Current Context : Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Released ‘Statistical Yearbook 2024’.
- Statistical Yearbook’ is a primary tool & indispensable reference for policymakers, researchers and analysts, to understand past, present and future paths of food and agriculture.
General Observations:
- Global Agriculture’s Share in GDP: Stabilized around 4% since 2000.
- Global Workforce in Agriculture: Declined from 40% in 2000 to 26% (892 million) in 2022. Agriculture remains the second-largest employment sector after services.
- Global Hunger: Affected 9.1% of the global population in 2023, higher than pre-pandemic levels (7.5%).
Key Findings about India:
- Agriculture’s Contribution to GDP: Dropped from 27.9% in 2000 to 15.9% in 2022, compared to the global average of 4.3% and China’s 7.7%.
- Employment in Agriculture: India had the largest agricultural workforce (226 million in 2022), followed by China (170 million).
- Women in Agriculture: Their participation increased from 32.2% in 2000 to 36% in 2022.
- Cropland per Capita: Decreased from 0.16 hectares in 2000 to 0.12 hectares in 2022.
- Production Leadership:
- Sugar: India is the second-largest producer (19%), after Brazil.
- Milk: Largest producer globally (23% of total).
- Irrigation: India has the largest equipped area for irrigation globally (76 million hectares), followed by China (75 million hectares).
- Organic Farming: 6% of India’s total area is under organic farming, second only to Australia.
Additional Global Insights:
- Fertilizer Usage: Use of inorganic fertilizers grew by 37% since 2000, reaching 185 million tonnes in 2022, with nitrogen being the primary component.
- GHG Emissions: Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture increased by 10% between 2000 and 2022, with livestock being the major contributor (54%).
- Water Scarcity: Regions like the Near East and North Africa face extreme water stress, affecting agricultural sustainability.