Sowing Sustainability: Evaluating India’s National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)

India’s agricultural sector is at a crucial point in time, as climate change becomes a factor in food security and the stability of resources. In response to the challenges of climate change and moving toward climate-resilient path, the Government of India introduced NMSA, which is one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). NMSA has been operational since 2014-15 and promotes sustainable agriculture, or agriculture that is more productive, sustainable, remunerative, and climate-resilient through location-specific, integrated farming systems.

The key objectives of the NMSA are to enhance soil health - improve efficient use of water - transform agriculture to a more organic and eco-friendly character - and improve its capacity to cope with climate changes. NMSA does this through components such as Rainfed Area Development (RAD), Soil Health Management (SHM), Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), and Climate Change and Sustainable Agriculture Monitoring, Modelling & Networking (CCSAMMN). NMSA has the support of multiple schemes to combat climate change simultaneously for vulnerable horticulture and agriculture communities in particular. The NMSA aims for these communities to diversify, mix-crop; agroforestry and organic.

NMSA has been able to achieve some good outcomes over the years. The Soil Health Card scheme, in conjunction with the SHM has provided scientific knowledge regarding soil nutrient management to millions of farmers. The RAD scheme's approach to integrated farming has addressed sustainable livelihoods in drought-prone areas. Organic farming has increased under the PKVY, and states like Sikkim have become entirely organic, while others like Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand have also made significant progress. Micro-irrigation and water harvesting practices have been promoted across a broad range of farmers to facilitate more efficient water use.

That said, numerous deficits have affected the implementation of NMSA. Perhaps the most critical has been the inadequate and incomplete budgetary support. Many states have reported unspent balances reflecting administrative delays and lack of technical staff and weak institutional arrangements. Additionally, the proportional reach of the mission was uneven, particularly for small and marginal farmers, who arguably need these interventions for viable agricultural futures, often because they lacked awareness or could not access the means. Finally, while sustainable practices depend heavily on context, a one-size-fits-all approach to sustainable agricultural practices undermines regionalized agricultural realities.

Another challenge is that there is little coordination between stakeholders involved in the mission, ranging from the central and state governments to agriculture universities, NGOs, and local governance institutions. The work done by farmers is often rendered inefficient due to impositions of overlapping areas of responsibility. Additionally, farmers require constant handholding, training, and wished support to get from indugence practices to sustainable. India's agricultural extension system is weak (albeit in demand), and their agricultural extension services are expected to cover an unstated role to provide guidance, on the ground. Real time weather data and risk advisory under CCSAMMN is also lagging leading to diminished pro-active farmer response to adverse variability from weather.

To overcome these issues, we need to rethink the overall mission strategy. The financial allocation must increase, and released assurances rate should be timely and transparent. We need to build capacity of field-level agents of change, such as Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) as well as support and develop Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). The state will need to be able to tailor strategies to its own agro-climatic conditions, and even utilize unconventional tools, such as mobile advisories, GIS mapping, and artificial intelligence based crop innovation support systems with rapid access to information inorder to support farmers as decisions are time dependent.

Conclusion

Recognizing the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) as a key policy tool within India’s larger climate resilience and agricultural sustainability strategy is clearly proper. The NMSA aims to promote environmentally sustainable farming practices, conserving resources, and providing farmers with the ability to adapt to climate variability, which is not only indicative of timeliness but downright essential. There must be a movement away from agriculture that functions as a source of living for millions of farmers and tied to existential, cultural practices, as well as being part of an ecological process, only through sustainable methods that are not simply optional, but rather intentional, inclusive and lasting.There are numerous noteworthy and encouraging initiatives under the NMSA including development of soil health, an expansion of organic farming and climate-smart advisories for farmers