India is increasingly focusing on its rainfed areas due to demand for food and nutrition security, and escalating farmer distress. But agricultural policy paralysis has meant that the familiar, external input-intensive, technological approaches of the Green Revolution are to be transferred to these rainfed areas – despite their diverse and highly integrated production systems that are better adapted to climatic variability.

A new macro policy that articulates for decentralised, location-specific, integrated approaches in its rainfed areas is necessary for agriculture to be inclusive, climate-resilient and sustainable, and to provide the food and nutritional security that India needs.