FOSSILISATION OF INDIAN AGRICULTURE: GEOPOLITICAL RISKS & SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

Why In News?

Indian agriculture's "fossilisation" reflects a transition to input-heavy, fossil fuel-reliant systems, increasing its susceptibility to geopolitical disruptions like West Asian conflicts.

What does “Fossilisation of Agriculture” mean?

“Fossilisation of Agriculture” refers to the heavy and increasing dependence of the modern food system on fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal) at every stage—from farm to fork.

Key Indicators of Fossilisation

Energy Intensity of Inputs: Heavy use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, which are produced using the Haber-Bosch process—a highly energy-intensive method that relies on natural gas.

Mechanisation Levels: Replacement of human and animal labour with heavy machinery (tractors, harvesters, and irrigation pumps) that run on diesel or petrol.

Energy-to-Food Calorie Ratio: In highly fossilised systems, it takes 10 calories of fossil fuel energy to produce just 1 calorie of food energy consumed by the end-user. (Source: UNEP)

Logistics and Cold Chains: Expansion of "food miles," where food is transported over long distances via fossil-fuel-powered trucks, ships, and planes, combined with energy-heavy refrigerated storage.

Pesticide Consumption: Use of chemical pesticides and herbicides, which are largely petrochemical derivatives.

Plastic Usage (Plasticulture): Widespread use of plastics for mulching, greenhouse covers, and packaging, all of which are sourced from crude oil.

'Fossilisation' of Indian Agriculture

De-bullockisation (Shift to Mechanical Power): Traditional farming relied on cattle for ploughing, irrigation, and transport. This has been replaced by machinery. 

• From just 5,000 tractors at Independence, sales reached 1.16 million units in 2025-26 alone. (Source: Ministry of Agriculture)
• Today, draught animals contribute a mere 2.3% to India's total farm power of 550.8 million kilowatts. (Source: ICAR)

Chemicalisation (Shift to Synthetic Inputs): Natural farmyard manure has been substituted with synthetic fertilizers. 

• Consumption of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), and Potassium (K) fertilizers soared from 69,800 tonnes in 1950-51 to over 32.9 million tonnes in 2024-25. (Source: Department of Fertilizers)

Import Dependencies

India's food security is highly vulnerable to global supply chain disruptions due to its massive dependence on imported natural gas, phosphatic rocks, and potash required for fertilizer production

(Source for fertilizer data: Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers Report, 2023)

What are the root causes behind fossilisation?

The Green Revolution Model: Shift in the 1960s towards High-Yielding Varieties (HYV) required a specific "package" of inputs—mainly synthetic fertilizers and intensive irrigation—that are entirely dependent on fossil fuels for production and operation.

Labor Displacement and Urbanisation: As populations moved to cities, the resulting rural labor shortage led to large-scale mechanisation. Tractors and harvesters replaced human and animal power, shifting the energy source from biomass to petroleum.

Globalised Food Supply Chains: Demand for off-season produce and exotic crops led to the "Long-Distance Food" model. This relies on massive logistics networks (ships, trucks, and planes) and energy-heavy cold storage.

Subsidies and Policy Incentives: Government subsidies on urea (natural gas-based) and electricity/diesel for irrigation pumps have made fossil-fuel-intensive farming artificially cheaper than organic or traditional methods.

Industrialization of Livestock: Shift from open-pasture grazing to Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) requires massive amounts of grain feed, which is grown using fossil-fuel-based intensive monocultures.

What are the consequences of fossilisation?

Climate Change (GHG Emissions): Agriculture is a major contributor to global warming, specifically through Nitrous Oxide from synthetic fertilizers—which is 300 times more potent than CO2—and carbon emissions from farm machinery.  

Economic Vulnerability (Price Volatility): As farming is tied to oil and gas, any spike in global crude oil prices leads to a direct increase in food prices, threatening the food security of low-income populations.

Ecological Degradation: Excessive use of petrochemical fertilizers and pesticides has led to soil acidification, the killing of beneficial soil microbes, and the contamination of groundwater.

Diminishing Energy Returns: Modern agriculture is becoming inefficient. In industrial systems, the Energy Return on Investment (EROI) has dropped; it now takes more fossil energy to produce the same unit of food energy than it did 50 years ago.

Loss of Biodiversity: Fossil-fuel-intensive farming promotes monocultures (growing a single crop over a large area), which destroys local ecosystems and makes crops more vulnerable to pests and climate shocks.

What reforms have been taken?

PM-KUSUM Scheme (Solarisation): Primary reform for de-fossilising irrigation. It aims to replace diesel pumps with solar-powered pumps and allow farmers to sell surplus solar power back to the grid.

Promotion of Natural Farming: The Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP) sub-scheme under PM-Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana promotes "Zero Budget" Natural Farming.

• Objective: To eliminate the use of petroleum-based synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, replacing them with on-farm bio-inputs.

Nano-Urea and Nano-DAP: Developed by IFFCO, Nano-Urea is a liquid fertilizer that claims to reduce the requirement of conventional urea (and thus natural gas consumption) by 50% while improving nutrient efficiency.

Green Hydrogen Mission: The National Green Hydrogen Mission aims to shift fertilizer production from natural gas to Green Ammonia (produced using renewable energy), which could theoretically "de-fossilise" the entire fertilizer industry.

Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in Fertilizers: By digitising fertilizer sales, the government aims to curb the over-use of subsidized urea, indirectly reducing the fossil-fuel footprint of nutrient management.

Biofuel Integration: The E20 (20% Ethanol Blending) program and the promotion of compressed biogas (CBG) from crop residue (SATAT scheme) aim to create a "circular economy" where farm waste replaces fossil fuels in tractors and transport.

What should be the way forward?

Effective Scaling of PM-PRANAM: The PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth (PM-PRANAM) incentivizes states to reduce chemical fertilizer use.

Scaling Up Green Ammonia: Fast-track the National Green Hydrogen Mission to produce "Green Urea," replacing natural gas with renewable hydrogen to de-fossilise fertilizer production.

Expansion of Agroecology: Transition to Natural Farming and Integrated Nutrient Management to cut synthetic chemical use and restore soil health.

Decentralised Solar Energy: Expand PM-KUSUM and promote "Agrivoltaics" to achieve farm energy-self-sufficiency through co-generation on crop lands.

Reducing Food Miles: Strengthen regional food systems via FPOs to minimize energy used in long-distance transport and logistics.

Waste-to-Energy: Scale the SATAT scheme to convert crop residue into Compressed Bio-Gas as a renewable diesel alternative for machinery.

Adoption of Nano-Fertilizers & Precision Agriculture: Promoting the use of Nano Urea and Nano DAP can cut the volume of conventional fertilizers needed.  

Aligning MSP with Ecological Services: Current MSP framework rewards volume over sustainability. It needs structural reform to include "green premiums" that reward farmers for ecosystem services like improving soil carbon, conserving water, and reducing chemical use.

Conclusion

To achieve a "Third Green Revolution," India must transition from its current fossil-fuel-heavy dependence to a circular model by scaling Green Hydrogen-based fertilizers, solar-powered irrigation (PM-KUSUM), and agroecology, thereby ensuring food security remains resilient against global energy shocks

Source: INDIAN EXPRESS