ABSTRACT
In the recent past, India has experienced swift agricultural transitions. Yet scanty research has been done on the effects of these changes at regional and farming system levels. On account of its natural biophysical configuration, even more apparent intensification in agriculture is predicted, especially in India’s dryland areas. For these reasons, a study was conducted in the dryland state of Telangana (India) to investigate agricultural transitions and their sustainability implications for farm and watershed scales. We conducted research in two watersheds that covered a total of 27,814 ha and 6,572 households. A representative sample of 17,164 ha and 3,006 households was selected for study. A mixture of quantitative and qualitative approaches gave us data for a comprehensive understanding of the region’s agricultural transition process. We used tools like household studies, focused group discussions, timeline mapping exercises, geographical information systems, longitudinal surveys, and secondary data sources.
We framed our study within the theory of social-ecological systems. It looks at watersheds as an analytical unit where ecological processes and social factors are interlinked at various scales. Our data confirmed that transitions to more intensive and specialised agricultural practices do increase overall food production. Yet they also lead to the marginalisation of households over time. Economic performance analyses of novel farming systems underscored that intensification and specialisation of farming are not profitable in dryland regions as they lead to over-exploitation of scarce natural resources. Our study also brought out that the shift toward more intensive and specialised agriculture amplifies negative environmental effects in dryland regions owing to their biophysical nature. This means intensification pathways resilient to climate change are urgently warranted in such areas.
This is particularly imperative because they are predominantly found in developing countries with large, impoverished populations undergoing rapid agricultural transformations. Our study concludes that perspectives need to shift when developing strategies for sustainable food production in dryland areas. Enhanced collaboration between science, policy, and practice; partnerships to boost sustainable agricultural development; and an integrated, community-driven resource management are the strategic linchpins to achieve this goal.
