About 51% of India’s net sown area is rainfed, accounting for nearly 40% of total food production and supporting two-thirds of the country’s livestock (NRAA,2022). Around 61% of India’s farmer population depends on these rainfed farms for their livelihoods. Yet, decades of over-exploitation, declining soil health, and limited irrigation have left these landscapes highly vulnerable, with climate change exacerbating the risks. Monsoon shifts, shorter rainy periods, and an 8–10% reduction in kharif rainfall over the past two decades (CRIDA, 2020) have further undermined agricultural stability.
” Despite these challenges, millions continue to work these farms, sustaining local food systems and preserving diverse, traditional production practices that hold promise for resilient, sustainable agriculture.”
About 51% of India’s net sown area is rainfed, accounting for nearly 40% of total food production and supporting two-thirds of the country’s livestock (NRAA,2022). Around 61% of India’s farmer population depends on these rainfed farms for their livelihoods. Yet, decades of over-exploitation, declining soil health, and limited irrigation have left these landscapes highly vulnerable, with climate change exacerbating the risks. Monsoon shifts, shorter rainy periods, and an 8–10% reduction in kharif rainfall over the past two decades (CRIDA, 2020) have further undermined agricultural stability.
Further, these conditions drive significant seasonal migration, particularly from tribal and drought-prone states such as Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Telangana, and Maharashtra. Census 2011 and subsequent studies show that 29–35% of rural households migrate for work, with women comprising 55–70% of the remaining agricultural workforce. This feminisation of farming increases time poverty, nutritional stress, and workload pressures on women. Stunting levels remain critically high in these regions, with rates exceeding 40% in Jharkhand and over 35% in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Odisha, and Karnataka (NFHS-5, 2019–21).
” Despite these challenges, millions continue to work these farms, sustaining local food systems and preserving diverse, traditional production practices that hold promise for resilient, sustainable agriculture.”
