Sustainable Agriculture and Legal Challenges: The Case for Agroecological Reforms in India

Ms Pratibha Narwaria, Ms Nikita Patel &Ms Jahnavi Bhandari
DOI:

Abstract

India’s agrarian economy faces a dual crisis: ecological degradation resulting from decades of industrial agricultural practices and inadequate legal support for sustainable alternatives. This paper critically examines the potential of agroecology—a science-based, socially just, and ecologically resilient approach to farming—as a framework for reforming India’s agricultural legal regime. Despite policy-level efforts, such as the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture and schemes promoting organic farming, existing legal instruments remain fragmented, chemically oriented, and poorly aligned with sustainability goals. The study employs a doctrinal and comparative methodology, analyzing Indian statutes, including the Environmental Protection Act, Insecticides Act, Fertilizer Control Order, and the Seed Bill, alongside international instruments such as the UN FAO guidelines, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy. Case studies of Sikkim’s organic model and Brazil’s agroecological zoning are incorporated to highlight practical insights. Constitutional mandates under Articles 21, 48A, and 51A(g) are explored to frame agroecology as a legal imperative tied to the right to life and intergenerational equity. The paper identifies key legal gaps, including the lack of statutory recognition of agroecology, insufficient incentives for sustainable practices, weak enforcement mechanisms, and limited participatory governance for farmers. It proposes a multi-pronged reform agenda: the enactment of a comprehensive National Agroecology and Sustainable Farming Law, restructuring of input regulations, market-based incentives, enhanced certification frameworks, and judicial interpretation of the right to sustainable agriculture. By bridging legal theory, policy analysis, and comparative models, this paper argues for a paradigm shift in agricultural law—one that aligns India’s food systems with environmental justice, climate resilience, and constitutional values. The study contributes to the emerging discourse on green legal transitions in the Global South and offers a grounded roadmap for law and governance reform in pursuit of sustainable agriculture.

Keywords

Agroecology, Sustainable Agriculture Law, Environmental Justice, Agri-Legal Reforms, Constitutional Environmental Rights