Human societies are heading to unforeseen issues with possible threat to world peace, tranquility and socio-economic instability due modern scientific experiments. All the political skirmishes, economical setback, social maladies and religious imbroglio and incognito techno-research activities are order of each day of 21st century. Agricultural revolution during medieval ages taught modern means of cropping, farming, cutting and harvesting techniques and helped modern society to come into existence.
Though, epidemics and climate issues caused large number of population decrease, but owing to pro-literate and quest for early do more doctrine, humanity dominated the environmental and societal challenges at abundance. Recent COVID-19 has once again shackled the entire globe with irrecoverable loss of lives. In such confusion and ambiguity, human survival remains under question. A number of crises inter alia food crises in few economies is going to be witness; WHO has corroborated the statement very recent with immediate initiative to overcome the situation.
Through, on individual as well as collective level, painstaking, relentless and ceaseless efforts are on way towards normalization, but the dream of sustainability chalked under SDGs is still far away. COVID-19 caged man accompanied with grief and pain, unending isolation, human to human distances in all walks of life. The same situation was thousand years ago, but the nature is revolving antilock to witness previous life on earth.
Few centuries ago, agricultural revolution transformed human society from transactional to transformational phase with significant changes which were never before witnessed, but COVID-19 once again reverted the human history of foraging to farming. Sociologists and Anthropologists have had a great debate whether the foraging or farming is the future of humanity. The discuss goes on with results, awaited. But Agricultural revolution changed the entire topography of human society.
More than ten thousand years ago, new substance technologies emerged in Afro Eurasia, Americas and Pacific. Subsequently, in Australian regions accompanied with certain regions adopted a new culture of agriculture. Agriculture showed new pathways by turning simple society to thickly civic society. It changed the nature of society from hunting gathering to agricultural revolution.
By the passage of each moment, the journey of civilization emerged, globally from few families to mass level, but it is expected that agriculture appeared separated differently in different parts of world communities leading it from evolution to agricultural revolution. Suddenly, new life styles brought changes in agricultural process with sufficient surplus. This went till the emergence of new era. Before industrialization, agriculture was main economic sector, whilst after 17th century agriculture is still major economic determinant and a game changer and a large employer over the centuries.
Amongst all best cultures of the world, is the culture of agriculture. Development of human society from hunting gathering to agrarian changed the human life style from savages to city and from barbarian to civic. In the entire evolution, there came various adventures from fire to plow and esteem engine to scientific inventions, but the role early societies in agro-reforms opened the doors for further development. Agriculture remained one of the oldest occupations of human society and left imperishable scars on human history with positive outcome. Hence, without focusing agricultural product, progress and prosperity remains utopian.
Without land reforms, focusing modern agro methods, zero tolerance and compromising on the health of land with few modern cultivating healthy habits cannot forward the way toward sustainability. There is no denying the fact that post-industrial era revolutionized the human society with unprecedented adventures, but it is also a fact that the entire cycle of socio-economic development still depends upon focusing agricultural productivity.
Land has abundance power to feed the people with limited demand in reciprocal. Social peace without focusing agriculture culture cannot reform the human culture. Focused approach with scientific outlook is the need of time. Mere conventional efforts will have insignificant impact over productivity. Land is like a living organism and it also require a language to communicate.
Thanks to pandemic which once again realized the importance of agriculture to meet food crisis. In order to boost up land reforms and sufficient production, modern methods are required to be implemented in the outset. With the passage of time, significant modern agricultural practices and policies have been implemented with both man and machine use. The future of farming with driverless tractors, drones to monitor, robotics to seed and mega machines to harvest or cutting are common in the first world, but for a country of third world it requires to make the most of cheaper scientific practices to have maximum agricultural productivity.
It is expected that by 2050 human population will require double need of food compared to today. Therefore, it invites attention to proceed accordingly. Regardless of the path we choose, agriculture is the future. Indeed it is agriculture which will provide energy to other industry. Healthy food and feed can enable human society to grow further. In fact, agriculture is linked with transformation of society from plunder to peace and survival to suitability. Changing nature of circumstances require to manage the Agriculture Eco-system with scientific measures. Prioritizing agricultural policies will manage sustainable socio-economic viability in the country.
Though the policy makers are cognizant with the modern methods, but there is room for building confidential building measures between the farmers and the public relevant regulatory organizations. Few strategies such as maintaining healthy soil, water eco-system without waste management, motivating and supporting all biodiversity related efforts with possible research based seed support are the important phases that may be taken with close coordination. In addition, crop rotation, modern means to cover-crops, deducing tillage (traditional plowing), integrating-pest management methods, and possible input over both livestock and crops seeding for individual and industrial needs may ensure agricultural productivity and surplus of food items. Agro-ecology needs to be implemented as an ecosystem. Merely use of pesticides will destroy the society and health of land.
Ineffective agricultural policies are often proven as obstacle to sustainable agricultural practices. Various sources of pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and fungicides are meant for forming productivity, but excess use of such chemical use can be fatal to human and land survival. Effective regulations are in place, but strict regulatory framework is required in the agriculture field to discourage high use of pesticides.
Modern economies have adopted various means under Integrated Pest Management Centers, development of infrastructure and agricultural human resource management. Pakistan is to follow international agenda as per compatibility. China during 80s introduced first National Safety Standard for pesticide application with five year plan. Such regulations banned excess use of pesticides.
Indonesia, also introduced pest control policy first time during 86s wherein Integrated Pest Management was introduced as a national policy to be followed across the board. Bangladesh also approved IMC in 2002 with the strict regulations to reduce pesticides rather use integrated crop management with awareness campaign for healthy land management eco. Various other developing nations also introduced effective policies to ensure agricultural productivity.
Pakistan is to follow such international models to ensure maximum utilization of agricultural asset to help locally and internationally during normal or crisis time. Agriculture can be major economic dividend subject to following modern techniques with scientific outlook. It changed the fate of humanity and can be determinant of socio-economic development for a country like Pakistan. It is time to realign agricultural policy with pragmatic policy paradigm.