Sustainable Development and Energy Transition in Europe and Asia

10Sustainable Agricultural Development and Rural Poverty in India

In India, income distribution is largely divided into two major sectors – primary and secondary. Recent years saw a steady decline in the contribution of agriculture to gross domestic product (GDP), which currently stands at 15%.

This chapter addresses the spatial pattern of sustainable agricultural development as a Composite Index of Agricultural Development (CIAD) and its relationship with rural poverty. States with vast agricultural potential, such as Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, and Orissa, have remained at the lower rung of the development ladder due to their geographical configuration and the social composition of the population, along with poor irrigation facilities, which has been a constraint to the rapid diffusion of technological innovation in the agricultural sector.

This chapter also addresses the CIAD model of rural poverty and related indices. There will be a close look at slow growing States in comparison with the more prosperous regions.

This information and statistics will allow us to assess what changes need to be made to improve the livelihood of farmers.

10.1. Introduction

As previously stated, in India, income distribution is largely divided into the primary and secondary sectors, and recently, there has been a decline in the contribution of agriculture to India’s GDP. This is due primarily to the high growth rates in the industrial and services sectors of the economy. This research is concerned ...