Agricultural Policies & Supply Chains

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations guides its global work through a strategic framework aimed at supporting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The core organizing principle of this framework is the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems to achieve the "Four Betters". The "Four Betters" are officially defined as:
1. Better Production: Ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns.
2. Better Nutrition: Ending hunger, achieving food security, and improving access to healthy diets.
3. Better Environment: Protecting, restoring, and promoting the sustainable use of terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
4. Better Life: Promoting inclusive economic growth and reducing inequalities, leaving no one behind. The Blue Transformation is a specific FAO vision and programmatic priority area that aims to secure and maximize the contribution of aquatic food systems (fisheries and aquaculture) to achieve these overarching "Four Betters". Options A, C, and D are incorrect because they include fabricated pillars such as "better ocean", "better coral reefs", "better estuaries", or "better mangrove vegetation", which are not part of the FAO's official strategic framework. Therefore, Option B is the correct answer.

Statement 1 is Incorrect: The Rainfed Area Development (RAD) scheme explicitly promotes Integrated Farming Systems (IFS) rather than monoculture. It integrates multi-cropping and rotational cropping with allied activities like horticulture, livestock, fishery, and agro-forestry to diversify income and build resilience. Official guidelines actively discourage single-cropping (monoculture) systems. Statement 2 is Incorrect: As the name implies, RAD targets rainfed areas (regions lacking assured irrigation) to build resilience against climate variability. It does not focus on expanding water-intensive crops like rice in already irrigated regions. Statement 3 is Correct: The core objective of RAD is to make rainfed agriculture more productive, sustainable, remunerative, and climate-resilient. By diversifying income sources through Integrated Farming Systems (IFS), RAD aims to minimize the risks associated with climatic variability (such as droughts, heat stress, or floods) and crop failure, ensuring stable livelihoods for farmers. Therefore, option D is the correct answer.

Ethanol is a biofuel produced mainly by fermenting sugars found in crops like corn and sugarcane, with the USA and Brazil being the top global producers—each using a different primary feedstock. ❌ Statement I: Incorrect
* The United States is the largest ethanol producer, not Brazil. ✅ Statement II: Correct
* USA uses corn; Brazil uses sugarcane as the primary feedstock for ethanol.

✅ Statement I: Correct
India produces about 80% of the world’s turmeric and exports around 65% globally. ✅ Statement II: Correct
India grows over 30 turmeric varieties like Alleppey Finger, Erode, Sangli, Salem, Nizamabad, and Rajapore. ✅ Statement III: Correct
Major producing states include Telangana (largest), Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. Correct Answer: (D) All statements are correct.

✅ Pair I: International Year of the Woman Farmer : 2026 — Correct
*The UN designated 2026 to honor the vital role of women in agriculture and to address gender inequalities in farming globally.* ✅ Pair II: International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism : 2027 — Correct
*2027 is proclaimed to promote tourism that supports sustainable development and resilience against climate and health challenges.* ✅ Pair III: International Year of Peace and Trust : 2025 — Correct
*The year 2025 focuses on fostering global peace, trust, and cooperation among nations and communities.* ✅ Pair IV: International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence : 2029 — Correct
*2029 marks the UN’s focus on asteroid awareness and planetary defense, coinciding with asteroid Apophis’s close approach.* Therefore, all four pairs are correctly matched.

✅ Statement I: Correct
*RGM aims to conserve indigenous breeds, benefiting small farmers and landless labourers by improving animal productivity.* ✅ Statement II: Correct
*Launched in December 2014, the mission promotes scientific breeding, genetic upgradation, and conservation of indigenous breeds.* Correct Answer: (C) Both Statements I and II are correct.

* Statement I is incorrect: India does import apples from the USA. In fact, the USA is one of the major sources of apple imports for India. * Statement II is correct: India has stringent regulations regarding the import of Genetically Modified (GM) food. The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) is the competent authority responsible for assessing the safety of GM crops and foods. Importing GM food without GEAC approval is illegal. * Therefore, statement 1 is incorrect, while statement 2 is correct.

* Statement 1: Correct. India is indeed a member of the International Grains Council (IGC). * Statement 2: Incorrect. Membership in the IGC is not a prerequisite for engaging in the rice and wheat trade. Countries that are not members can still export and import these grains. The IGC primarily serves as a forum for intergovernmental cooperation and policy discussion on grain trade.

* Statement 1 is incorrect: Introduced primarily in Madras (now Tamil Nadu) and Bombay (now Mumbai) presidencies by Alexander Reed and Thomas Munro. Ryotwari System, while aiming to establish direct contact with the cultivators (ryots), did not offer blanket exemption from revenue payment during bad harvests or calamities. While some provisions for remission existed, they were not automatic or guaranteed. * Statement 2 is correct: Introduced in Bengal, Bihar, and parts of Odisha by Lord Cornwallis in 1793. A key feature of the Permanent Settlement was the strict revenue collection timeline. Zamindars were obligated to pay a fixed amount of revenue to the British by a specific date. Failure to do so could result in the auctioning of their Zamindari to recover the dues. _Note: UPSC dropped this question from the final answer key._

100 Million Farmers: The 100 Million Farmers initiative, launched by The World Economic Forum (WEF), seeks to drive a global movement focused on accelerating the adoption of regenerative agriculture and climate adaptation practices at the farm level. This initiative aims to transition towards sustainable food and water systems. It focuses on achieving net-zero carbon emissions, enhancing nature positivity, and improving farmers' resilience to climate change and market fluctuations. _Let's look at why the other options are incorrect:_ *  Option B: This describes organizations promoting organic animal husbandry, not the '100 Million Farmers' initiative. *  Option C: This refers to a blockchain-based platform for fertilizer trading, which is not the core focus of '100 Million Farmers.' *  Option D: While farmer collectives are important, '100 Million Farmers has a broader scope encompassing sustainable practices and climate resilience.