient-rich food 
products, such as jowar, bajra, and other millets, to wheat and rice tilted the 
market price and government policies in favour of the latter. The minimum 
support price (MSP) at which the government procures food products has 
been increased repeatedly for rice and wheat in the past few years, leaving the 
coarse cereals in the lurch. Some of the speakers emphasized the need to 
promote cultivation of these nutrient-rich cereals by increasing their MSP 
and providing specific subsidies for these crops. In this context, the flagship 
initiative by the government of India—“Millet Mission”—is a step in the 

 
* National Institute of Technology Karnataka, pradyotjena@nitk.edu.in  
Copyright © Jena 2024. Released under Creative Commons Attribution © NonCommercial 

4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC 4.0) by the author.  

Published by Indian Society for Ecological Economics (INSEE), c/o Institute of Economic 
Growth, University Enclave, North Campus, Delhi 110007.  

ISSN: 2581–6152 (print); 2581–6101 (web).  

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37773/ees.v7i1.910  

mailto:pradyotjena@nitk.edu.in
https://doi.org/10.37773/ees.v7i1.910


 Ecology, Economy and Society–the INSEE Journal [172] 

right direction to enhance food security and satisfy nutrition requirements by 
promoting millets as a part of the food basket. Furthermore, the large MSP-
induced increase in rice acreage in some river basins, such as the Cauvery and 
Teesta basins, has created ecological distortions and thereby put severe stress 
on groundwater availability. This can be corrected by increasing the acreage 
of dry crops such as sorghum and other millets. 

In this context, the need to shift focus to some neglected yet highly nutritious 
potential food crops, such as jackfruit, taro, yam, moringa, and common 
bamboo, is highlighted. One of the presenters showed how his team of 
researchers have turned two forsaken vegetables—yam and taro—into fast-
selling food products. He opined that a significant hindrance to the adoption 
of such crops by farmers is their economic viability. Taro and yam are disliked 
by consumers due to their considerable acridity, caused by high 
concentrations of calcium oxalate, which makes them unfit for direct 
consumption. Traditionally, tamarind is used to remove the oxalate content, 
but it changes the colour of the vegetable. The researchers used an enzyme-
based technology to remove the oxalate content without changing the colour 
of the vegetable. A company in Bangalore commercialized this technology 
and is selling the low-oxalate-content yam and taro in the form of ready-to-
cook, cleansed, and cut cubes. This has not only made yams easily available 
to consumers, but it has also increased the demand for the highly acrid yams 
cultivated in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. He concluded by saying that 
incremental changes in post-harvest technologies have the potential to bring 
about profound changes in nutrition and farmer income, and scientists must 
have a clear understanding of the problem from the perspective of farmers 
and consumers. 

2. THE INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT) AND SATELLITE-
BASED DATA IN AGRICULTURE 

Under this theme, several speakers discussed integrating climate change and 
sustainable development strategies into agricultural practices. There is an 
urgent need for the development of a climate change risk management 
database to successfully implement modern agricultural technologies. Using 
soil analyser machines, farmers can get insights into the quality of soil in their 
land and the crops that are suitable for the soil. For example, if the pH level 
is lower than average in a certain soil type, then the soil is considered acidic, 
and if it is higher, it is alkaline. Both acidic and alkaline soil are not suitable 
for many crops. This kind of information helps farmers take corrective 
action. Along with soil analyser machines, farmers can also be trained to 
utilize hand-held IoT machines, which can be used for weather forecasting. 
One speaker highlighted the development of controlled-environment 
agriculture, including hydroponics and vertical farming. Hydroponics is a 



[173] Jena 

modern farming method of growing plants and crops without relying on soil. 
This method has certain benefits such as lower water requirements, less 
susceptibility to changes in climate, higher plant density, and fewer pest-
related issues. However, it also has drawbacks: it is expensive and vulnerable 
to power outages. Hence, it will not suit farmers who have financial 
constraints and those whose farms are in localities where electricity access is 
limited. 

A few speakers discussed the use of satellite data in environmental and 
resource economics. Since sustainable agriculture is closely related to aspects 
such as climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, and forest cover, research 
on the former would require reliable data on the latter. Data obtained from 
satellites on these parameters can be leveraged and used in climate change 
and public health research. Researchers have made use of satellite imagery 
from the NASA database to study diverse issues, such as the green cover in 
various parts of the world, malaria incidence, COVID-19 disease outcomes 
and its relation to the mental health of people, and so on. 

3. COMBINING TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE WITH 
MODERN SUSTAINABLE FARMING METHODS 

Two speakers from the Department of Agriculture, Government of 
Karnataka, highlighted the status of agriculture and the various problems 
faced by farmers in Karnataka, in particular, as well as in India. Various 
approaches—such as the integrated farming system (IFS), integrated 
resource management (IRM), and integrated crop management (ICM)—that 
are crucial for sustainable agriculture were discussed. They also talked about 
low-cost modern agricultural techniques such as tank silt application, 
transplanting young seedlings, intercropping, utilization of organic manure, 
pheromone trapping systems, and so on. In addition, they described various 
forms of traditional storage systems utilized by farmers across India for 
storing different crops. Furthermore, the speakers argued that there is a need 
to strengthen the direct marketing systems by which farmers can sell their 
products directly to consumers. This could help them avoid sales-related 
bottlenecks that they possibly face when they sell products through 
middlemen such as wholesalers and retailers. Direct marketing has the 
potential to increase their profit margin and encourage them to invest in 
sustainable agricultural practices. 

