There are two facts about the Netherlands and India which highlight the dramatic differences between the two nations – especially when it comes to farming. One is that Netherlands is 80 times smaller than India. The other is that the Dutch export nine times more in value of agricultural produce.
Indian farmers are the country’s largest, and arguably poorest, demographic. As per the 2011 Census, 263 million people work as labourers or cultivators in Indian farms. Despite registering growth in the last few decades, the agricultural sector has been grim in the last few decades. One farmer suicide every 32 minutes. Farming is considered to be unpredictable, unprofitable and unsustainable livelihood for many. The failing rains, rising costs of fertilizer and predatory moneylenders all contribute to an industry that is more a hazard than an opportunity.
The comparison could not be starker than when you look at the Netherlands. Blending historical lessons with the latest agro-farmingming technology, Dutch farmers are proving their brilliance at farming. Netherlands is the second largest agricultural exporter in the world (India ranks at number seven) as well as the leading provider of agricultural education. National Geographic calls them the country that feeds the world.
They followed a simple motto: “Twice as much food using half as many resources.”
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