ABSTRACT
In Chap. 22, Bhargava and Chakrabarti hold that knowledge can play a vital in achieving food security in India. About 200 million people in India (about one-fifth of the population) are under-nourished. Food security in India can be achieved only through making the farmers knowledgeable. Three kinds of knowledge are involved : (i) General knowledge that would make them reasonably informed citizens of the country and the world; (ii) Specialized knowledge, e.g., on seeds; optimal use of fertilizers, water and power; management of live-stock; output channels; market information; water management such as rain water harvesting; technologies for value addition; time and labour saving devices; and energy plantations, and (iii) Knowledge for immediate use – that is, updated information, for example, on hydroclimatic calendar, which can be obtained using satellite remote sensing, andGIS, with farmer-specific data assimilation. The knowledge packages are to be customized depending upon the agroclimatic setting, water resources, soil health cards, socioeconomic environment, food habits, etc. of a given village. Young, motivated farmers may be trained in ways of implementing the knowledge packages, through the panchayats (village councils).
