Fossilisation of Farming and Fuelisation of Food

23 Oct 2026

Tags: Economy   Infrastructure   Energy Sector

Source: The Indian Express

Context: West Asian and Russia–Ukraine conflicts are exposing Indian agriculture's dependence on fossil fuels and petrochemical inputs, while high crude oil prices are increasing incentives to divert food crops towards biofuel production.

• Climate risk: A prospective strong El Niño, combined with geopolitical supply disruptions, could raise agricultural input costs and threaten food and energy security.

Fossilisation of Indian Agriculture

• Mechanisation: India's tractor population has crossed 1.2 crore, with 11.6 lakh units sold in 2025–26, replacing bullocks in ploughing and transportation; harvesting combines and diesel/electric pumps have further increased dependence on external energy.
• Fertiliser dependence: Consumption of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilisers reached 33.5 million tonnes in 2025–26. Urea (46% N) and diammonium phosphate (DAP: 46% P) account for approximately 67.5% of consumption.
• Petrochemical dependence: Crop-protection chemicals rely on petroleum-derived inputs such as benzene, toluene, xylene, ethylene and propylene, while solvents, emulsifiers and surfactants are also largely petroleum-based.
• Sulphur dependence: Sulphur, obtained mainly as a by-product of oil refining and natural gas processing, is essential for manufacturing phosphorus-containing fertilisers, including DAP and single superphosphate (SSP).

Geopolitical and Energy-Price Shocks

• Natural gas and naphtha: Over the preceding year, LNG prices delivered to Northeast Asian markets rose from around $11 to $30 per million British thermal units (MMBtu), while Northwest European naphtha prices increased from $515–520 to $910–915 per tonne, raising the cost pressures on fertiliser and chemical supply chains.
• Sulphur price surge: Imported sulphur, previously below $300 per tonne until around 2021, rose to $400–500 in March–June 2022 and subsequently reached $1,000–1,100 amid geopolitical disruptions affecting energy infrastructure.
• Import vulnerability: India imports oil, gas, fertiliser raw materials—including ammonia, rock phosphate, sulphur and muriate of potash—and technical-grade ingredients used in crop-protection chemicals, exposing farmers to international price volatility.

Fuelisation of Food

• Meaning: Fuelisation occurs when agricultural commodities are diverted from food and feed uses towards biofuel production, particularly when high crude oil prices improve the commercial attractiveness of alternative fuels.
• Ethanol blending: India produces ethanol from sugarcane, rice, maize and other starchy grains for blending with petrol, with blending reaching the 20% target.
• Biodiesel: Vegetable oils can be converted into fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) for blending with petroleum diesel. Indonesia's 50% palm-oil-derived FAME mandate illustrates the growing use of agricultural commodities for fuel.
• Food–fuel trade-off: Higher biofuel demand can compete with food and livestock-feed requirements, potentially increasing food prices and intensifying pressure on agricultural land and water.

El Niño and the Risk of a Twin Shock

• Historical precedent: During 1979–80, the farm sector contracted by 12.8%, while India's oil import bill doubled amid the energy shock following Iran's Islamic Revolution.
• Current resilience: Agriculture is now more diversified, with growing contributions from dairying, poultry, aquaculture and horticulture. Approximately 56% of gross cropped area is irrigated, compared with 29% in 1979–80 and 17.1% in 1950–51.
• Combined impact: Geopolitical disruptions can raise input costs, while El Niño-related heat and rainfall deficits can reduce yields. Their simultaneous occurrence could affect farm profitability, food inflation and energy security.

Improving Nutrient Use Efficiency

• Urea inefficiency: Only about one-third of the nitrogen applied through urea is absorbed by crops; much of the remainder is lost through ammonia volatilisation and nitrate leaching.
• DAP inefficiency: A large proportion of applied phosphorus becomes chemically fixed or “locked up” in soil, making it unavailable to plant roots during the growing season.
• Balanced fertilisation: Gradually reduce excessive dependence on urea and DAP through soil-test-based nutrient application, ammonium sulphate and balanced complex fertilisers, while accounting for crop-specific nutrient requirements.
• Biostimulants: These substances can improve root development, nutrient uptake and plant metabolic processes, potentially increasing fertiliser-use efficiency.
• Integrated pest management: Strengthen plant defence and resilience mechanisms, biological control and other integrated pest-management practices to reduce dependence on chemical pesticides.

Way Forward

• Renewable farm energy: Expand solar-powered irrigation pumps and drip irrigation to reduce diesel consumption, groundwater wastage and exposure to fossil-fuel price shocks.
• Sustainable input systems: Promote organic manures, biofertilisers, balanced fertilisation and precision agriculture to improve nutrient-use efficiency and reduce import dependence.
• Protect food security: Assess the food–fuel trade-off before expanding grain-based ethanol production, particularly during droughts, El Niño episodes and periods of elevated food inflation.
• Diversify supply chains: Develop domestic capacity for fertiliser inputs and crop-protection chemicals while diversifying import sources and maintaining strategic buffers.
• Climate-resilient agriculture: Strengthen drought-tolerant crops, water conservation, crop diversification and climate advisories to reduce exposure to simultaneous energy and weather shocks.