Discussant: Uma Lele, International Policy Expert, President Elect, International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE)

India’s population will soon be larger than China’s, economic growth is averaging 7 to 8 percent, and cities are expanding rapidly. Growing food, feed, and fiber needs are increasing pressure on India’s agriculture.

With limited land and falling water tables, can India produce enough food for her population or will the country become a major importer of food? What agricultural policies has India been following? And what have been their impacts, especially on poverty, malnutrition, and farmers’ incomes?

This presentation and panel discussion will look at the challenges and opportunities ahead for Indian agriculture and examine how agricultural policies have hindered the changes needed in the sector. A tectonic shift in food and agricultural policies is overdue if India is to remain a competitive producer of agricultural goods, improve the livelihoods of India’s small farmers, and prepare for the impacts of climate change.