Organic cotton production has reached an all-time high, despite Bt cotton having taken over cotton fields in India. But with meagre government support going organic remains a challenge for Indian farmers

Centre approves field trials of 14 genetically modified crops. But some states refuse trials, saying safety regulations are too lax. With politicians joining activists, the issue is likely to take a politically volatile turn. Latha Jishnu and Jyotika Sood report

As India prepares to launch the second Green Revolution in the eastern states with focus on rice, Down To Earth examines whether tilting towards resource- intensive, expensive hybrid rice is the right option for small and marginal farmers

Skyrocketing prices of pulses point to India’s increasing insufficieny in pulse production. Pulses are disappearing from the table because farmers have lost interest in them. How did it happen? What are the likely consequences?

561,220 hectares of agricultural land in Andhra Pradesh is now free of synthetic pesticides. About 340,000 farmers in 3,000 villages find profits in not using those chemicals. In these villages, indebtedness is down. This in a state that symbolized agrarian distress

Vanilla flavour is associated with all things nice. However, this is a view that most vanilla farmers in Kerala will disagree with. Once a profitable venture, cultivation has taken a dip. The crop is labour-intensive, and takes time to flower. But what has been worrying farmers most is the use of synthetic vanillin -- an artificial extract, which has copied the smell and flavour of vanilla -- in food, beverages and cosmetics.

Non-pesticidal agriculture, makes economic sense to farmers in Andhra Pradesh. But government scientists refuse to take it seriously

This legislation touches the core of Indian society: its farmers. But does it not cater to them. Can the bill be re-evaluated before it becomes an Act?

While phosphorous is a much-fought-over global resource, the world is fighting to plug the nitrogen deluge

Is it too late to save India’s soils?

Shifting agriculture to manage the hills