The document discusses the versatility of agricultural biotechnology. It summarizes the impacts and lessons from the Green Revolution, including increased food production but also negative environmental consequences. It outlines ongoing challenges facing Indian agriculture like declining soil quality, nutrition issues, and water and energy constraints. The document argues biotechnology can help address these challenges in a more sustainable way compared to the Green Revolution, by reducing external inputs and encouraging natural resource use. Examples mentioned include GM seeds, biofertilizers, and diagnostics. The document also discusses addressing climate change through agriculture and the need for balanced communication about biotechnology's benefits.

1. Versatility of AgriBiotechnology
Ashwin Shroff
Chairman, CII Sub Committee on Agribiotechnology
& Chairman, Excel Crop Care Limited
2013-14

2. Major Challenges
Facing Globe / India / Indian Economy, Agriculture,
Food ( Producers, Consumers, Govt.)
“Versatility of AgriBiotechnology” – Ashwin Shroff,
Chairman, CII subcommittee on Agribiotechnology & Chairman, Excel Crop Care Limited, Mumbai

3. Green Revolution
(Global, India)
Green Revolution transformed agriculture around the globe,
World Grain Production increased by over 250%
Credited with saving over a billion people from starvation
Technologies & Tools used
 Improved Crop Varieties
 Water through Irrigation Projects
 Synthetic Fertilizers
 Pesticides
 Active Govt. support through Policies & Subsidies
 Highly Energy Intensive
 Focus on few Crops
“Versatility of AgriBiotechnology” – Ashwin Shroff,
Chairman, CII subcommittee on Agribiotechnology & Chairman, Excel Crop Care Limited, Mumbai

4. Green Revolution
 First Green Revolution relied very heavily on
externally supplied inputs
 Water
 Nutrition
 Crop protection
 Energy
 Money through subsidy
“Versatility of AgriBiotechnology” – Ashwin Shroff,
Chairman, CII subcommittee on Agribiotechnology & Chairman, Excel Crop Care Limited, Mumbai

5. Effects of Green Revolution
Desirable & Not so Desirable
 Quantity of Food
 Quality of Food
“YES”
Nutritional, Chemical residues ?
 Ground Water Depletion, Pollution ……..
 Lot of Dependence on Fossil Related Materials &
Energy
 Huge Financial Subsidy Burden on Govt.
 Skewed & Unbalanced use of Crop Nutrition ie.
Fertilizers
“Versatility of AgriBiotechnology” – Ashwin Shroff,
Chairman, CII subcommittee on Agribiotechnology & Chairman, Excel Crop Care Limited, Mumbai

6. Revisiting Green Revolution
Context & Issues
The Stakeholders
 Farmers
 Consumers
 Govt. & Economy
 Agriculture Scientists
 Agriculture Input Industries
Broader Issues
 Climate Change
 Food related Inflation
 Consumerism
 NGOs & Media Role
“Versatility of AgriBiotechnology” – Ashwin Shroff,
Chairman, CII subcommittee on Agribiotechnology & Chairman, Excel Crop Care Limited, Mumbai

7. Challenges Facing Indian Agriculture
 Depleting Soil Organic Matter
(Soil Health & Productivity)
 Food Quality Issues – Nutritional, Residues
– Qty. vs. Quality
Emerging Multi-Nutrient Deficiencies of
Secondary & Micronutrients
 Water – Groundwater Availability, Quality,
Energy to pump out
 Energy – On Farm, Transportation, Cold Storage, …
 Stagnation / Slow Growth in Agricultural Productivity
 Climate Change & uncertainty of Weather
 Very High Subsidy Burden – Foreign Currency Dependant
“Versatility of AgriBiotechnology” – Ashwin Shroff,
Chairman, CII subcommittee on Agribiotechnology & Chairman, Excel Crop Care Limited, Mumbai

8. Next Green Revolution
 What should we do to make it Sustainable !!
 Both Economical as well as Environmental
 Helpful & Profitable to Farmers across whole India
 Acceptable & Affordable to Consumers….
Possible approaches
 Reduce heavy dependency on externally supplied
Agri-inputs (Water, Nutrition, Crop Protection,
Energy)
 Using and recycling farm based resources & others
eg. City Waste
 Cover rainfed areas (Approx. 60% of Agriculture in
India) with Crop Diversity
 Use New Science & Technology like Biotechnology
along with Known Tools judiciously i.e. IPM,
INM…. type of concepts
“Versatility of AgriBiotechnology” – Ashwin Shroff,
Chairman, CII subcommittee on Agribiotechnology & Chairman, Excel Crop Care Limited, Mumbai

