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Big Tech firms including Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Alibaba are joining forces with agribusiness giants to reshape agriculture through AI, precision farming, and digital platforms. But far from empowering farmers or tackling climate change, this rapid digital expansion risks increasing farmer debt and accelerating farm loss, deepening ecological harm, and concentrating corporate control over food production. IPES-Food is a global think tank that guides actions for sustain

The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), commonly known as the Plant Treaty or the Seed Treaty, is an international, legally binding instrument with 154 States as member countries (referred to as Contracting Parties). It was adopted under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2001 and entered into force in 2004. The primary goals of the Seed Treaty (Treaty), are said to be in harmony w

When we picture a farmer in India, the image is almost always of a man standing tall in a field, sickle in hand, tilling the soil. But the reality shows a different picture. According to the National Sample Survey data , 80% of economically active women in India are employed in agriculture sector. Yet their role in agriculture largely remains invisible and policies rarely take them into account. These women work on their family land, as daily wage labourers, and in looking a

On May 4th, 2025, the Government of India announced the release of two new rice varieties : Kamala and Pusa DST Rice 1. These were not bred by conventional methods but were developed using gene-editing, a powerful technology that alters the DNA of living things in a lab What is Gene Editing? Why Should You Worry? Gene editing is a set of laboratory techniques that allow scientists to make supposedly 'minor’ changes to the DNA of a plant or animal. One popular tool is called C

Cows are integral part of Indian culture since a very long time. Cattle has been worshiped, celebrated owing to its importance in farming and food production across India for many centuries. Indigenous farming techniques that were prevalent in India before 1950s relied on cow. Cow dung acted as natural fertilizer. Farmers relied on cows rather than chemical fertilizers. Even today, many sustainable organic farming requires cattle primarily for cow dung due to its rich biologi

The Union Ministry of Agriculture has released a new draft Pesticide management bill regulating chemical pesticides used in agriculture for public consultation till February 2,2026. Insecticides Act, 1968 right now governs & regulates pesticides in In. This act is age old not updated makes it unfit for regulation in 21st Century. India has more than 350 pesticides registered to be sold. These pesticides are used in agricultural food production. Out of 350 pesticides sold in I

Non communicable diseases(NCD) such as heart disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes are the major diseases leading death worldwide.  NCDs kill approximately 41 million people (71% of global deaths) worldwide each year, including 14 million people who die too young between the ages of 30 and 70. India is experiencing a rapid health transition with a rising burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) surpassing the burden of communicable diseases like water-bo

Karuppu Kavuni rice also known as Forbidden rice is widely known for its medicinal properties and its health benefits. It is a traditional rice variety of Tamil nadu cultivated for many generations. Karupu kavuni has been very helpful in treating cancer patients in inflamation. This indigenous rice is rich in essential nutrients needed by the human body, as is the case with all indigenous rice varieties. However, today, nearly all rice consumed is hybrid rice. These hybrid va

Food is meant to nourish our bodies, but for many, it has become a source of concern. A recent study revealed that over 50% of food...

A Paddy Grain The Hidden Power of Rice Bran: Why It Matters ? When we think of rice, we often picture a steaming bowl of fluffy white grains—a global staple and comfort food for billions. But there's more to rice than meets the eye. Hidden in the layers removed during processing is one of rice’s most nutritious components: the Bran. What Is Rice Bran Rice bran is the outer layer of the rice grain that is removed during the milling process to produce white rice. It includes th

A Research done by Clinical Psychologist Dr.Julia Rucklidge , University of Canterbury, New Zealand , says that Mental health is directly related to nutritional intake. Her research shows increase in nutritional intake not only helps to cure mental illness like depression, ADHD(Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), autism, bipolar disorder but also act as a prevention measure for many mental health disorders. It has been proven that high nutritional intake was very effec

​ICAR is an autonomous body public body under Ministry of Agriculture. It is the largest network of agriculture research and educational institutions in the world. The Council is the apex body for coordinating, guiding and managing research and education in agriculture including horticulture, fisheries and animal sciences in the entire country. With 113 ICAR institutes and 74 agricultural universities spread across the country this is one of the largest national agricultural

In Indigenous paddy farming, harvest is a big celebration particularly in Tamil culture. In Pre-colonial era i.e before British left India, majority of India's people dwelled in villages and their major occupation was agriculture. Whole village functioned as a community. When the harvest is over, the people carry paddy to a common place. Its called "kaalathu medu". There everyone from farmer, to carpenter, to farm labor to people who work on maintaining water bodies and other