How can biotechnology improve the living standards of farmers

Agricultural biotechnology or agri-tech involves the use of scientific tools and techniques, including genetic engineering, molecular markers, molecular diagnostics, vaccines, and tissue culture to modify living organisms used in agricultural fields. India has a dedicated department named Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) under the Ministry of Science and Technology which looks after different types of genetic modification which can be helpful in farming practices. Biotechnology can help Indian farmers to combat present global and regional problems, such as global warming, erratic monsoon, and desertification, etc. by different ways and thus, increase their income. 

Benefits of biotechnology to Indian farmers 

• Most common problem which persists across India is of erratic monsoon. Biotechnology can be used to develop those varieties of crops which can withstand even extreme rainfall. 

• Biotechnology has been successfully used to combat weed menace, for pest control and to control alien invasive species. This will help to reduce cost of farming and use of chemical pesticides and insecticides. Indian farmers being traditionally dependent on intensive subsistence agriculture will be benefited. 

• Farming of water intensive crops, such as sugarcane in drought prone regions, such as Marathwada and Anantapur districts of Andhra Pradesh and paddy in Punjab often leads to water scarcity and soil salinity respectively. Development of genetically modified varieties of these crops will help to conserve water and maintain the soil salinity. 

• India has largest population of cattle and livestock's in the world with limited pasture. Genetically modified variety of maize and soyabean kernels which contains high amount of protein are often in great demand for pasture although not allowed by government. Development in this field can help Indian farmers who practice mixed farming. 

• Expansion of the Thar desert due to denudation of the Aravalli has impacted the ecology of the north-western parts of India, such as western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Further, global warming coupled with low rainfall in regions separated by 100cm isohyet has opened door for dry-land farming. Seeds which are resistant to impacts of global warming and drought can be developed by genetic engineering. 

• Early ripening of crops due to global warming can also be solved through genetic engineering. 

• Exotic and endemic domesticated animals which are on the verge of extinction can be reproduced by biotechnology with better traits than their ancestors. Murrah Buffalo cloning done in Hisar is a fine example. 

• However, there are some negative impacts of BT crops which has restricted its use for farmers.

Indian agriculture sector has twin challenges of feeding its ever-increasing population on the one hand and practicing sustainable agriculture on shrinking farms on the other. Biotechnology is the only solution to grow more from less. Being home to more than 14.5 crore farmers and agricultural laborers of about 4.9 crore with their dependents makes a major chunk of India’s population of more than 60% which depends directly or indirectly on agricultural and allied activities. 

It can help India to improve their living standards which will reflect in human development. It will also help India to ensure food security, decreasing hunger and malnutrition to fulfill its international obligation of achieving sustainable development goals and domestic commitment of doubling the farmer’s income and agricultural export by 2022.