9. Hybrids
Tissue
Culture
Farm
Energy
NATURAL
RESOURCES
PLANTING
MATERIALS
GM
Seeds
Water
Water
VERSATILITY OF
AGRI
BIOTECHNOLOGY
Soil
Health
NUTRITION
Organic
Manure
Bio
Fuel
Bio
Fertilizer
Diagnostics
PEST & DISEASE
MANAGEMENT
Bio
Weather
Pesticides
Forecast
(Botanicals,
Microbial)
“Versatility of AgriBiotechnology” – Ashwin Shroff,
Chairman, CII subcommittee on Agribiotechnology & Chairman, Excel Crop Care Limited, Mumbai

10. Why Biotechnology?
 Inspired by Nature
 More akin to Nature
 Encourages use of tools from Nature
 Benign
 Less interventionist
 Soft on Environment, Farmers, Consumers
“Versatility of AgriBiotechnology” – Ashwin Shroff,
Chairman, CII subcommittee on Agribiotechnology & Chairman, Excel Crop Care Limited, Mumbai

11. Climate Change
Agriculture and Hence Food Security Highly Threatened
– Needs to be tackled
Climate Change Big problem for Agriculture !!
Is Agriculture a problem for Climate Change?
“NO”
On the contrary, Agriculture is a solution to Climate
Change Reversal
Agriculture ≡ Photosynthesis ≡ CO2 capture
Agriculture is Answer to Climate Change
“Versatility of AgriBiotechnology” – Ashwin Shroff,
Chairman, CII subcommittee on Agribiotechnology & Chairman, Excel Crop Care Limited, Mumbai

12. Communicating AgriBiotechnology
 Biotechnology needs to be understood & evaluated in a
balanced manner.
 Some myths & fears are being perceived & spread &
perpetuated, by sections of Society, either out of
ignorance, but also by many with vested interests.
 Some myths about Biotechnology :
 It is human intervention in God’s design, with nature, so
we should not encourage or allow.
 Though it sounds good, we don’t know if it has / will have
any adverse side effects.
 It is controlled by Private Sector, that too MNCs, who can
make Farmers & Consumers dependent on them & exploit
them.
 Others
Contd….
“Versatility of AgriBiotechnology” – Ashwin Shroff,
Chairman, CII subcommittee on Agribiotechnology & Chairman, Excel Crop Care Limited, Mumbai

13. Communicating AgriBiotechnology
 Some Realities & Possible Answers :  Agriculture as an activity is itself a human
intervention. (Similarly, milk production by domestication of cattle,
transport by use of horses)
 Many Agri advances have been human interventions –
tilling of land, fertilizers, Pesticides, pumping of water, etc.
 Many of modern Techniques & Devices taken for
Granted Today are through Scientific advances &
human understanding and interventions – Electricity, Cars,
Phones, Food, Longer Life Spans, and many more.
 We Welcome the Advances in Pharmaceuticals &
Health Care, in common as well as dreaded diseases like Cancer.
 But Food is equally vital. So is Water. So is Energy
Availability.
Contd….
“Versatility of AgriBiotechnology” – Ashwin Shroff,
Chairman, CII subcommittee on Agribiotechnology & Chairman, Excel Crop Care Limited, Mumbai

14. Communicating AgriBiotechnology
Biotechnology has the Answers to many of these
Burning Problems facing India and the World.
Let us Welcome it,
Encourage this Versatile Tool,
with an
“Objective and Open Mind”
“Versatility of AgriBiotechnology” – Ashwin Shroff,
Chairman, CII subcommittee on Agribiotechnology & Chairman, Excel Crop Care Limited, Mumbai

15. Thank
you
“Versatility of AgriBiotechnology” – Ashwin Shroff,
Chairman, CII subcommittee on Agribiotechnology & Chairman, Excel Crop Care Limited, Mumbai