Reviving soil health as a pathway to strengthening livelihood security and nutritious food in rural India

In the last few years, the food security debate in India has begun to move beyond mere production expansion and there is an emphasis on more wholesome and sustainable food on our plates. At the centre of this discussion is a critical but traditionally neglected element- soil health.

Healthy soil is not merely about producing more food; it is about producing better food that will feed millions while sustaining farmers’ livelihoods. Over 99.7 per cent of our food comes from the soil. However, soil health degradation worldwide has reduced agricultural productivity, water availability, and the health of forest and pasture ecosystems. This decline has also impacted human nutrition, with around 9.2 per cent of the world’s population, that is around 735 million people were chronically undernourished.

The silent decline of soil health

India’s Green Revolution-driven agricultural boom brought prosperity to millions from hunger. But three decades of intensive cultivation, high chemical fertilizer use, and monocropping have taken their toll. Government estimates indicate that almost 30 per cent of India’s soil is degraded, which is close to 146.8 million hectares. Of this, around 29 per cent is lost to the sea, 61 per cent is transferred from one place to another, and 10% is deposited in reservoirs. All of these have resulted in reduced productivity, poor crop quality, and rising vulnerability to floods and droughts.

Nutrients- starved crops are produced by barren soils, which later result in wide-scale malnutrition, especially amongst rural communities. Degradation of soil leads to damaging effects on the economy, environment, food security, and health.

Restoring soil health: A pathway to nutritious food

Restoring soil health is not only about preventing land degradation; it also holds the potential to rediscover the nutrient content in food. The overall nutrient value of crops has declined due to the excessive use of chemicals and synthetic fertilisers. Healthy soil, rich in organic matter, has the potential to enhance the nutrient value of various crops. When farmers adopt natural farming methods that promote soil regeneration, the taste of the produce is said to improve. This can be taken as an indication of the difference in nutrient value of the produce increases with soil health improvement.

By adopting sustainable practices such as organic farming, cover cropping, biofertilizers, and crop rotation, farmers can naturally enhance soil fertility.

Regenerative agriculture offers a holistic approach to farming that actively restores soil health while improving farm productivity. It emphasizes the use of natural inputs like biofertilizers and biopesticides, local indigenous seed varieties that are more climate-resilient and nutrient-rich than high-yielding varieties (HYVs), and innovative processing tools. Techniques such as multi-layer cropping allow farmers to grow two or more crops on the same plot simultaneously.

A central goal of regenerative agriculture is to build Soil Organic Carbon (SOC), which is crucial for maintaining soil fertility. This is achieved through composting organic waste like kitchen scraps, crop residues, and livestock manure and applying mulch to protect the soil surface. These practices improve the soil’s texture, enhance its water-holding capacity, and support the growth of beneficial microbes, which contribute to long-term soil productivity.

Another core principle is diversifying crop cycles. Rotating crops or integrating pulses, vegetables, and traditional grains enriches both the soil and the diet. These crops, especially the pulses, return essential nutrients to the land, reduce pest pressure, and break disease cycles. Many farmers are also reviving traditional soil-friendly methods, such as using cow dung, plant-based solutions, and homemade biofertilizers. These natural practices not only reduce dependency on synthetic chemicals but also allow the soil to heal slowly but surely restoring its vitality for future generations.

The link between soil health, livelihoods, and food security

The connection between soil health and food security is both critical and urgent. With a majority of the Indian workforce being employed in agriculture and the sector contributing to the country’s GDP, the degradation of soil quality threatens not only national food production but also the livelihoods of millions of farmers.

Adopting techniques of Regenerative Agriculture leads to healthy soil, improving crop productivity. Practices like cover cropping, minimal tillage, and organic inputs restore soil organic carbon, fertility, and reduce the need for chemical inputs. As a result, they lead to ecological balance, resilient farming systems and improve the nutrient content of the produce. Securing nutritional food for India’s 1.4 billion people requires urgent focus on sustainable soil management. Improved soil health will not only impact agricultural output positively, but ensure that the food nourishes the body with essential nutrients, promoting overall health and well-being.

The author is Lead, Centre of Excellence – Nutrition, PRADAN

Published on August 9, 2025

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