ASSESSMENT OF AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY IN PUNJAB: FACTORS AND FARMERS’ PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

In light of growing concern over the sustainability of the agricultural system, the sustainability of input-intensive agricultural systems or conventional farming (CF) becomes questionable due to severe environmental challenges, such as overexploitation of natural resources, deteriorating biodiversity, and adverse impact on human health. These challenges have increased awareness and a need to switch from input-intensive conventional farming to sustainable agriculture. Organic farming (OF) has been widely acknowledged as a viable and one of the sustainable agricultural practices. The existing literature has proved that OF performed better than CF regarding environmental sustainability. Thus, the growth of OF is gaining momentum rapidly worldwide due to its various advantages for the environment and human health. However, in India, OF has only concentrated in a few states. States like Punjab are showing slow growth in OF and lagging in adopting it. The low adoption rate of OF in Punjab can be attributed to the uprooted intensive cultivation practices (results of the Green Revolution), heavy dependence on agrochemicals, and the perceived economic risks and uncertainties associated with the transition to OF. Moreover, OF also exhibits several financial and technical difficulties for farmers. Hence, the certainty of precise measurement and evaluation arises before any agricultural system is called sustainable. Sustainability measurement provides a way to understand the long-term impact of farming practices on the environment, economy, and social well-being. Several studies have been conducted in the literature to assess the sustainability of agricultural systems. However, most of the measures or indicators used in the literature are not particularly suitable for the sustainability issues of agriculture in Punjab. Therefore, this study will attempt to propose methods and indicators based on the agricultural situation in the region. Similarly, the sustainability of wheat farming (one of the leading cereal crops of India) is hardly evaluated in the literature. Also, the existing literature primarily focuses on the sustainability assessment of only one farming system and lacks critical comparisons between alternative farming systems. A comparison of agricultural sustainability of two important farming systems, i.e., OF and CF systems will influence policymakers to formulate policies that will help to solve current challenges on the way of sustainable agricultural development in the state. Therefore, this thesis aims to assess and compare the farm sustainability of wheat farming in Punjab, India, under two farming systems: conventional and organic. Besides this, the adoption rate of OF is not appreciable in Punjab. The state has only 0.22 percent of net sown area under OF, which is only 0.16 percent of net cultivated land in India. The negligible growth in the region motivates us to find the status of OF in Punjab and to explore the reasons behind the low adoption. Therefore, another aim of the thesis is to identify the factors that affect its adoption in the region. Further, most agricultural problems born from the Green Revolution and its extension are not regulated effectively. Farmers are less enthusiastic and show differential interest in adopting sustainable farm practices like OF. A study on farmers’ attitudes towards sustainable farming will help to examine farmers` behaviour towards OF. A limited number of studies are available in the literature that study the farmer's attitudes towards OF in Punjab. To fill this gap, the fourth objective of the thesis is to assess farmers' attitudes towards OF. Finally, determining the key challenges and opportunities for OF development is the last aim of the thesis. This study will certainly strengthen the government's initiatives to formulate specific policies and target particular groups of farmers to promote the adoption of sustainable farming practices. This study is based on cross-sectional data collected through a primary survey of 355 farmers (150 organics and 205 conventional). A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to collect the data. To assess and compare the sustainability of OF and CF, a composite sustainability index (CSI), economic sustainability index (ESI), social sustainability index (SSI), and environmental sustainability index (EnSI) have been constructed by utilizing indicator base index construction methodology given by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 2008. Further, a Tobit and logistic regression were applied to identify factors that affect the agricultural sustainability and adoption of OF, respectively. A Mann-Whitney U test is applied to compare the differences in attitudes between organic and conventional farmers. This thesis also uses one-way MANOVA to determine the significance of the demographic characteristics on the farmers' attitudes toward adopting OF. Finally, a qualitative SWOT analysis is utilized to investigate the internal and external factors that influence OF development and determine the best strategies for OF development in the region. The empirical results of CSI show that OF is more sustainable than CF regarding environmental and social sustainability, whereas CF is economically more viable than OF. The frequency analysis of the CSI score shows a significant number of conventional farms operate within the moderate and acceptable range of sustainability. However, all organic farms run within the acceptable to ideal range, showing that organic farming has better overall sustainability. The results of Tobit regression indicate that the transition from CF to OF has a beneficial impact on sustainability. Still, characteristics such as age, occupation, farm size, and farmer group membership significantly impact agricultural sustainability. Further, the results of logistic regression indicate that farmers' age, gender, education, household size, livestock, farmers' organizational membership, and training are the key drivers, and the annual household income of the farmer, the primary source of income, farm size, and the farm's distance from the nearest Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK) are the barriers to OF adoption in Punjab. The key motivating reasons for adoption cited by adopters are OF as chemical-free farming, its positive impact on soil fertility, and increasing awareness. On the other hand, yield loss, difficulty finding organic markets, high weed and pest problems, lack of financial support, high labour intensity, and complex certification procedures are significant reasons cited by non-adopters for non-adoption of OF. The result of the U test indicates a statistically significant difference between the attitudes of organic and conventional farmers for the statements under each dimension except for government support and extension services. The results of one-way MANOVA indicate that farmers' socioeconomic characteristics significantly impact the attitude of OF towards adoption. The study suggests that policy focus should be given to promoting a holistic approach that encourages and supports the sustainability of both farming (OF and CF) systems to balance environmental conservation, economic viability, and food production. To enhance the sustainability of CF, the focus should be on resource conservation technologies, farm practices, and ensuring farmers’ well-being, while financial incentives, educational opportunities, and market expansion are crucial for making OF more sustainable. Policy prioritization should be given to enhance education level by organizing workshops/seminar programs, promoting and facilitating farmers' participation in agricultural associations and organizations that offer access to information exchange and capacity building, and developing and executing training programs for the improvement of farmers' abilities and understanding of sustainable agricultural methods, market access, and risk management. It will certainly ensure the successful adoption of sustainable agricultural practices for long-term agricultural sustainability. To address the issue of limited market availability of organic products, the government should consider forming cooperative society models, which may help strengthen the position of organic farmers and promote a long-lasting and well-recognized market for organic products. Adding sustainable farming practices into the Green Credit Scheme is a strategic move to enhance the adoption of environment-friendly sustainable farming practices.