The National Mission For Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) was one of eight missions the Prime Minister launched as part of the National Climate Change Action Plan (NAPCC). The reduction of the effects of climate change is greatly aided by changes in agricultural practices. The goal of the National Mission For Sustainable Agriculture is to increase agricultural productivity, particularly in rainfed regions, by emphasizing integrated farming, efficient water use, managing soil health, and coordinating resource conservation. This article will explain to you about the National Mission For Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) which will be helpful in preparing the Environment Syllabus for the UPSC Civil Service exam.

Thrust Areas of NMSA

What is Sustainable Agriculture?

• Since the Brundtland Report's 1987 release, the idea of sustainable agriculture has gained popularity.
• Sustainable agriculture refers to the practices that would allow society to meet its immediate and long-term demands for food, fiber, and other resources while maximizing gains through the preservation of ecosystem services and natural resources.
• The following three principles underlie sustainable agriculture:
  • Environmental Sustainability: Sustainable environmental practices include safeguarding, recycling, replacing, and sustaining the natural resource base, which includes the land (soil), water, and animals.
  • Economic Sustainability: Economic sustainability by, for instance, enhancing crop rotation and soil management to increase yields
  • Social Sustainability: Maintaining social justice and cultural unity is essential for achieving social sustainability.

Sustainable Agriculture

NMSA- Objectives

• To encourage location-specific Integrated/Composite Farming Systems in order to increase agriculture's productivity, sustainability, profitability, and resilience to climate change;
• To protect natural resources by taking suitable measures to protect soil and moisture;
• To adopt complete soil health management strategies based on soil fertility maps, apply macro and micronutrients based on soil tests, and use fertilizers wisely, among other things.
• To increase coverage in order to achieve "more crop per drop," while also maximizing the use of water resources;
• To increase the capacity of farmers and other stakeholders in the field of climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, in conjunction with other ongoing Missions such as the National Mission on Agriculture Extension & Technology, National Food Security Mission, National Initiative for Climate Resilient Agriculture(NICRA), etc.;
• To establish an effective inter-and intra-departmental/ministerial coordination for completing key deliverables of the National Mission for Rainfed Agriculture;
• To pilot models in selected blocks for improving the productivity of rainfed farming by mainstreaming rainfed technologies developed through NICRA and by utilizing resources from other schemes/ missions like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), RKVY, etc; (NAPCC).

NMSA- Strategies

• Supplementary or Residual Protection Systems: Encouraging the use of supplementary/ residual production systems to provide livelihood options, ensure food security, and reduce the risk of crop failure in an integrated farming system that includes crops, livestock, and fisheries;
• Resource Conservation Technology: Establishing practices that will support mitigation efforts during times of extreme climatic events or disasters such extended dry spells, floods, etc. through popularizing resource conservation technology (both on- and off-farm).
• Use of Technology: Encouraging the use of technology along with demand and supply side management strategies to improve water use efficiency and promote effective management of the water resources that are currently accessible;
• Better Agronomic Practices: Encouraging better agronomic practises to raise farm output, improve soil treatment, increase water holding capacity, use chemicals and energy wisely, and promote soil carbon storage;
• Database on SOil Resources: Creating a database on soil resources using land use survey, soil profile study, and soil analysis on a GIS platform to make it easier to adopt crop management strategies that are specific to a location's soil and to use fertilizer more effectively;
• Use of Integrated Nutrient Management Techniques: Encouraging the use of integrated nutrient management techniques that are appropriate to a given site and crop in order to improve soil quality, increase agricultural yield, and maintain the quality of water and land resources;
• Intervention of Academic Institutions and Experts: Involving academic institutions and experts in creating methods for climate change prevention and adaptation for particular agro climatic circumstances and promoting those strategies through suitable agricultural systems
• Integrated Development: Programmatic interventions based on land capability and compatible with climatic parameters in a few pilot blocks to ensure integrated development through the adoption and dissemination of rainfed technologies with greater reach in underserved areas and site-specific planning.

NMSA- Components

NMSA has the following four major program components or activities:

Rainfed Area Development (RAD)

• In order to promote and conserve natural resources while also enhancing farming practices, RAD uses an area-based approach.
• This element has been developed using a "watershed plus framework," i.e., to investigate the possible use of the natural resource base and assets generated or made available as a result of watershed development and soil conservation activities under MGNREGS, NWDPRA, RVP&FPR, RKVY, IWMP, etc.
• By fusing various aspects of agriculture—including horticulture, livestock, fisheries, forestry, crops, and livestock—with agro-based income-generating activities and value addition, this component introduces appropriate farming systems.
• Additionally, this component promotes crop selection that is compatible with the local agro-climatic conditions, farmland development, resource conservation, and nutrient management methods based on soil test/soil health cards.

