Farming Calamities Triggered by Climate Change Lead to Over 3,000 Farmer Deaths in India Due to Debt and Crop Ruin in Two Years
In the heart of India, the Marathwada region, notoriously known for its farmland becoming a breeding ground for debt rather than crops, has seen an alarming number of farmer suicides in recent years. As per the words of India's Minister of Agriculture, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, about 3,090 farmers in Marathwada ended their lives between 2022 and 2024, equating to roughly three suicides a day. This disheartening trend is a result of the perfect storm of factors like debt, crop failure, and climate change.
A Tale of Numbers That Speak Volumes
The farming sector in India has been grappling with suicides for a while, but harsh weather patterns have aggravated the recent surge. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, thirty people chose to end their lives in the farming industry every day in 2022 alone. Maharashtra has been recording some of the highest numbers, but the tragedy isn't confined to a single state.
Research agency Centre for Science and Environment in New Delhi reported that almost 3.2 million hectares of farmland in India, an area larger than Belgium, were impacted by extreme weather events last year. Nearly two-thirds of this affected land belonged to Marathwada. This worrying data confirms that climate change is driving farmer suicides in India, particularly in vulnerable agricultural regions like Marathwada.
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Climate Change and Agriculture: A Deadly Tango
According to experts like R. Ramakumar, a professor of development studies at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India's smallholder farmers still rely on traditional practices and favorable seasonal trends for their livelihood. However, these rickety foundations are being steadily eroded by the increasing climate unpredictability. Ramakumar believes that climate vulnerabilities have "heightened the risks in farming," resulting in crop failures, and worsening financial struggles for small and marginal farmers.
Farmers in Marathwada have been plagued by unpredictable rainfall, delayed monsoons, and extreme heat. Mirabai Khindkar, a farmer from Marathwada, lost her husband, Amol, as he grappled with debt caused by crop failures in the harsh heat. The debt, which amounted to hundreds of times their yearly farm income, was their last conversation before Amol ingested poison. Despite Mirabai's relentless prayers, he passed away in the hospital. Her brother Balaji, also a farmer in the region, noted that the crop output has become uncertain due to low water and irregular rainfall. After Amol took his life, fellow farmer Shaikh Imran took up his family's farming responsibilities but found himself in debt with more than $1,100 after his soybean crop failed. These stories shed light on how climate change is driving farmer suicides in India, especially among smallholders.
The Vicious Circle of Debt
In the face of the climate crisis, many farmers are forced to take on more debt to cover irrigation costs or purchase fertilizers to compensate for declining harvests. However, banks are reluctant to lend to smallholder farmers, particularly those deemed high-risk due to erratic weather. Consequently, many farmers turn to local loan sharks who demand exorbitant interest on their loans, regardless of crop outcomes.
Mirabai acknowledges that earning a living solely through farming is no longer feasible. In a country where the average monthly income for a farming household is approximately $120, Amol's debt had escalated to nearly $8,000. Despite her attempts, she cannot repay the loan and now works as a farm laborer on other farms. She hopes her children will find employment outside of agriculture as she firmly believes, "nothing comes out of the farm."
The situation is so dire that some farmers in Marathwada have resorted to using explosives to blast wells in an attempt to hit groundwater. Khatijabi, the family matriarch, commented on the desperate circumstances, stating, "there isn't even enough drinking water, much less water to irrigate our land." The lack of viable alternatives pushes many deeper into debt, perpetuating the vicious cycle in which climate change drives farmer suicides in India.
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Inadequate Policy Support
Agricultural experts maintain that deeper structural problems are at the heart of Indian farmer suicides, but government statistics seldom identify specific causes. Ramakumar highlighted that focus should be placed on incomes, investments, and productivity as key issues plaguing India's agrarian sector. He suggested that the government should engage in climate-resilient agriculture research, fortify crop insurance programs, and guarantee prompt assistance to farmers. He stated, "Agriculture should not be a gamble with the monsoon."
Despite the evidence suggesting that climate change drives farmer suicides in India, India's agricultural policies continue to lag in addressing the root causes of this crisis. The Indian government must prioritize systemic changes to ensure that farmers are equipped with the tools they need to combat the effects of climate change, adapt to new farming practices, and secure a safe and prosperous future for themselves and their families.
Conclusion
Climate change is driving farmer suicides in India, and the time to act is now. Thousands of farmers' lives have already been lost, and it's time for the government and industrial leaders to come together and devise effective strategies to address the root causes of this crisis. Farmers in India are fighting not just the weather but also systemic challenges that need urgent attention.
- The Centre for Science and Environment's report indicates that climate change significantly contributes to farmer suicides in India, particularly in vulnerable regions like Marathwada, where nearly two-thirds of the affected farmland was reported last year.
- ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting could play a pivotal role in highlighting the impacts of climate change on agricultural sustainability and informing policy-and-legislation decisions that help reduce farmer suicides.
- The increased occurrence of extreme weather events, such as unpredictable rainfall, delayed monsoons, and extreme heat, is a key contributor to the escalating number of farmer suicides in India, as evidenced by the cases in Marathwada.
- In the discussions on climate change and policy-and-legislation, it is crucial to consider the science behind environmental-science and its implications for the farming sector, along with general-news reporting that sheds light on the realities faced by smallholder farmers.
- As sunflowers symbolize the future of sustainable agriculture and could potentially mitigate the effects of climate change on agriculture, further research in solar-powered irrigation systems and greenhouse technologies for smallholder farmers may offer solutions to prevent farmer suicides.
- The Marathwada region's story underscores the need for policy changes that prioritize climate-resilient agriculture research, fortify crop insurance programs, and guarantee prompt assistance to farmers, allowing them to adapt to the challenges of climate change and secure a sustainable future.
