Context:

• India has transformed from a food aid-dependent nation in the 1960s to the world’s largest rice exporter and the provider of the largest food distribution programme (PMGKY).
• However, this quantitative food security masks a deeper qualitative crisis rooted in soil health, which threatens nutritional outcomes and long-term agricultural sustainability.

India's Journey - Food Security Milestones:

• Transformation from deficit to surplus:
  • 1960s: Dependent on US food aid under the PL-480 programme.
  • 2024–25: Exported 20.2 million tonnes of rice in a 61 MT global market.
  • PM-Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY): Provides 5 kg free rice/wheat/month to over 800 million people.
  • Food Corporation of India (FCI) stockpile: It holds about 57 MT of rice — the highest stock in 20 years and nearly four times the buffer norm of 13.54 million tonnes as of July 1, 2025.
• Reduction in poverty: The extreme poverty head count (those earning less than $3/day at 2021 PPP) dropped from 27.1% in 2011 to just 5.3% in 2022.

The Hidden Crisis - Malnutrition Persists:

• National Family Health Survey (NFHS 5) (2019–21) indicators:
  • 35.5% of children under five years of age are stunted, 32.1% are underweight, and 19.3% are wasted.
  • This reflects failure to achieve nutritional security, despite caloric sufficiency.
• Nutrient deficiency in crops: Poor soil health leads to nutrient-deficient crops, which fuels micronutrient malnutrition, especially among children.

Degrading Soil Health - A Silent Emergency:

• Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme (2024 data): Of more than 8.8 million soil samples tested, less than 5% have high or sufficient nitrogen (N), only 40% have sufficient phosphate (P), 32% have sufficient potash (K) and just 20% are sufficient in soil organic carbon (SOC).
• SOC - A vital indicator:
  • SOC is a critical parameter defining the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil — these govern its holding capacity and nutrient use efficiency.
  • As per the Indian Institute of Soil Science (IISC), SOC in the range of 0.50-0.75% is adequate.
• Micronutrient deficiencies:
  • Indian soils also suffer from a deficiency of sulphur, as well as micronutrients like iron, zinc and boron.
  • They contribute to stunting and long-term health issues.

Fertiliser Imbalance - A Misguided Practice:

• State-level imbalance:
  • Punjab: N overused by 61%, K deficient by 89%.
  • Telangana: N overused by 54%, K deficient by 82%.
  • The situation is similar in several other states. The highly imbalanced use of N, P and K and the neglect of micronutrients leads to suboptimal agricultural productivity.
• National consequences: The fertiliser-to-grain response ratio/ fertilizer use efficiency has declined significantly from 1:10 in the 1970s to a mere 1: 2.7 in 2015. This leads to suboptimal yield and soil fatigue.
• Environmental hazards:
  • Urea inefficiency: Only 35–40% N absorbed.
  • Rest lost as greenhouse gases (N₂O, which is 273 times more potent than CO₂) or as nitrate contamination of groundwater.
  • Urea diversion to non-agricultural or cross-border use compounds the problem.

The Way Forward - Towards Nutritional Agriculture:

• Public health link: Soil health directly impacts human nutrition, making this an agricultural and public health concern.
• Need for a paradigm shift:
  • Shift from blanket fertiliser application to customised, soil-specific nutrient planning.
  • Emphasise science-based fertilisation strategies informed by soil testing and crop-specific needs.
• New collaborations and innovations: ICRIER (Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations) and OCP Nutricrops partnership - Aims to promote region-specific, data-driven solutions to boost soil and crop nutrition, and enhance crop productivity.
  • OCP Nutricrops brings cutting-edge expertise in soil nutrition and fertiliser solutions aimed at addressing global challenges in sustainable food production.

Conclusion - Healing the Soil for a Healthy Nation:

• India’s food and nutritional security now depends on addressing the soil nutrient crisis.
• Sustainable development demands that we move beyond food quantity to food quality, starting with rejuvenating the soil — the foundation of human health and national prosperity.