2. Sustainable Development Goals: Role of Agriculture

Irrespective of high economic growth the agriculture sector in India is at high risk due to various reasons. Agriculture is the major provider of livelihood for the poor, especially in rural areas. With the increasing vulnerability, the major challenges of the policymakers are to develop strategies to promote sustainable agriculture for achieving SDGs. In this context, there is urgent need to ensure reorientation of ongoing efforts toward higher efficiency and effectiveness of various initiatives for drawing a roadmap and develop a well-established sustainable model, which can also be shared with other developing countries. Thus, the chapter makes an attempt to analyze the causes of poverty and malnutrition and explores the use of technologies to overcome the productivity issues in agriculture. It captures various challenges and prospects for effective, sustainable and resilient agriculture. It also discusses issues relating to climate change and suggests ways to mitigate the same, particularly through the use of technologies. Lastly, the chapter assesses the role of various programs, policies and institutions in moving forward to achieve the targets of SDGs in India and makes specific recommendations.