16 October 2025, World Food Day, marks the eightieth anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Together with the Government of India, it is a moment of pride for past achievements, and an occasion to reflect on present challenges, and renew commitment for the future. India holds a distinguished position in the history of FAO by being one of the founding member nations to establish FAO on 16 October 1945. This was the beginning of a technical and knowledge-based collaboration that would profoundly influence India's agricultural journey.
Over the past eight decades, India has undergone a remarkable transformation in agriculture and its allied sectors. India’s Green Revolution led the world in food security, the White Revolution made India the world’s largest milk producer, and the Blue Revolution established India as the second-largest producer of aquatic animals. Economic growth and the rise of the middle class propelled the transformation of agrifood systems, encouraging farmers to diversify crops, expand livestock production, and broaden rural opportunities. Along with the technology, advances in irrigation, new institutions, extension services and favourable price policy helped the farmers to raise their income and strengthen livelihoods. Farm-non farm linkages also led to socioeconomic transformation of the large rural population, and India is considered a model for agri-led transformation in the global South. We are witnessing advances in digital, resource-efficient, and sustainable agriculture practices that will shape the future.
From shortage to self-sufficiency to surplus
At the dawn of India’s independence, the country faced chronic food shortages. In 1950–51, foodgrain production stood at barely 51 million tonnes — just a fraction of today’s levels, at 353 million tonnes (2024-25). At the beginning of the 1950s, nearly half of India’s wheat supply was imported. Over the years, FAO supported the Government of India in its efforts to strengthen policies, institutions and technical capacities.
Led by Prof MS Swaminathan, the Green Revolution of the 1960s marked a turning point. In fact, as early as 1950, India contributed to the japonica × indica hybridization programme, a global FAO initiative to develop high-yielding rice varieties. Building on this foundation, the adoption of high-yielding seed varieties, along with the expansion of irrigation and fertilizer use transformed north-western India into the breadbasket of the nation. Rice and wheat yields rose from 668 kg/ha in 1950–51 to over 3153 kg/ha in 2023-24. FAO’s technical guidance and policy support during this period played an important role in shaping India’s path first to self-reliance and recently to surplus in these food staples.
Equally transformative was the White Revolution, led by Dr Verghese Kurien and initiated through the dairy cooperative movement in Anand, Gujarat. Beginning in the 1970s, the cooperative model scaled nationwide, turning India into the world’s largest milk producer. India’s dairy sector is unique — it is largely smallholder-led, with millions of rural households typically owning two to three animals, ensuring both livelihoods and nutrition security. Milk production soared from 17 million tonnes in 1950–51 to 239 million tonnes by 2023–24. FAO’s expertise supported dairy development and livestock health, placing smallholders — especially women — at the heart of this revolution. FAO provided technical assistance to the National Dairy Development Board in enhancing milk production, chilling, pasteurization, packaging, feed formulation, animal health and veterinary services.
Broadening the Agricultural Landscape
Over the decades, Indian agriculture diversified beyond cereals. Horticulture, livestock and fisheries emerged as powerful engines of growth. The share of horticulture (fruits and vegetables) in crop sector doubled from 16 percent in 1980–81. The livestock sector too expanded rapidly: egg production increased sevenfold from 8 billion in 1950– 51 to 138 billion in 2022–23, while fish production rose from 0.8 million tonnes to 17.5 million tonnes over the same period.
India is now a global leader in production — contributing 24 percent of the world’s milk, 29 percent of pulses, 26 percent of rice and 12 percent of fruits and vegetables. In exports too, India ranks first in rice and spices, second in sugar, and fourth in marine products (2022). These achievements reflect a remarkable transformation: from a fooddeficient nation to an agricultural powerhouse feeding itself and contributing to global food security.
Towards Sustainable Futures
Yet, even as India has achieved self-sufficiency, new challenges demand attention. Climate change, soil degradation, water scarcity, biodiversity loss and malnutrition could undermine its progress. Expanding production is no longer enough; the task ahead is to ensure that agriculture delivers nutrition security, ecological sustainability and social equity through agrifood systems transformation.
Agriculture in India is undergoing a digital transformation, with the country emerging as a pioneer in harnessing technology — from satellite-based crop monitoring to platforms like AgriStack, Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), and e-marketing systems that directly link farmers to buyers. Sustainable farm practices and organic and natural India’s rise as a global agrifood systems leader: An infographic showcasing the journey of India's agriculture and allied sectors since India's independence. Infographic content developed by Suvidya Patel, designed by Nitisha Mohapatra, FAO. farming are gaining popularity in many areas. These advances hold promise for building a farming future that is resilient, climate-smart and sustainable.
FAO continues to work closely with the Government of India during these transitions. From promoting climate-resilient crops like millets, to advancing food safety frameworks, to supporting women-led cooperatives and farmer producer organizations, FAO’s technical expertise and global experience are contributing to India’s next agricultural leap.
Inclusion as the Path to Growth for Viksit Bharat
For India to achieve its Viksit Bharat vision by 2047, agrifood transformation must be inclusive—empowering women, engaging youth, and strengthening smallholders through digital literacy, rural skilling, and farmer producer organizations, and investment for agrifood system transformation. With a population of 1.4 billion, India must advance climate-resilient agriculture and inspire global solutions.
As we commemorate FAO’s eightieth year on World Food Day 2025 under the theme “Hand in hand for better foods and a better future,” we are reminded that the journey is far from over. The road to Viksit Bharat and the Sustainable Development Goals will demand resilience, innovation and inclusivity. With shared vision and determination, FAO and India can promote agrifood systems that nourish people, protect the planet and sustain prosperity for generations to come, leaving no one behind.
(Prof Ramesh Chand is a NITI Aayog member; Takayuki Hagiwara is FAO Representative in India)
(The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.)