Dalvoy Logo
Dalvoy
UPSC MainsGeneral Studies Paper IAgriculturePractice question

Climate Change and Resilient Food Security in India

India has achieved substantial food security, but climate change is increasingly threatening the resilience of its food security system. Discuss the major challenges and suggest measures to achieve sustainable and climate-resilient food security in India.

Discuss~250 words2 min readmedium
Attempt it first, timed · optional

Write the answer on paper, as in the exam. Start the timer, keep to the word target.

00:00/ 11 min · 250 words

Done writing? Photograph the sheet and see how it scores against this model answer, with feedback on what to fix.

Upload your answer sheet

How to approach

Begin by highlighting India's achievement in foodgrain production alongside the existential risk posed by climate change to food security pillars. Analyze the specific challenges and mechanisms through which climate variability affects crop yields, nutrition, and regional agrarian systems. Conclude with multi-pronged measures spanning climate-smart agriculture, input management, and post-harvest infrastructure.

Model answer

344 words

Introduction

India achieved a record foodgrain production of 3,577.3 LMT in agricultural year 2024-25, cementing self-sufficiency. However, accelerating climate volatility directly threatens Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) by disrupting all four dimensions of food security: availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability.

Major Challenges and Impact Mechanisms

  • Terminal Heat Stress: Unseasonal temperature spikes during February and March curtail the crucial grain-filling stage of Rabi wheat, with projections indicating a potential yield decline of up to 19.3% by 2050 (ICAR-NICRA).
  • Monsoon Volatility and Moisture Stress: Erratic monsoon onset, extended break spells, and intense precipitation events disrupt the vegetative sowing cycle of rainfed Kharif staples such as paddy and pulses.
  • Nutritional Depletion (Hidden Hunger): Elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations alter crop physiology, diluting essential micronutrients like zinc and iron while lowering protein levels in staple cereals, directly impairing food utilization.
  • Regional Agro-Ecological Vulnerabilities:
    • Indo-Gangetic Plains: Severe wheat yield losses driven by heat extremes and rapid groundwater depletion.
    • Central and Peninsular India: Rainfall volatility leading to acute moisture stress for rainfed pulses and oilseeds.
    • Coastal Belts: Recurrent cyclonic storm surges and sea-level rise inducing soil salinisation and destroying paddy tracts.

Measures for Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Food Security

  • Promotion of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA): Scale up climate-resilient, biofortified, and stress-tolerant crop cultivars—such as drought-tolerant Sahbhagi Dhan—under the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) framework, alongside mainstreaming climate-hardy millets (Shree Anna).
  • Sustainable Input and Resource Management: Rationalize chemical fertilizer application via PM-PRANAM to restore soil microbial health, and deploy solarized micro-irrigation systems under PM-KUSUM to maximize crop-per-drop efficiency in water-stressed zones.
  • Post-Harvest and Cold-Chain Modernization: Establish decentralized, solar-powered cold storages and hermetic silos at farm gates to curb weather-induced post-harvest losses, particularly across perishable horticulture crops.
  • Agro-Ecological Diversification: Shift regional cropping patterns away from water-intensive monocultures in arid zones toward agro-forestry, integrated farming systems, and regenerative soil practices.

Conclusion

To safeguard long-term national food sovereignty, India must transition from a calorie-centric production model to a decentralized, nutrition-sensitive, and climate-adaptive framework. Embedding climate resilience across the food supply chain is vital to withstand planetary warming while fulfilling the mandate of zero hunger.

Key facts to remember

statistic

According to ICAR-NICRA projections, terminal heat stress and rising temperatures threaten to cause up to a 19.3% reduction in wheat yields by 2050 in India.

— ICAR-NICRA
definition
Terminal Heat Stress

A phenomenon where unseasonably high temperatures during the reproductive and grain-filling phase accelerate crop maturation, resulting in shriveled grains and severe yield reductions.

scheme
PM-PRANAM (2023)

The Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth incentivizes states to promote alternative fertilizers and balanced chemical fertilizer usage to restore soil resilience.

Frequently asked questions

How does elevated carbon dioxide impact the nutritional quality of foodgrains?

Elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide levels stimulate carbohydrate synthesis at the expense of mineral and protein uptake, significantly diluting critical micronutrients like iron and zinc in staple crops.

← All questions on this topic (18)