4. REPOWERING THE AGRICULTURE–ENERGY 
TRANSITION FOR AN AGRICULTURAL 
TRANSFORMATION 

The conundrum of providing electricity subsidies vis-à-vis sustainability in 
agriculture and the rural economy has baffled many. Currently, nearly 75% 



 Ecology, Economy and Society–the INSEE Journal [174] 

of the power generated in India is from coal-fired sources. More than one-
sixth of this power is used for agriculture. The policy of subsidizing 
agricultural power consumption has a long past. These policies, though 
necessary during the green revolution era, have depleted groundwater due to 
over-pumping. Two speakers suggested key interventions in the power 
sector, such as rationalization of power subsidies in agriculture, with a greater 
focus on small and marginal farmers, to promote sustainable agriculture. 
Metering of agricultural electricity connections is necessary, though this may 
put lawmakers in a difficult spot. However, when bundled with multiple 
interventions such as crop choice—for example, choosing non-irrigation-
intensive crops such as millets over irrigation-intensive crops such as 
paddy—it could lead to favourable outcomes. Irrigation of millets can be 
managed with micro-irrigation systems such as drip and sprinkler systems, 
easing the strain on the water table. Additionally, a simultaneous thrust on 
renewable energy systems, such as solar energy, will not only help farmers 
become self-reliant in terms of power, but it would also generate income for 
farmers when they sell the excess power generated to state power grids. 
Farmers can avail a 60% subsidy from central and state governments for the 
installation of solar power systems. Finally, the cost savings gained by state 
electricity boards through the withdrawal of subsidies on agricultural 
electricity connections could be used for rural welfare, such as in public 
health, education, and generation of livelihoods through the establishment of 
industries for agro-processing. The latter would augment farmers’ incomes 
during the off-season, simultaneously fetching a higher value for their 
produce through value addition. These interventions result in multiple 
benefits: saving groundwater, reducing carbon emissions, addressing global 
food security through crop choice, sustaining farmer livelihoods through 
agro-processing, and finally, reducing the subsidy burden on the state. 

5. THE ROLE OF INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS IN CLIMATE-
SMART TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION IN AGRICULTURE 

The role of institutional factors in sustainable agriculture was highlighted in 
the workshop presentations. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is an integrated 
approach for managing cropland, livestock, forests, and fisheries and 
addresses the interlinked challenges of food security and climate change (The 
World Bank 2021). Factors influencing farmers to use climate-smart 
agricultural practices were studied. Access to multiple sources of energy 
influenced farmers to adopt crop diversification, agroforestry, and crop 
rotation. Extension services such as support from government officials, 
farmer-to-farmer extension, training, subsidies for machinery and seeds, and 
credit facilities from co-operative societies and public banks had a positive 
impact on the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices. Farmers’ 



[175] Jena 

knowledge of climate variables through access to regular weather updates 
helped them to adopt sustainable agricultural practices. The barriers 
identified were lack of financial and technical support, lack of market access, 
and low literacy levels, especially among small-holder farmers. 

Some of the presenters stressed the impacts that increase in temperature and 
changes in precipitation would have on health, agriculture, migration, and 
labour productivity, all of which influence economic output and growth. The 
impact assessment approaches in agriculture—namely, the Ricardian 
approach, integrated crop modelling approach, climate versus weather-panel 
models, and long-difference (LD) models—were explained. 

The workshop provided a forum to discuss the pressing issues of 
sustainability in agriculture, the environment, and the rural economy by 
touching upon areas related to government initiatives, policies, 
environmental conservation, public health and nutrition, technology 
interventions in food processing, the electricity–agriculture conundrum, 
sustainable food practices, and sources of reliable environmental economics 
data. 

Conflict of Interest Statement: No potential conflict of interest was 

reported by the author. 

REFERENCES 

FAO. 2011. Framework Programme on Climate Change Adaptation, Food and Agriculture 
Organization of the United Nations. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization. 
https://www.fao.org/3/a-i2316e.pdf. 

Kalli, Rajesh, and Pradyot Ranjan Jena. 2022. “How Large Is the Farm Income Loss 
due to Climate Change? Evidence from India.” China Agricultural Economic Review 14 
(2): 331–348. https://doi.org/10.1108/CAER-11-2020-0275. 

Mendelsohn, Robert. 2014. “The Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture in Asia.” 
Journal of Integrative Agriculture 13 (4): 660–665. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2095-
3119(13)60701-7.  

Tanti, Purna Chandra, and Pradyot Ranjan Jena. 2023. “Perception on Climate 
Change, Access to Extension Service and Energy Sources Determining Adoption of 
Climate-Smart Practices: A Multivariate Approach.” Journal of Arid Environments 
212:104961. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2023.104961.  

The World Bank. 2021. “Climate Smart Agriculture.” Updated April 5, 2021. 
https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/climate-smart-agriculture.  

https://www.fao.org/3/a-i2316e.pdf
https://econpapers.repec.org/scripts/redir.pf?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.1108%252FCAER-11-2020-0275;h=repec:eme:caerpp:caer-11-2020-0275
https://doi.org/10.1016/S2095-3119(13)60701-7
https://doi.org/10.1016/S2095-3119(13)60701-7
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2023.104961
https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/climate-smart-agriculture

