8.16         ndian   onom
               of climate change and environment                      development in the country, through
               related constraints.                                   corporate participation.
               The Government of India proposes for             (vi)  Factoring in the issue of environment
               the Second Green Revolution in 2002                    and climate change in the domain of
               with inclusion of the genetically modified             agricultural policy framework.
               foods (GMFs).                                   (vii)  Emphasising the need of farmers’
           In wake of the above-cited factors, experts and            awareness and education for the changing
     the governments expect a major change coming in                  times. For this the PRIs involvement will
     the cropping patterns of the country. Now, the issue             be crucial.
     is, how to face up the emerging challenges together      (viii)  Attending to issues like plant protection,
     with making farm practices and cropping patterns                 checking farm wastage, pest management,
     sustainable. Experts suggested the following steps               commercial production and commercial
     (by late 1990s), which were discussed and almost                 availability of green inputs.
     accepted by the Planning Commission together               (ix)  Evolving the right kind of credit and
     with the Ministry of Agriculture:                                insurance policies for the farm sector at
           (i) Putting in place the right kind of                     the macro and micro levels.
               agricultural policy with the provisions of
                                                                 (x)  Immediate inclusion of other factor in
               prize and punishment, inclining farmers
                                                                      the farm sector like, a national market
               to go for the right kind of cropping
                                                                      for agricultural products, upstream and
               pattern.
                                                                      downstream requirements, proper supply
          (ii) Evolving the right trade policy, which                 chain management, logistics, agro-
               can protect Indian farm products from                  processing industries, storage, etc.
               the negative affects of global competition
               and enable Indian agriculture to expand         AnImAl reArInG
               exports.
         (iii) Bringing in proper labour laws, and         The economics of animal rearing plays a very vital
               land leasing and acquisition policies to    role in the country. The agriculture sector in India
               encourage the entry of Indian and foreign   is predominantly a mixed crop-livestock (animals,
               private sector in agriculture.              birds and fishes) farming system. Animal rearing
         (iv) Keep pressurising the WTO so that            has always remained an integral part of it. Animal
               a neutral and judicious regime of           rearing (which includes rearing of cows, camels,
               agricultural provisions are evolved         buffaloes, goats, pigs, ships, etc.), besides directly
               by it accepting the realities of India’s    contributing to the national income and socio-
               subsistence farming and issues related      economic development, plays the following vital
               with the high agriculture subsidies, which  functions in the country:
               developed countries forward to their farm          (i) Supplements family income and generates
               sector.                                                gainful employment in the rural sector;
          (v) Evolving the right environmental policy            (ii) Particularly helps the landless labourers,
               framework for the initiation of GMFs                   small and marginal farmers and women
               in the farm sector and promotion to                    (economic empowerment of women);
               the non-GMF related research and                 (iii) Provides cheap nutritional food;