For the past two months, tens of thousands of Indian farmers have been camped on the border of Delhi, protesting against the new agricultur...
For the past two months, tens of thousands of Indian farmers have been camped on the border of Delhi, protesting against the new agriculture laws that they say will benefit large private buyers at the expense of producers. The farmers want the government to repeal the laws and bring in legislation to guarantee minimum support prices for their crops.
To the outsider, including many from the restaurant industry that I hail from, the issue of agriculture laws may appear remote. But it is not. Related to it are the subjects of food security, culinary heritage, food habits and international agreements.
Given this backdrop, it is important for my peers in the hospitality industry to pay attention to what is happening in Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur. They must examine the long-term effects of contract farming on our food habits and identify what we can do to reverse the effects of agricultural policies.
Lack Of Diversity
The seeds of change were planted with the Green Revolution in mid-20th century. Meant to increase food grain output, it also altered the contours of agriculture in India. The area under cultivation for wheat and paddy increased, while the cultivation of coarse crops such as sorghum (jowar), pearl millet (bajra) and small millets...
