Union Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi on Saturday called for a decisive change in India’s agricultural policy — moving away from a purely utilitarian, output-driven model towards one shaped by ethical principles, as the country seeks to reconcile food security goals with environmental safeguards.Addressing the valedictory session of the M S Swaminathan Centenary International Conference, Chaturvedi said the Green Revolution was guided by a utility-focused mindset that prioritised production over ecological balance, PTI reported. “As we moved ahead in the Green Revolution, we moved forward with a utilitarian concept. Now we have to change from utilitarian to deontological concept,” he said, explaining that the latter judges actions based on adherence to moral rules rather than solely on outcomes.Questioning prevailing farming methods, Chaturvedi asked if the nation was using excessive pesticides, irrigation and groundwater in its bid to meet output targets. He stressed the need for policies that deliver sustainable yields while protecting natural resources. “The policy story has to ensure we change from utilitarian to deontological concepts to achieve higher production and productivity using methods that not only ensure sustainable production and livelihood but also protect the environment,” he said.India’s Green Revolution in the 1960s transformed it from a food-deficit nation to a major producer of wheat and rice through high-yield crop varieties, fertiliser use and expanded irrigation.The agriculture secretary said India was close to self-reliance in pulses and working towards the same in oilseeds, expressing confidence that new crop varieties under development would help meet that goal. He underlined that food security and sustainable agriculture must be treated as livelihood imperatives for millions of smallholder farmers, not merely economic targets. “Food and nutritional security and sustainable agriculture are important because agriculture is not an economic issue but a livelihood issue,” he noted.