On-Farm Water Management (OFWM)

• OFWM promotes effective on-farm water management technologies and apparatus with the primary goal of increasing water use efficiency.
• Along with the RAD component, this not only emphasises application efficiency but also excellent rainwater harvesting and management. The adoption of water-saving technology, effective supply and distribution systems, etc., will receive assistance.
• Additionally, a focus will be placed on effectively managing and allocating common resources by incorporating water users associations and other organizations.

Soil Health Management (SHM)

• By developing and connecting soil fertility maps with macro-micro nutrient management, appropriate land use based on land capability, judicious application of fertilizers, and minimizing soil erosion/degradation, SHM seeks to promote the location as well as crop-specific sustainable soil health management.
• Assistance will be given for a number of better practice packages based on soil and land use characteristics, developed through thorough field-level scientific surveys and geographic information systems (GIS).
• Additionally, this component will help the reclamation of problematic soils (acid, alkaline, and saline).
• The State Government, the National Center of Organic Farming (NCOF), the Central Fertilizer Quality Control & Training Institute (CFQC&TI), and the Soil and Land Use Survey of India will all work together to accomplish this component (SLUSI).

Climate Change and Sustainable Agriculture: Monitoring, Modeling, and Networking (CCSAMMN)

• In the area of climate-smart sustainable management practices and integrated farming systems suitable to local agro-climatic conditions, CCSAMMN offers creation and bidirectional (land/farmers to research/scientific establishments and vice versa) dissemination of information and knowledge related to climate change.
• Comprehensive pilot blocks will be supported to show how the distribution of rainfed technology works, as well as how to plan, converge, and coordinate with other flagship projects and programs including MGNREGS, IWMP, the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Program (AIBP), RKVY, NFSM, NHM, and NMAET.
• The growth potential of rainfed production systems will be unlocked by such an integrated action of input and output flows across agricultural, livestock, and other production systems, imparting sustainability to local production systems while managing climate change concerns.

NMSA- Regulations for Successful Implementation

• The Ministry of Environment and Forests has created a set of guidelines to simplify the regulatory framework for the following:
  • Harvesting
  • Transit of Agroforestry Species
• Creation of a comprehensive agriculture strategy, the National Agroforestry Policy 2014, which is anticipated to encourage state-level agroforestry practices
• The program's financial resources will be distributed and used under the regulatory framework of CAMPA.

NMSA- Sub-Mission on Agroforestry Scheme

• The National Mission for Sustained Agriculture has been running the Sub-Mission on Agroforestry (SMAF) program since 2016–17.
• The National Agroforestry Policy of 2014 made the recommendation to encourage plantations on farmlands.
• Aim: The Sub-Mission on Agroforestry of the SMAF seeks to increase the tree cover on fields to complement agricultural crops. The SMAF's main areas of interest are:
  • To achieve the measurable advantages, such as greater carbon sequestration through enhanced forest cover;
  • To increase organic matter in the soil;
  • To provide access to high-quality planting materials;
  • To increase the living standards;
  • To increase the productivity of crop and cropping systems;
  • To develop an information system.

Objectives

• Productivity, Employment, and Income of Rural Households: The mission seeks to encourage tree plantations and integrate them with livestock and crops in order to assist the rural family with improved income and employment prospects.
• Accessibility to High-Quality Materials: Small farmers and rural households, in general, have easier access to planting supplies such as seeds, seedlings, clones, hybrids, and enhanced varieties.
• Increase Knowledge of Agroforestry Practices: Increase knowledge of various agroforestry practices based on various agro-ecological areas and land use situations.
• To aid the agroforestry industry in increasing its capabilities.

Conclusion

Indian agriculture, which provides for 40% of the nation's total food production and covers around 51% of the net planted area of the country, is primarily rain-fed. To meet the country's increasing demand for food grain, rain-fed agriculture and resource conservation are therefore essential. Therefore, by encouraging conservation and sustainable use of these limited natural resources through the National Mission For Sustainable Agriculture and other appropriate location-specific methods, agricultural expansion can be maintained.