One of the eminent startups in agritech landscape, Fasal, founded by Shailendra Tiwari and Ananda Verma, has homogenously blended Artificial Intelligence, crop sciences, and the Internet of Things, has raised $12 million in a funding round led by TDK Ventures and British International Investment (BII).

In a country like India, suicidal attempts of farmers are increasing, in order to give a new life for farmers, startups are collaborating with them in the rural areas to educate about modern technologies, help to get little more profit and save them from the trap of dishonest landlords.

Lately, with the increasing demand of chemical free fresh organic vegetables, agritech startups are flourishing rapidly. Reportedly, the agritech startups in India have collaborated with more than 75000 impoverished farmers and helping them with real-time forecasting capabilities keep farmers informed with instant weather updates, enabling decision-making for enhanced yield outcomes.

“By observing the importance of growing vegetables in a pollution free and sustainable environment, we are constantly innovating and adapting ourselves to deliver high-quality products.” - Anchal Kumar, Co-Founder Nature's Miracle

Marriage of Agriculture, Public Health & Nutrition

Agriculture in India has a direct connection with public health, because being healthy and disease-free is absolutely depending on what we consume.

According to the book “Understanding the Links between Agriculture And Health” edited by Corinna Hawkes and Marie T. Ruel. This book has three important things to take away, they are-

1.Agriculture and health interact through people, the natural environment, and food and other outputs: poor agricultural producers and their families are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition and disease, agricultural systems interact with the environment, in turn affecting human health; and agriculture produces foods, fibers, and plants with medicinal properties essential for human life, health, and culture.

2. Agriculture is fundamental for good health through the production of the world’s food, fiber and materials for shelter, and in some systems, medicinal plants. Yet agriculture is associated with many of the world’s major health problems, including undernutrition, malaria, HIV/AIDS, foodborne diseases, diet-related chronic diseases, and a range of occupational health hazards. Agriculture can contribute to both the spread and alleviation of these health conditions.

3. Poor health reduces producers’ ability to innovate, experiment with different farming practices, and capitalize on farm-specific knowledge. Ill health is a major reason why young people leave rural areas, depriving farm activities of needed innovators. Healthier producers, in contrast, are more productive and able to partake in—and drive—the development of agricultural systems.

Last but Not the Least

Agriculture, culture, technology, and environment are playing a major role in food and health. Achieving optimal nutrition for health requires us to understand how these factors interact and change over time. Governments, including the Indian government relies on agriculture to some extent, should release a white paper regarding the condition of farmers' health. This will help to comprehend and determine the actual magnitude of the problem since only a small part of the issue is visible.

Overcoming outdated farming practices and old-fashioned ways of thinking is a major challenge that we must face in order to weave a better future. By taking into accountthe cutting-edge technology in agriculture, India is potentially achieving self-reliance and reducing dependence on external factors, leading to an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ in every aspect.