From Green Revolution to Clean Revolution: The Journey of PKVY

India’s agricultural journey has been marked by two defining phases: the Green Revolution, which ensured food security through productivity gains, and the emerging Clean Revolution, which focuses on ecological balance, sustainability, and health security. The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), launched in 2015 under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), embodies this shift — from chemical-intensive farming to an organic, eco-friendly model that protects both the farmer and the environment.

Genesis and Objectives

The Green Revolution of the 1960s helped India overcome famine and become food surplus. However, over time, it led to soil degradation, water contamination, and biodiversity loss due to excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Recognizing this, the Government of India launched PKVY to reinvigorate traditional agricultural wisdom and institutionalize organic farming as a sustainable alternative.

The objectives of PKVY are multi-dimensional:

Promote eco-friendly and low-cost organic farming that conserves natural resources.
Strengthen farmer collectives through a cluster-based approach (20 hectares per cluster).
Facilitate Participatory Guarantee System (PGS-India) certification for domestic markets and third-party certification (NPOP) for exports.
Create market linkages, improve branding, and increase income generation through organic produce.
Enhance soil fertility, food safety, and climate resilience in rural India.

Implementation Mechanism

PKVY operates through a decentralized, farmer-centric implementation structure.

Cluster Formation:
Farmers are mobilized into 20-hectare clusters to collectively adopt organic practices, reducing input costs and ensuring uniform standards.
Financial Assistance:
Each farmer receives ₹31,500 per hectare over a three-year period, distributed as follows:
- Organic inputs: ₹15,000
- Training and capacity building: ₹9,000
- Marketing, packaging, and branding: ₹4,500
- Certification and residue analysis: ₹3,000
The funds are transferred directly to beneficiaries via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), ensuring transparency.
Institutional Framework:
Regional Councils, State Governments, and the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare jointly oversee implementation. Annual Action Plans are approved centrally, while execution remains local and participatory.

Certification Ecosystem: Building Credibility in Organic Farming

Before PKVY, lack of certification was a major hurdle for organic producers. PKVY institutionalized two robust systems:

Participatory Guarantee System (PGS-India):
A community-based, farmer-led system where members conduct peer reviews and mutual verifications, ideal for domestic trade.
Third-Party Certification (NPOP):
Accredited by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, this system enables export-oriented farmers to meet international organic standards.

In 2020–21, the government also introduced the Large Area Certification (LAC) programme to fast-track certification in regions free from chemical use (e.g., tribal and hilly areas). The conversion period was shortened from 2–3 years to a few months, expanding India’s organic base rapidly.

Progress and Achievements (2015–2025)

PKVY has evolved from a pilot scheme to a national driver of sustainable agriculture:

₹2,265.86 crore released under PKVY (2015–2025).
₹205.46 crore allocated under RKVY in FY 2024–25.
15 lakh hectares brought under organic cultivation.
52,289 clusters formed; 25.3 lakh farmers benefitted (as of Feb 2025).
1.98 lakh hectares under three-year organic conversion (2024–25).
14,491 hectares certified in Car Nicobar and Nancowry Islands.
60,000 hectares in Sikkim certified — making it the world’s first 100% organic state.
9,268 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) registered, integrating small farmers into value chains.
6.23 lakh farmers and 8,676 buyers registered on the Jaivik Kheti portal, promoting direct farm-to-market sales.

These achievements illustrate how PKVY is catalyzing India’s transition from chemical-dependence to organic self-reliance, in line with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Economic and Social Impact

1. Rising Farmer Incomes:

Organic produce often commands 20–30% higher market prices, enabling smallholders to earn sustainably while lowering input costs.

2. Employment and Entrepreneurship:

PKVY clusters have evolved into hubs of rural entrepreneurship — in organic food processing, packaging, and branding.

3. Social Cohesion:

The participatory model encourages collective decision-making, fostering community trust, women’s participation, and youth engagement in green enterprises.

4. Environmental Gains:

Organic practices have improved soil fertility, enhanced carbon sequestration, and reduced groundwater pollution, aligning with India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).

Challenges and Policy Gaps

Despite its success, PKVY faces several constraints:

Market volatility and weak supply chains limit farmer profits.
Certification costs and consumer unawareness remain bottlenecks.
Lack of organic input availability and research-extension linkages hinders scalability.

Addressing these requires a whole-of-government approach, stronger convergence with digital agriculture platforms, and public-private partnerships to ensure sustained growth.

Way Forward: Towards Sustainable and Resilient Agriculture

To scale the Clean Revolution, India must:

Integrate PKVY with the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) for broader coverage.
Promote organic value chains under One District One Product (ODOP).
Expand the Jaivik Kheti Portal for e-commerce and traceability.
Incentivize agroecological research and climate-resilient cropping systems.
Strengthen international branding of Indian organic products to enhance exports.

Conclusion

The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana exemplifies India’s strategic transition from the productivity-centric Green Revolution to the sustainability-oriented Clean Revolution. By empowering farmers with knowledge, certification, and market access, PKVY not only restores ecological balance but also revitalizes rural economies.

As India aspires for Viksit Bharat @2047, PKVY represents the nation’s resolve to ensure that the fields that once fed the world now heal the planet — through clean, sustainable, and resilient agriculture.

Suryavanshi IAS

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